i have calecko next to my tron. >> i only had atari. >> i would go to his house and play it all galeco. >> joe on twitter, taking a break from an all i need arnold schwarzenegger marathon. which one next "twins" "six day" or "junior". >> i think i would go "commando" and get you young alyssa milano -- you're a funny guy, sully. i like you. i'm going to kill you last. watch "commando" now. "morning joe" starts right now. they have been trying to sell this trickle down snake oil before. and guess what? it didn't work then, it won't work now, it's not a plan to create jobs, it's not a plan to reduce the deficit, it's not a plan to move the economy forward. and you know, secretly i think

they know this. i think they know their plan is not very popular. you can tell that because they're being pretty designist about my plan. especially by the way when it comes to medicare. now this is something i've got to point out here because they are just throwing everything at the wall to see if it sticks. here's what you need to know. i have strength in medicare. i have made reforms that have saved millions of seniors with medicare, hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs. >> all right. good morning. >> i'm tired. >> are you tired? >> i'm tired. >> don't be tired. >> i just dant -- >> a it's only 6:00 in the morning. >> tired of this campaign. >> thursday, august 16th. >> welcome to "morning joe." >> [ inaudible ]. >> it's not like something about really exciting and fun and sink our teeth into and fun. it's the medicare thing. >> with us on set msnbc contributor mike barnicle.

>> all right. okay. >> what? >> let it go. >> what did he do? >> yeah. call me, though. >> you can't do that. don't do that. >> that was a chance to end it. >> i know. >> can't help himself. >> political editor and white house correspondent for "the huffington post" sam stein, hello. and in washington, msnbc political analyst and former chairman of the republican national committee, michael steele. >> good morning. >> good to have michael on board this morning too. all right. fine. republican vice presidential candidate paul ryan for the first time in his own stump speech brought up medicare. speaking to a crowd at his alma mater miami university ryan said he's ready to take on the fight over entitlements. >> the president i'm told is talking about medicare today. we want this debate.

we need this debate and we will win this debate. what i don't think he'll be telling people is that the president took $716 billion from the medicare program, he raidsd to pay for obama care. the president's campaign says that this raid of medicare to pay for obama care, which leads to fewer services for current seniors, is an achievement. do you think raiding medicare to pay for obama care is an achievement? neither do i. >> vice president biden was out again talking. >> what did he do this time? did he blame paul ryan for starting the plague? come on? he did, didn't he? >> no. he was just responding to --

here's what he had to say in virginia about the republican ticket. >> there may be one or two exceptions who voting against the ryan budget or the philosophy of the republican congress, and so this is not a mystery anymore. this is not a mystery. and the ability to take out that etch-a-sketch pad that govern romney's adviser said, the etch-a-sketch is gone. this is almost written pretty clearly, not in stone, but pretty clearly defined. it gives us an ability as the american people to have an absolute unfettered clear view. >> clear view of negative 30-second attack ads. sam, you were the one that said they need to pick paul ryan because when they do it will raise the debate to higher level. >> i never said that. >> i remember reading column after column of you saying that. >> you were so excited. >> now we can have a real

debate. >> wonky now. >> i have to look back at what i wrote. >> now we have the real debate. it's getting worse. getting awful. >> what do you want me to say? >> i don't know. we can talk about melky. >> straight up awful and it's just been like mired in awfulness for a long time. >> yeah. >> and we all thought it would change a little bit. certainly we thought ryan would bring about a discussion about medicare. but, you know, things have a way to going to the lowest common denominator. the first instinct was to basically go back to who's being less civil than the other. >> here's the problem. >> what's the problem? >> gallup polling finds that mitt romney has not seen any immediate bounce since naming paul ryan as his running mate. >> it beats a drop. >> yeah. in the first four days after ryan's nomination 47% of registered voters say they would vote for romney if the election held today. 45% would vote for obama, virtually unchanged from the days before the announcement.

the tepid reaction is consistent with what happened after 2008 after obama and mccain announced their running mates. do you think it's because they didn't jump into this conversation completely and they separated and then kind to try to water down the budget. >> lot of people don't know who paul ryan is. condi rice, that would have captured the imagination. i don't think she would have been a good pick. that would have had a big bump. it could be fine, but i am struck again watching paul ryan by himself, mike. he's just not as strong as when he's next to romney. >> nor is romney as strong when ryan next to him. >> they're thinking divide and conquer, no. >> no. it's the picture of the two of them together is strong. >> it's driven by the news of the day and the picture of them together. they need to be together. >> they do need together, but they can't be together because they're going to have to divide, go their separate ways to cover the country. but, you know, we're still talking about -- they're still talking about medicare.

wait until they get to taxes. wait until they get to the republican tax proposals, romney/ryan's tax proposals and what it does to the existing tax code. then you're going to see ads on both sides that will be phenomenally ugly. >> what about that? i guess the president got involved in the joe bideness on unchain my heart or something like that. >> just stop. president obama's reacting to mitt romney's scathing critique on tuesday where the republican candidate accused the candidate of waging a campaign of anger and hate. here it is. >> romney just accused you of running a campaign of hate and anger. how do you react to that? how do you respond to that? >> nancy, you've been on the campaign trail with me for a day and a half and this is pretty typical of what we do. we're going around the country talking about how do we put people back to work, how do we improve our schools, how do we make sure that we're producing american energy, how do we lower

our debt in a responsible way, and i don't think you or anybody who's been watching me campaign would suggest that in any way, you know, we have, you know, tried to divide the country. we've always tried to bring the country together. >> willie, woodward and bernstein, halperin and heilemann, teddy white. >> they weren't available. >> weren't available. nancy odell, what? >> i like nancy odell. >> i do too but curious election, let's just -- i'm just wondering the president of the united states doing people and he's doing -- don't show me, show nancy odell, please. because you're the expert. like politicians and presidents always come to willie geist and say where do i go to have my weighty interview and he chose nancy odell. >> if you're in that arena i would have gone with billy bush

over at "access" but that's a matter of taste. i would have like to have seen sam stein and chuck todds. >> exactly. >> i watched the show the other night, mario. >> ba tally? >> no. >> lopez. i saw one of these shows the other night. >> what shows? a show on tv at night? >> never mind. it was "extra." yes. tj watches a lot of that. he's in my ear finishes my fitnesses. >> mika doesn't watch tv. they should do an interview with mario lopez. >> it's not the interview with nancy odell. it's the daily dialog, back and forth between the two campaigns. >> i would love for them to talk about taxes. are they waiting? maybe the obama campaign is going to let it breathe. david axelrod is on the show today. he's a little upset. he is -- got to tell cu you -- >> do you have a feeling that romney's convention speech is going to either make or break his campaign? >> gosh, well --

>> he's ahead right now in some of these polls. i don't know. i think it's going to be close, but -- but i think it's going to be important. yeah. i don't know if it's a make or break, but a lot of people do. mark mckinnon thinks it's a make or break. michael steele, what about you? do you think the convention speech is a make or break for mitt romney? >> i do. i think it's going to be the one moment where everything kind of comes together. folks come off vacation, settle down, start focusing on the campaign. i think that, you know, the party leadership is going to be looking to say okay, how do you send us out into this battle. yeah, i think tone to substance to the visuals, all of that will matter for him, even with a 2-point, three-point lead going into the convention. he still is going to have to lay out solidly the substance of the argument for why he should be president of the united states. why the american people should fire barack obama and hire him, putting it in managerial terms.

it's going to i think be very important for him. >> do you think we're now beyond the initial glow of paul ryan that excited so many conservatives and republicans, that the pick, perhaps, reinforced the obama campaign's character rick turf mitt romney as a guy that wants to help the rich and gut the middle class a little bit and not look after the poor with paul ryan's budget sort of reinforcing that? do you think it was a help actually to the obama campaign? >> oh, yeah. the democrats i talked to were, you know, on the ceiling with glee. i mean they were beside themselves because they've been handed this gift, trying to figure out beforehand how to really navigate these waters to stay clear of talking about the economy and jobs and all of that. to have ryan in the form of his budget come to the table in such a great way, they were excited about it. this is the other opportunity here. the last three or four days, five days, six days they've been

out with ryan, we've spent three or four of them talking about the budget and medicare and medica medicaid, social security, not about the economy, not about jobs. the campaign has to switch this narrative to the points joe and mika were raising earlier, about, you know, this ugliness of the campaign, the romney people decided look, we've got to change the narrative about how people feel about barack obama. so we're not going to be saying any longer, he's a nice guy, but. we're going to say, it's just bad all the way around. >> do you think they were right going after joe biden for saying that mitt romney wanted to chain members of the audience, predominantly african-american audience? >> i thought the biden comment was holy ignorant. you know, just on its face. i mean i get, you know, what he was trying to say, but then, you know, just not come back and go you know what, my bad, i didn't mean to say it that way. double down on me, reinforces the fact that the romney people

were justified in sort of raising that. but again, that plays into the narrative, joe, that we're not going to say he's a nice guy. they got to bring down that 52, 53%, i like barack obama number, because it's not helping them with the 8.3% unemployment. >> i think that's going to help. i think romney's cause has been helped by, you know, this ad, this guy saying mitt romney murdered my wife. >> but that ad didn't even air except once by mistake and yet it's made -- >> once by mistake. you think that was aired by mistake. >> you really? it's aired more on this show than it has -- >> i've never had -- >> it's on youtube. >> well why? >> because we talk about it and that was the plan of the super pac, obviously, was to get a bunch of free air time for it and i think joe is right. to the extent that they wanted to promote this ad that had this insinuation in it, it did do a little bit of damage to the obama brand, which was we don't

basically play politics by those traditional dirty rules. that said, if mitt romney was this sort of oupy the moral high ground he could start talking to donald trump about dropping the birther ish shup both have dirty hands and it's pius bologna to talk about obama's character. i think that's insane. >> michael steele, everyone talked about the choice of paul ryan raising the game and making it a real conversation. what is the real conversation about at this point and what did they miss the opportunity to talk about? >> well, i think you look at the interview with cbs and "60 minutes," you look at the follow-up interview where ryan and romney were sort of put on the point about medicare and romney kind of backed away from it, you know, if you're going to bring ryan to the table, then you better be prepared to lay out an aggressive way of why you're putting your arm around him, why you're embracing him. because all of that, the budget,

the numbers, all of that comes with him, and sort of distance yourself from it, sort of cheapens the argument that, you know, you really want to be about substance because here's an opportunity to talk about the substance in the context of this pick and so far that hasn't happened. they've sounded more defensive than offensive on that and you would think that if this was a decision that was decided around the first or the second of august, that by the 15th or the 16th of august, you would have laid out a battle plan, almost a script, of how you're going to roll out the arguments in support of bringing ryan to the ticket but more importantly, framing medicare, medicaid, social security, in the context of the economy and jobs and how all of that is important going forward which goes back to the point that you raised, joe, about the convention speech. >> right. >> i don't think you can wait until then to do that because by then, the obama team have already mudded the narrative enough that you kind of look like you're really defensive. >> a lot of other news out today. the lead in "the new york times"

despite u.s. fear, hezbollah is moving openly into europe. "the boston globe" is talking about a quest for immigrant reprieves. and that's on the front of a lot of papers. "the washington post" talks about a gunman attacking the family research council. a lot of people -- you go around calling groups hate groups enough, you're going to whip people into a frenzy and the family research council has been pegged by a lot of people as a hate group just because of what they believe and apparently all that talk, hate talk, pushed people over the edge. and mike, of course, the stories that we don't see on the front page of the paper, about what continues to go on with young americans overseas. >> you know, that's why a huge component parts of this campaign on both sides of the aisle are really an affront to common sense in the way most americans lead their lives. we ignore continually the war in

afghanistan. yesterday, on the inside of the papers, the name of the dead, six young marines, lance corporal gregory buckley, staff sergeant scott dickerson, gunnery sergeant ryan guess ki, captain manukian, sergeant sky moat, average age 23 years of age, six marines, dead in afghanistan, nobody talking about it. >> it continues. >> neither candidate mentions it. >> they don't want to mention it. it's, you know, barack obama's the one who tripled down on the war, when he shouldn't have, and mitt romney actually wants to stay there longer. >> yeah. >> and has a running mate who actually voted against even withdrawing in 2014. everybody wants to prove that they're tough on foreign policy. >> or not talk about it. >> or afghanistan. >> or not talk about it. >> just not talk about it. the way they do that is by

continuing to send young men and women to their deaths in a war they know they're never going to control. >> to what end? >> will never win the exit strategy. they will not win the exit strategy. we've been saying it for four years. and young americans have been dying. they've been tripling the number of troops and it's going to continue. >> you know, part of me, part of i think a lot of people, one of the candidates, either governor romney or president obama, to sit down with the parent of someone who has been killed in afghanistan and explain to them and thus the nation why their son or daughter is dead. >> that's the question. >> why? >> why? >> mrs. jones, i am so sad to inform you that your son has passed away in afghanistan, but i want you to know as commander in chief, he died for a cause more noble than all of us.

he died to -- >> yeah. >> what? >> or better yet -- >> why did he do? >> or better yet, tell the future families why more men and women bill die. why are they going to die five years from now? at least president obama has a plan. he said you can believe the date or not. mitt romney, if he wants to be president of the united states, owes the american people an explanation of why he thinks we should continue to be in afghanistan and we haven't heard it. >> it's unbelievable. children that were standing on the bus stops of 9/11, you know, who were in first grade, kindergarten -- >> lance corporal gregory buckley from oceanside, new york, 21 years of age. >> he was 10 years old when the towers fell. >> he was 10. >> what's remarkable, though -- >> we've been fighting this war since he was 10. and he died 11 years later for a war that has no end, for a war that has no mission, for a war that has no real cause. there is no end game in

afghanistan. >> what do you think it is that four years ago at this time, the number one topic in the campaign was iraq, afghanistan, what do we do with u.s. military presence in the world? it wasn't until the economy bottomed out that we changed our focus on that. why is it that we don't talk about this stuff anymore? is it just that we're tired of it? is it just we made -- >> the americans are war weary and aren't invested in the war. so few families it. >> it wasn't an all volunteer army back -- it was an all volunteer army and was dominating our discussion. we cease from carrying it as much. >> we have candidates and their running mates out talking to thousands of people, i can't imagine this wouldn't be important to them. >> shame on us in the media. we give more coverage to the ethanol debate in iowa. >> yeah. >> than we do to what happens in an bar province in iraq or helmand province in afghanistan. shame on us. >> in 2006, iraq was front and

center in the campaign. and helped democrats get elected to congress. but nobody wants to talk about it now. because again, nobody has the guts to stand up and say, there's not going to be a happy ending to this war. the best thing we can do now is reverse -- do our best to get out of there without endangering more american troops. and the president can't do it because he's the one that tripled down the number of troops when he shouldn't have. >> yeah. >> and mitt romney and paul ryan and a lot of the republican establishment are so dam intent on proving he's weak on defense they want to stay there longer. >> it's funny to watch this conversation evolve because we started out with the news, with the headlines, maybe everybody would talk about covering the campaigns and we couldn't do it because it's stupid. there's really nothing to talk about. they're talking about -- >> i wouldn't say that -- >> this is what we should be talking about. >> it's stupid. >> nothing to talk about --

>> by the way, the 23yes. >> these things come with more and more. >> the third this season. it's unbelievable. >> it's like a perfect game used to be something. now -- >> two in one stadium this year. both at safeco. >> okay. >> seriously perfect games, like a dime a dozen. of course i haven't pitched one. the boston red sox, still in free fall. >> still in freefall, coming to new york to face the -- up in the big ballpark in the bronx for this weekend. >> it's over for them. let's just -- it's over. stop it. >> put the shutters up in august. >> i had the storm windows on two weeks ago. >> it's awful. >> i'm salting the driveway. >> willie, just a shocker, man. san francisco, mourning the loss of a player that went from a .123 average to a .487 in a

year. >> melky cabrera was on the yankees, he was a scrappy role player, didn't do much actually on the field, i bought his jersey, like the t-shirt. >> like a .270. >> all of a sudden mvp of the all-star game. some of us wondered if perhaps -- >> hold on. to melky's credit he said, i did actually do something wrong. >> he did. >> unlike everyone else caught. i don't know how that ended up in my system. >> what happened? >> melky cabrera, a san francisco giants outfielder having an incredible season was the mvp of the all-star game, suspended yesterday for 50 games, he tested positive for a banned substance and as sam said he came out and said yeah, i did. >> you caught me. >> i was taking testosterone. >> not right out. >> he put out a statement yesterday afternoon. >> he went through a 20-day testing process and then back and forth to see if they really did catch him. >> he's not splitting hair like barry bonds. trainer gave me something, didn't know what it was. >> it was a cream. i don't know how it got into my

system. >> wow. okay. >> the mixture became a little suspicious when he was jumping around in the outfield like superman. >> ran through the fence. >> suspicious of barry bonds when his toes started breaking out of his shoes head through his hat. >> seen recent pictures of barry bonds. lost 70 pounds. what happened? >> it's weird. >> like dan marino and weight watchers, right? >> it's got to be weight watchers. >> weight watchers is really good. we'll talk to senior adviser for the obama campaign, david axelrod. >> he's mad. >> he's a little mad at us too. >> oh. >> i know you're scared. >> no. >> he's mad! >> there's some balance we need to bring into the conversation. >> oh. oh, yeah. so instead of having one conservative out of 1,000 guests have none. is that the balance he seeks? >> tom brokaw joins us on the set. economist dr. jeffrey sachs joins us and gold medal goalkeeper for the u.s. women's

olympic soccer team hope solo will be here on the set. up next the politico playbook. first, bill karins with a check on the forecast. bill? >> good morning to you, mika. big thunderstorms yesterday rolled through areas like new york city and much of southern new england. today, it looks like a beautiful day in those areas. i want to start, though, with some of the best news i've had in a long time. heavy rain right through the center of the drought area. this is the heaviest rains i've seen in iowa, northern illinois and wisconsin probably going back about two months. we'll take it. it is going to cause problems. in milwaukee or chicago this morning, through the rush hour, looks like the peak of the storms will be over the top of you. the forecast for the northeast today, i mentioned it clears out, going to be a beautiful day, humidity levels will drop during the day. still very warm, typical summertime with temperatures in the 80s. the lower humidity i think you'll like it if you're in the shade. as far as the forecast for the southeast, also looking okay. the heat continues in dallas. you notice that cold front, look at minneapolis today. this is a serious cold front

with cool air behind it. 69 in the twin cities as we go throughout the day today. that cool air will make it to the east coast as we go throughout this upcoming weekend. be ready for that. that's a look at your forecast. there we go, barnicle. it was tough. like lights in my eyes and everything. it's not easy being over here. i'm excluded now. new york city, beautiful sunrise. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. this man is about to be the millionth customer. would you mind if i go ahead of you? instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer. people don't like to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank makes you miss out, you need an ally.

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29 past the hour. time now to take a look at the morning papers. our parade of papers, "the chicago tribune" illegal immigrants gather by the thousands to take advantage of an executive order allowing them to apply for a temporary work permits. under the program, initiated by president obama in june, young immigrants who were brought to the u.s. as children, will be

offered a chance for two years of protected status without the fear of deportation. >> and "the new york times" frustration with flying in security that pushed more travelers towards amtrak and the warm friendly service you get on the acela express, especially in the northeast. nationally amtrak ridership rose to 30 million riders last year. amtrak says 75% of travelers from new york to washington, d.c. go by train. particularly since the introduction of the high speed ace acela. >> "the philadelphia inquirer" groups in pennsylvania will appeal to the state supreme court after a judge upheld a law requiring photo i.d. to vote. the law would be in effect for the presidential election in november, adding new urgency to the democratic effort to win the battleground state. the judge disagreed with civil rights groups who argued the law could disenfranchise thousands of voters. >> and "the wall street journal" apple tv is trying to

enter the television game by talking to major cable providers about selling set top boxes. apple reportedly would seek to carry live television and other content as well. the journal reports cable companies are reluctant to let apple gain a foothold in the television market. really quickly, like i say, last night again, my family watches fanttic mr. [ inaudible ] on a loop. we watch it every night. but apple tv, we just turn on apple tv. >> there it is. >> seriously, it is -- >> you buy the mlb package and put on apple tv and it's amazing. >> tivo coming out wit stuff. >> we have that. i'm learning. >> are you learning it? >> it's amazing. >> alternatives that really organize things as well. >> and easy. >> apple tv, you can get any past game almost ever played. >> really? >> get the 1975 world series again. >> i had no idea. >> can you really? >> yeah. >> we're not going to talk about

amtrak and the acela? >> yeah. >> i like it, but they got to do something about their internet access. >> terrible. >> internet access is horrific. >> can't you get a stronger signal. >> it is horrific some people on there that are the nicest people in the world and they see you, hey. but if they've got some really rude, rude people working over there. >> becomes a personal story. >> and run on the floor next to you. >> seriously, i'm a big train guy. i love the acela. i love amtrak. i love trains. i really do. love it more than flying by a long shot. but the internet service and about half of those people just don't want to be there and i feel like -- >> i don't get why you can't use your cell phone in the quiet car. >> well, there is that. screaming in the quiet car. >> yeah. >> stop it. >> we want silence when we're -- >> also the leftovers from guantanamo that they try to pass off as food. >> oh, come on. >> their cheese [ inaudible ] is not too bad. >> small plates.

okay. >> i love riding acela, but you're right, biggest complaint, that internet service, horrific. >> yeah. >> can't be that hard. >> it can't. >> i say anything to avoid the security line at the airport. i'll sit on that train if the signal is going, that's fine. >> it's nice. >> they need to be nicer. >> walk right on the train. >> i love it. >> they throw their food at you. >> it's going to take 50 years but they're going to make it an hour and a half. >> the lines they have in the northeast cory dofr are too curvy to do straight speeds. the acela could go much faster than it currently goes, they need to fix the lines. >> to d.c., politico's patrick gavin with a look at the playbook. what's going on? >> who knew we had a bunch of train experts on site. you know your stuff. >> are you train or shuttle guy? >> total train guy. can't do planes, yeah. >> i'm with you. >> it's funny about amtrak is even though they pretty much only have one food car, nowhere else to go, stuck there hours on end that food service actually

loses money. somehow they manage to lose money on the food. >> some of us don't have to eat every hour on the hour. it's a two-hour ride. >> i need to eat every hour on the hour. >> let's talk about business. we've heard this for a couple days from republicans. sarah palin say it a couple nights ago, john mccain now saying it yesterday, that the president ought to drop joe biden as his running mate and draft hillary clinton. what's going on here? >> that's, obviously, never going to happen but you are hearing this from sarah palin and john mccain. what you're really seeing is that the gop kind of has a nice punching bag in the form of joe biden in the sense he is producing these very quotable quips every other day or so. the reality is, another story we have on our site is taking a look at the fact that kind of going on what you were saying in the last segment about the tone of this campaign. one of the lowest compliments you can give in politics is to sort of say so-and-so is a nice guy, but. and mitt romney has always said that about the president. he is now kind of stopping saying that and i don't think

you'll ever see that come back. you can't blame him. his point why am i going to call the president a nice guy all the time when he's constabtsly maligning my career and character. it's a sad reality about this cycle the lowest common denominator to say your opponent is a nice guy but. you're not going to hear that. that's a risk for the president. his best quality is no matter what you think about his policies people like him. mitt romney is saying i don't like this guy anymore. >> we heard that a couple days ago for the first time. called it a campaign of hate, anger and division. >> you know, when you look at that speech, i mean, it's like mitt romney, mika and i were watching this yesterday in the office, it was like mitt romney was weakening. the first time i've ever seen romney on the stump where he seemed to be enjoying it, you take that campaign of hate and division back to chicago, mr. president. it was like a tweak. and you know what it reminding

me, it reminded me for the first time of what happens every four years where republicans are we don't care what "the new york times" editorial page says, what broadcast networks say, we're going to tweak the liberal, go after him, going to poke him and jab at him while the press screams and it gets people off their game which david axelrod is here and can explain why he's been so angry lately. but they are off their game and i think romney sort of found an issue. as long as they keep running stupid ads accusing him of killing people -- >> they're not. >> romney has that high ground. >> right? >> absolutely. and we're told that it has angered the obama campaign, romney doing stuff like this. but on his behalf you can understand why he's doing it. he's gone through what, three or four months now of, you know, basically running a criminal enterprise at bain. >> yeah. >> stuff like that.

maligning this character. >> being accused of god knows what for releasing the same number of tax returns that john mccain released. >> and suddenly there's a new standard. you have to do what your father did 15 years ago. >> suddenly woke up one morning and said okay, this president is no longer a nice guy. >> yeah. >> campaigns aren't -- i'm shocked they want to take vice presidential advice from john mccain and sarah palin. they set the gold standard. why they don't they follow his advice. >> patrick gavin with a look at the playbook, thanks. coming up, it's only been accomplished 23 times in the history of baseball. >> by the way, 22 times, since 2008. >> felix hernandez tosses a perfect game. highlights, next. with the spark cash card from capital one, olaf's pizza palace gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! pizza!!!!! [ garth ] olaf's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day!

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>> time for sports. we mentioned it at the top of the show. the highlights, seattle mariners felix hernandez one of the best young pitchers in the game was perfect yesterday. 26 up, 26 down. here's number 27. >> the seattle mariners felix hernandez, the 2-2. he got him! 34 years, 119 games, it's finally happened! a perfect game by a seattle mariner! it was done by the king!

>> felix hernandez struck out 12 in the perfect game. the second perfect game at safeco field this year. the white sox did it against the mariners -- >> is that like hitting a triple now? >> three this year. 23 all time. three of them -- >> three this year. >> is it just me, mike? do you root against guys now pitching perfect games? >> oh, my gosh! ? >> no. >> i was watching that yesterday, the last four innings, it with you great. >> i want it to mean something. >> it does mean something. >> is it me, mike, or do you like kicking puppies? >> no. why do these things -- why are we seeing so many perfect games thrown? >> with the exception of melky cabrera, no juice. >> people swinging for the fences. >> are the pitchers juiced? >> they can't be. >> the hitters aren't. >> andy serwer is up next. >> oh, good. >> inside the new ish few of for

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45 past the hour. joining the table is managing editor of for tooun magazine, interviews former governor mitt romney on the campaign trail. how did that go? what did you get? you got his plan on the economy? oh, my god. >> look at this cover. >> yeah. >> it really you -- you -- >> that's it. >> you've caught the moment. >> got that card, going to subscribe. >> look at these cards. what's wrong with you. >> $9.99 for six months, get three months free. >> i'm going to sign up. >> you love that stuff. >> how many trees did you have to kill? the economy stinks but our politicians would rather cry than compromise, a bipartisan road map for fixing the system before it's too late, a great cover. >> thank you. >> talk about mitt romney, what's his plan to save america? >> give us the details.

>> just let him answer the question. you're being sarcastic and that makes me sad. >> sorry. >> hurts me right here. >> she's lying in wait, by the way. >> she is. >> isn't she? >> you said that before. >> when they do sports, you know -- >> we talked to mitt romney. i spoke to him on the phone. >> good. >> with david witford and talked to him about the economy. he laid out a five-point plan in terms of trying to get the economy back on track. number one, he wants to stimulate the domestic energy business which i gather means tracking and pumping up drilling. expand u.s. trade overseas. he wants to take on china he told us. and then also transfer job training to the states. take on the unions. and not surprisingly wants to cut the deficit but not cut taxes and wants to deregulate and top of the list right there, of course, is getting rid of obama care. not a lot of specifics. this is before we interviewed him before he picked paul ryan.

so we didn't know about that. you know, it's very interesting to me the topic a in my world is how is mitt romney going to reconcile his positions with paul ryan's positions. they're different. you know, mitt romney has said he -- he supports basically what simpson-bowles, their plan whereas paul ryan was against it and medicare, obviously, paul ryan's very aggressive in terms of reforming medicare. mitt romney not as much. it's going to be interesting to see how they get all their ducks in a row. >> so you write romney has staked his claim to the presidency on a simple pitch he knows business and so knows better than obama how to turn the economy around. he makes leadership a case too with reference to the salt lake city olympics and will sometimes boast selectively about his achievements as governor of liberal massachusetts, but otherwise he's all business. i see business people as friends not enemies, he told for tune. the president has embarked on a campaign of demonization of

people who work in the private sector. >> by the way -- >> he's not wrong -- >> and business people, by the way, just as a matter of record, business people see mitt romney as a friend, whether they're going to vote for him or not or support him or not, that is critical truth about this campaign. >> i think it's true. again we said this before, i've tukds to people who support him, friendly with barack obama. business people, ceos who are friendly with him who have urged him to reach out to business people and he won't do it. >> doesn't like them. >> the other thing was access -- >> by the way, mike barnicle, i'm going to let you continue, i just -- so people don't -- business people don't think he likes them. >> obama? >> obama. >> i don't necessarily agree he doesn't like the business people. he doesn't like business. he has no appreciation -- very little appreciation for business. the people he's indifferent to. he doesn't understand nor really respect what they do for a

living. that's the consensus i got. >> or is that a reaction to somebody actually taking on some of the bad practices of big business? >> no. it is so universal from liberal ceos from conservative ceos, from democratic ceos, you hear it from every ceo you talk to. >> yeah. they're not -- >> small business people. it's one thing ceo jpmorgan, and ceo of procter & gamble, what about all the small businesses? those people don't feel the love either and that's a lot of voters, right? that's important. >> i would say, forget, you know, feeling the love, you hear over and over and over again, from people of all ideological stripes who are in business, who go to the white house for meetings and the president comes in or whatever and they come out, universal refrain and it is that he really doesn't want to get to know what we do for a living. he has no interest in it. >> michael steele, isn't it a slippery slope or a challenge to be friendly with business or seen as friendly with business as opposed to unfriendly?

aren't both potentially fraught with risk? >> well no. in the past it hasn't been. in fact, this administration almost from the very beginning has made it so by what a lot of business individuals see as an assault on what they do. demonizing wall street, demonizing wealth and profits, demonizing in a way that, you know, belittles them. >> couldn't you argue that wall street and the big ceos, the big bonuses, assaulted our economy? i mean -- >> no. i mean i wouldn't argue that at all. in fact, i think that's part of the problem. i think when you draw such -- paint with such a broad brush, you know, when you want to pull out extract certain practices and behaviors of certain individuals, that's one thing. >> it's what you can't be friendly if you're going to do that. >> mika, come on, this is such an oversimplificatiooversimplif. it's not just five banks on wall street. it's thousands of companies outside of america, outside of

wall street, small businesses. >> taking advantage of people. >> i said to him at one point, had a brief conversation back stage and said why do you not like business people? he said i don't not like business people, but they really need to be blah-blah-blah. i said that's just -- what's wrong with that? i mean a business is important to america. you don't say i don't dislike them. >> good business is important to america. >> i thought it was framed in a strange way. >> and he walks into meetings and he looks at ceos and he's invited down that have taken days off to be there, and go you guys need to hire people. >> it's a lecturing kind of thing. >> and i -- i've heard it from people running huge fund-raisers for him that they come in and he insults them and walks out. like these are -- >> try to get an interview with him. >> i don't like my president to suck up to everybody. >> i'm talking about democrats that voted for him. >> or independents. >> because a republican tells me he doesn't like barack obama

that means nothing. it's like a kid saying they don't like spinach. what's fascinating and mike hears it nonstop, you hear it nonstop, democrats that wrote a lot of checks for this president four years ago, that are in business, say he doesn't get us. he didn't want to get us. >> no. he has very little interest. >> no idea what causes job creation in the economy and you like that, don't you? >> no. i just think you guys are oversimplifying actually. all right. >> that's strange because you're at a lot of those meet where is the ceos are saying it, democratic liberal ceos that were mocking me four years ago -- >> they want to hear your vision of the country. >> okay. andy, stay with us. >> okay. >> in a few minutes, tom brokaw joins the table. we'll be right back. more "morning joe" in a second.

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i've seen his now definition of hope and change. it's not the hope and change i want, and it's not the hope and change i thought i was going to get. i don't feel that i helped my grandchildren by voting for president obama and i regret that. americans for prosperity is responsible for the content of this advertising. 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.

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is is . he said in the first 100 days he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. they're going to put y'all back in chains. >> okay. that's bad. but in his defense for a guy who has in the past exhorted a man in a wheelchair to stand up for what he believes in, referred to someone's still living parent as their late beloved parent, and

once authorized a $6 billion federal expenditure for a dinosaur egg that turned out to be a bowling ball -- >> now, now. be nice. a live look at the white house at the top of the hour. welcome back to "morning joe." sam is here, andy serwer, michael barnicle, michael steele still with us from washington and joining the table back from london, nbc news's tom brokaw. wonderful to watch you over there. >> oh, i had great time. i really did. it was a joyful environment in part the british started to do well and they needed a boost as andy knows, they're in a double dip recession, while we were there they talked about how the economy was contracting. turned out not to be good for the merchants in the city of lond london. >> everyone left. >> just like they did in los angeles in '84 heard all the horror stories about traffic and got out of traffic. 70% off no one walking out.

>> it was tough getting around. they did a very good job. it still you have to leave three hours to get from point a to point b. >> your special on saturday night was fantastic. >> incredible. >> one of the best things i've ever been involved in. it's great credit to the sports department on two lynch devils. one, dick ebersol commissioned that, they have a terrific group of producers i worked with since sydney on these kinds of projects and the other part was that they made a gutsy call, put it on an 8:00 at saturday night, the hour before the olympics, that did extremely well in the ratings and i've been doing this a long time, i have rarely gotten the kind of feedback for anything that i've done as i got for that one. >> it was great. >> an example, one more example, of how i think tv networks underestimate the intelligence of their viewers and you do great work and you get rewarded. and you did great work and this network got rewarded for it.

there just aren't enough -- enough programming like that anymore. how bad did we look? how bad did our candidates look from overseas? >> well, they don't quite get it over there. they've been going through their own difficulties. cameron has real problems, the whole murdoch scandal and how that will play out eventually but as they look from that end of the ocean over here or even katty who works for the bbc said, they don't get gods, gun and government. god doesn't enter into our politics in the same way. you know, i don't remember one story quite this early, do you, mike? >> no. i was thinking about that last night, actually. i mean '88, maybe close, you know, at the pledge of allegiance stuff in august and the willie horton stuff thereafter but other than that no. >> in '88 george bush 41 was on

a camping trip, wasn't on the trail the way this is. this is an early start. it's still the exhibition season to some degree. but they are hitting without pads at this point. when the convention will be the real kickoff and if this is a barometer of what to expect, i wonder how the country is going to react to it. i really do. >> up until before the announcement of paul ryan, there was a big issue about the tax returns, we have ann romney on "rock center" last night talking about that. we'll show that in a moment. what do you make of the rollout of paul ryan and when you heard his name, was the rollout what you expected it to be? did it change the dynamic in a way that you expected? >> i think anybody who pays attention to this four or five days before the announcement you began to see the momentum moving towards ryan. "the wall street journal" and others. i had been talking all summer long to a lot of what i would call the old but still very smart guard in the republican party and they kept saying he's

got to do something to change the game. i mean he's getting defined by the obama people every day and he has to get on the offensive here. >> did it change the game? >> well, i do think it changed the game. you know, i think just from a very clinical point of view, it was the right move for him to make. it clarified a lot of things. a young guy who is very popular with his base. he comes from wisconsin. which is a state that might now be in play. it's always been safe for the democrats in the past. and there's a certain amount of clarity about what we're going to debate. can i just slayer with our -- share with our audience today. the op-ed page of the "washington post," this is what the american people are in for. kevin hassette and glen hubbard, obama's faulty math. below that, budget roulette, the gop has explaining to do in this election, robert samuelson the hole in ryan's medicare plan. trouble on the ticket.

i mean this is a terrible thicket for voters to get through, sort out who's right, who's wrong, how will it affect me. a lot doesn't go into play until 2023 or 2014. it's going to be like algebra was for me. it's hard to sort out. >> when he picked paul ryan he decided to make a choice, one, to address the base to energize the base, and number two to make the budget a campaign issue front and center and those are probably good things. when you're saying, tom, that you know, it's contradictory all over the place, at least we're talking about something that's very important. we're talking about the budget and the nation's fiscal health. i think that's a real positive. rather than picking someone like condoleezza rice, which is foreign policy, that's not going to happen, but it does sort of what's paul ryan versus joe biden going to be like. and we're starting to see that play out already. but i think you're right. the pads are off, the gloves are off, and they're starting to go at it.

to go back to that england thing, mitt romney was there and created sort of a gaffe there as well. that was one window into the american political scene they had with him commenting on the olympics. >> to tom's point, the real unanswerable question, i think, is given the volume of ads on both sides, negative ads on both sides, given the niagara of information we're going to be under for the next two or three months -- >> did you say niagara -- >> yeah. what happens to voters? do they decide i'm not going to vote for either and stay home? what happens to turnout? what happens to turnout in this election? >> the smartest ad i've seen in the last 24 hours the new americans for prosperity ad the croak brothers are financing where they take former obama voters. >> very good. >> one after another, and it's -- >> why don't we run that right now and talk about it, tom. >> in 2008, i voted for president obama with no reluctance. >> he presented himself as

something different. >> i had hoped that the new president would bring new jobs, not major layoffs, not people going through major foreclosures on their homes. >> he did get his health care through, but at what cost? >> he said he was going to cut the deficit in his first term. i've seen zero interest in reducing spending. he inherited a bad situation, but he made it worse. >> i think he's a great person. i don't feel he is the right leader for our country. >> i still believe in hope and change. i just don't think obama is the way to go for that. >> the president has not earned re-election in 2012 in my book. >> i've seen his now definition of hope and change. it's not the hope and change i want. it's not the hope and change i thought i was going to get. i don't feel that i helped my grandchildren by voting for president obama and i regret that. >> americans for prosperity is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> tom? >> gets at an issue a lot of senior republicans have have

been talking about. the challenge is to persuade people who hired obama, it's now time to fire obama. it's time not to give him a second shot. most of those people you saw in that add were speaking more in sorrow than anger. it was very low key. we'll see what the impact of that is. that's a demonstration of what we're in for because that's financed bay super pac. didn't come out of the romney campaign. >> it's interesting, how could the democrats respond to that? what would be their sort of message like that? i can't think of anything off the top of my head, you know. it's very effective that way. >> it's to scare the hell out of people. >> not that tone though. which is a great tone. >> romney is a rich guy, killed my wife, doesn't pay taxes. >> interesting letter in "the new york times" the choice of paul d. ryan as his running mate, mitt romney has left no doubts about his intentions for the direction of our government. now i'm afraid to vote for president obama because he may not be able to do what he says. i am also afraid to vote for mr.

romney because he may be able to do what he says. >> oh, my gosh. >> a lot of people i think are sitting right there. >> so the other question for the table this morning is, can governor romney continue to say i'm only releasing two years of tax returns? >> yes. he can. because that's what -- >> i think it's sort of -- it is what it is at this point. >> that's what john mccain did and people can bring up george romney all they want. that's just -- that's the echo chamber. i'll tell you, tom, what i don't think he can do, i don't think he can continue to be vague on taxes, what deductions we'll pay for taxes, on medicare, on social security, on the debt, on the deficit. he hired the guy who has spent his entire adult life working on these issues. it's no longer good enough for mitt romney to get oh, i'm not going to tell you because i might get attacked. do you agree? >> i agree with that. he's going to have to firm that up. that's, by the way, part and

parcel of the whole disclosure of his taxes as well because we have to know what he is and believes and how he's lived his life and how he thinks people should be -- >> explain that to me. nobody is saying that he's done anything illegally? >> if he would be more specific about the things -- >> i can tell you how he lives his life. he's an aggressive businessman and looks for every break he can get and he probably -- >> didn't pay taxes. >> doesn't go over the line. >> does what's legal. >> i don't think there's a question of what's legal. i think in the debate that is going on in the 99.1 versus the .9%, that are running, people are wondering is there a fairness question here? does he understand how the rest of us have to live and how we pay our taxes? it's a big issue. is he a guy who understands who i am? >> no. >> perhaps if he would be more specific ability the things you mentioned then people would get off wanting to have his tax

returns. >> i don't think he has done anything illegal. >> i don't think either. >> he's played within the system and he's rewarded for being really smart businessman. he's done very well. that's not the point. >> tom, i answered your question, he doesn't understand how americans live. he just doesn't. but then again, the roosevelts and kennedys didn't. but he's got to talk specifically about policies that those people in that ad -- >> i agree with you. >> will say, i get it. if he does, mika, i think you're right. they'll say, forget about the tax reform -- the tax returns, what's, you know, let's talk about these policies. but right now, he's still just running against barack obama. >> and the questions persist here is natalie morales's interview with ann romney on "rock center" last night about the tax returns. >> why not be transparent and release more than the 2010 and the estimates for 2011? >> have you seen how we're attacked? have you seen what's happened?

>> it's been in the press quite a bit. are you angry it's been in the press? should you not be questioned about your finances? >> we have been very transparent to what's legally required of us. but, the more we release, the more we get attacked. the more we get questioned. the more we get pushed. and so we have done what's legally required and there's going to be no more. there's going to be no more tax releases given. mitt is honest, his integrity is just golden. we pay our taxes. we are absolutely -- beyond paying our taxes we give 10% of our income to charity. so we have no issues that way and the only reason we don't disclose anymore is, you know, we're -- we'll just become a bigger target. >> it's because you'll just continue to face more questions? >> well, just -- it will give them more ammunition. >> to the american people when they hear about, you know, perhaps accounts with your name on it overseas and tax shelters,

they feel like you may be hiding something? >> there's nothing we're hiding. we've had a blind trust for how many years. we don't know what's in there. >> you know -- >> that's what a blind trust is. >> some free advice to the romney campaign, this is the second time ann romney has answered that question. she should be answering the question. she did it on "gma" last night. she could come with my husband is an honorable businessman and he followed the law to the letter of the law. and move on. she's -- tom, isn't it sort of jarring to see ann romney in that position talking about tax returns? >> what, because it becomes legalease for one thing. it's not a political answer. if they had done something that was wrong, i think we'd know about that through the irs. >> they did not do anything wrong. >> no. >> he did nothing illegal. >> just made a lot of money. >> he did what every rich person this country does with their

lawyers and accountants, he took advantage of the existing tax code. for him to release more than he has released does one thing and one thing only. it doesn't give us a better insight into who he is. what it does is, lights the fuse of the fairness issue. >> right. >> because there are those who -- >> let me just say on the other side. >> those advantages don't apply to. >> your friend warren buffet, raise the taxes, i'll pay more taxes and i'm just picking on warren a lot of rich guys will say that, and you just sit there and laugh no, you want. the schmuck that has the small business that's struggling he'll pay higher taxes. the rich guys -- >> hire -- >> loopholes. >> and they hire lawyers and they hire all the fleet of the attorneys that will figure out the deductions so they'll end up paying 13, 14%. >> which is what screams for tax reform. >> simplify, broaden the base, lower the rates. >> michael steele, are you still

with us, michael? >> no. >> this is real -- i was going to say this is real easy for the warren buffett types of the world. go to their accountant and say, total up everything i earned this year and write a check to the federal government. >> 35%. >> there you go. so, you know, all of this is just phony bologna noise. i think you're absolutely right, joe, about having ann romney in that position. >> wait. why do they keep doing that? she was on "gma" and i flinched. last night she should have been prepared. give her a pat answer and just say, my husband is an honest man, great businessman. we give 10% to charity, we pay what we're required by law and we're proud americans for doing it. >> because we -- >> and stare at the interviewer and ask the question again and you know what you say, my husband is a great businessman, we pay 10% to charity, we pay the taxes required, and we're proud to be americans. and just stare. but she -- her trying to explain

that, just takes her out of the mode she needs to be in. >> exactly. and to andy's point the reality is, because of the mantra from the left about his taxes, they sort of created this atmosphere, this inference that somehow something illegal or nefarious has been done. to your point you get on the top side of that, touch on it, you move on and then you have her help frame the rest of the argument that the campaign wants to make ability her husband, et cetera. to have her get in the muck and legalease and trying to sound defensive about their taxes is not a good spot for her to be in. >> doesn't make sense. >> it doesn't. >> doesn't make sense at all. >> andy serwer, thank you very much. >> thank you. big thing, paul ryan, mitt romney, got to get on the same page. >> yeah. >> gosh. >> maybe be on the same stage too. >> same stage, they've got to be on the same page. you're right. >> we'll look for the new issue "fortune" magazine. regarded as one of the best goal keepers in the world.

we'll bring in hope so lo of the gold-medal u.s. winning soccer team. >> and roger bennett will be here too. hope is out with a revealing new memoir. we'll talk about that coming up. next, economist jeffrey sachs joins the table. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. [ obama ] i'm barack obama and i approve this message. [ 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.

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one serving of cereal, a baseball. and one serving of fruit, a tennis ball. - you know, both parties agree. our kids can be healthier... the more you know. with us now, the director of the u.s. institute at columbia university, economist dr. jeffrey sachs, author of "the price of civilization, reawakening american virtue and prosperity" out in paperback now. >> there it is. >> what i'm excited about, i love the book, but you have a new preface. what will we read about in the new preface some. >> turns out the timing is right. this book is about the choice of what should government do, small government, bigger government, and -- >> that's the question. >> that's the question in this

campaign. >> paul ryan, reviewed my book for "the wall street journal" and you'll remember -- >> yeah. >> he didn't love it. >> so now we will -- now we will let you review paul ryan. >> i've been out there doing that. >> i know you have. >> waiting for payback all this time. >> are you excited about having ryan on the ticket because you think it's -- it is going to give us a bigger choice between the two camps? >> well, it is more of a choice, but i actually write in the "financial times" today it's a little less of a choice than obama supporters think because actually both parties and white house and congress have already put the country on a path of shrinking government. >> yeah. >> of course, ryan -- the ryan plan would go much further. i think that's the wrong direction. we're squeezing areas right now, of course, education, environment, we see devastation all over the place, we're already on a path that both parties have agreed to that i think is unhealthy for the

country. >> i disagree with you that we're squeezing these areas, but i think one area maybe we can agree on is both sides don't have the guts to take care of the long-term entitlement problem. >> no one is putting forward real plans. >> right. >> so instead, they are going after the 12% of the budget where you do have education and r and d and infrastructure. >> that's what i mean by squeezing. that shrinking -- >> of that small part of our budget that is actually an investment in the future -- >> there's a story in "the new york times" about a new study at georgetown saying that for young people without college degree, jobs have gone down hugely in the last five years. the economy has disappeared for those with a college degree. there have been more jobs created. that's the kind of divide that's deep structural we're not going to reverse that quickly, but we need a strategy in this country. we don't have a strategy.

and i don't think either party has a strategy. >> we need two strategies and, tom, dr. sachs brings this up in the book, that the average wage -- because we always hear what's happened since the past five years or it's the bush tax cuts or it's -- what clinton did in the -- no. i remember and dr. sachs sort of got my mind thinking this way and you'll remember too, my parents driving around upstate new york in 1972 as a steel mills were closing down and overseas and bendeck, i remember, for some reason closing down and all these businesses closing down and jobs shipped overseas and then the opec oil embargo, i remember in '72, '73, '74 people scratching their heads saying what's happened to america? dr. sachs points out in this book the average wage for the american male has been on the decline in real terms since 1973. so we've got a debt problem,

we've got a systemic problem of just massive proportions. >> i think, jeffrey will agree with me on this, that in the course of this downturn, a lot of big companies have learned to do in a way more with less. that's part of the price of this recession, is that they've learned to be more efficient in their work force, how to automate a lot more stuff, so there is a worker crisis in the country and part of it has to do -- i've talked about this here before -- with skillset. if you could go along in something in american education, go long in community colleges, we need to have a big push that's kind of pushed around the edges and it's done epped soically across the country, we need to train people for the modern work force and young people come out and they're told they have to go to college and get a four-year degree and acquire a certain amount of debt and not keen about it and they get a degree in pardon me in mass communications and it doesn't prepare them for

anything. you go to an 18-month course at a community college, high-tech factory of some kind and learn computer skills, it's a different world. >> high tech or vo tech. >> at lo of c lot of countries learned how to do this. serious programs from how to go to school to work with apprenticeship and training and so forth. we kind of throw young people out on the market and they're not able to swim right now in this. it's either the debt or no jobs. >> i know a young man in montana this summer who told me, i said what are you going to do, he said i am studying to be a diesel mechanic. i high fived him. >> you're going to do well. >> you're going to work. >> one of the things that really depresses me and this won't surprise you because we've been talking about entitlements for a long time and you and i might have a different approach to how we take care of medicare and medica medicaid, we know they're two huge problems, look at the medicare debate in this campaign. you've got joe biden out there saying those republicans, they

want to gut your medicare and your social security and your this and your that. the and then you've got republicans saying no, we don't, barack obama, he gutted medicare $716 billion. you look at it. neither side is going to do anything significant. >> and neither side is taking on the real point which is that, we talk about often, we're spending 17% of our national income on health care right now. >> yeah. >> that's 5 or 6 percentage points of gnp more than any other high-income country. we are spending more, getting less. that's not medicare and medicaid alone. because that's only about a fourth of the total. what it is, is a health care system that doesn't work. the whole system, whether it's the private insurers, public sector, it is inefficient, the system doesn't work, it's overpriced, overcostly, all the reasons, so it needs basic reform. not the debate about just one

program. the problem, you know, frankly with ryan is he says it's overpriced we're just going to cut medicaid right now. you know, going after the poorest people in the country when the overall system isn't working. >> they want to repeal obama care. >> and by the way, this is sam stein, one of my complaints and i said this to david axelrod during the obama health care debate, one of the ways they were going to save enough money to have this health care plan was they were going to cut $350 billion from medicaid. i said really? so it's the poor people that are like getting an unfair deal here. it's both sides. again, i just keep hammering on this. it's the middle class entitlements that are going to bankrupt us over the next 40 years. it's rich people paying the same into medicare as poor people. it is the middle class that swallows up whole, not education, r and d, not the poor. the poor aren't getting a free

ride. >> ironically, aside from the campaign, paul ryan and the obama administration set the same exact goal for growth of medicare spending, gdp plus 5% i think. they go about it doing differently, one looks at the beneficiaries, one the providers. i mean, it was very easy low hanging fruit for romney to say i want to restore these medicare cuts, by restoring these medicare cuts obama put into place, what you end up doing is you end up putting eight years off of the medicare trust fund. those cuts extend the medicare trust fund eight years, restoring them would make medicare go bankrupt quicker. we can't have an honest conversation about this stuff when the politics are so easy to execute. that's what's tempting for a lot of politicians. >> do we have the 30-second ad? can you find the 30-second medicare ad that romney has out and when i see this type of ad,

as a republican, it makes my blood boil because i remember what bill clinton did to us in 1996, remember medhiscare. tapes of clinton we have to slow down the rate of growth about 2.5%. he said that in 1994. we adopted his plan, and a year later, they were running -- carville was running 30-second ads saying republicans want to slash and burn medicare for tax cuts for the rich. that was dumbed down. then republicans in 2010, used the same sort of medhiscare tactic to get elected. they all -- they all demagog medicare. watch this clip and romney is doing it now. >> you paid into medicare for years. every paycheck. now when you need it obama has cut $716 billion from medicare. why? to pay for obama care. so now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care, is going to a massive new

government program that's not for you. the romney/ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniorses and strengthens the plan for the next generation. >> i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> so tom, obviously i disapprove of them taking money and moving it over to obama care, but the talk about slashing medicare -- >> well, i think -- >> medicare -- >> so many analysis the ryan plan takes $724 million out of medicare. >> so ryan has now backed off of that. >> right. >> because again, these presidential elections -- >> because he's on the romney ticket now. >> so much. >> it's so easy to demagog this. >> the argument from as you know, from the obama people with that, the savings that we would make if the obama care is fully implemented and there's some real issues about whether their numbers hold up, even the cbo says, you know, we think that they may have overstated the savings to some degree, look it comes down to an essential question in american life and the beginning of the 21st

century, we have spent all the post-war years in a democracy giving people things. >> yeah. >> now can the democracy begin to reel some of that in? and continue to have a politically stable culture in which everyone feels that they're moving forward. because we're going to have to take some things away. >> this gets to your pioint, th tax stuff secondary to filling in the gaps for the candidates. in this "fortune" interview he was promising the world, tax cuts without specifying which loopholes to close, infrastructure investment. >> it's not going to happen. >> find waste in the defense budget, not use it to lower the deficit, but pay for 100,000 more troops. at some point you say what do you cut. >> who are we going to invade. >> we can't win the war in afghanistan. let's bring the troops home there. >> you cannot take the macro defense budget off the table. >> right. >> which is what they're talking about. >> right.

>> we can't do it. >> percentage of gdp, it's as low as it's historically been but it's a huge amount of money. >> as low as it's been historically if you look at gdp but we are spending more money now as a country on defense than every other country across the globe. >> that's terrific. >> no, even as a share of gnp it's up there right now, not at a low point. what it as a low point is total tax collections as a shared national income, it's the lowest in decades. we have gutted the tax system and they want to do more and they won't -- they won't own up to it. >> get rid of the amtrak subsidy and pbs and solve everything. >> if you just get rid of big bird we'll balance the budget. >> why have high speed on amtrak. >> if only it were that -- >> dr. sachs, the book is [ inaudible ] paul ryan has viewed it. "the price of civilization."

paul ryan has reviewed it. >> it's the bible. >> there is a new preface. >> he carries it with him. >> absolutely. you got it. >> he carries it. it's like newspaper articles your dad keeps in his pocket. just to remember. just to remember. >> okay. coming up, obama campaign senior adviser david axelrod will be joining us. but first we're going to get an exclusive first look at this week's "time" magazine. [ 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. ♪ [music plays]

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welcome back to "morning joe." quick weather update for you. new york city had the storms yesterday, cleared out, warm summer day there today. we have travel tunnel spots. heads up to people in milwaukee, down to chicago. at the peak of your rush hour, we're going to have thunderstorms rolling through. the airports an the roads will be problematic. we love the rain in this area. iowa's gotten drenched along with illinois. we need the rainfall. but the timing for your morning is going to make it very difficult. we'll probably have at least an hour or two hour delays at o'hare as those line of storms roll through. later this afternoon, st. louis, all the way to indianapolis and down through southern missouri, additional areas that need the rain will get it as this strong cold front moves through with some severe storms. look how chilly it is behind this. only 69 degrees it feels like fall today in the northern plains. still another warm, dry day for everyone on the east coast. and if you are preparing for the upcoming weekend, those changes are going to be in chicago today

and then look at the weekend ahead. chicago, only in the 70s. by far the coolest stretch of weather that you've had all summer long for areas on the eastern seaboard. that cool weather will arrive by the time we get to sunday. something to look forward to. coming up next on "morning joe," "new york times" rick stengel. stay tuned. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot?

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>> we are. i remember when you were courting, you were kind of a bad -- >> i was not the greatest catch. the two most surprised groups in south dakota were her friends and my friends. we've been pals in high school but not high school sweethearts and got connected in college after i had gone seriously off the rails. >> you were in reform school. not quite. that would have ban step up. >> a step up, i see. >> in reform school. >> 50 years. >> 50 years. >> wow. >> impressive. 44 past the hour. joining us now on the set, "time" magazine's managing editor rick stengel here to reveal this week's latest issue. >> it's already sparked a discussion. what is it? >> our first ever and it will become annual a wireless issue. >> oh, yeah. >> issue about how mobile technology is changing the world. i would argue it's transforming the world. really the most powerful device in human history. it takes the power of a computer and puts it in your hands.

it makes you all powerful and it's changing the way we do everything from medicine to education to romance. >> and talking about campaigning and politics. >> in fact, there's great story by our white house press about how both the obama campaign and the romney campaign are using it. the obama campaign app which you should download is just an amazing thing. it allows you to contribute money, it allows you to find out which households on your block are democrats and lives there. >> you're kidding me? >> amazing. anybody can download it. >> wow. >> the other story he tells is how one of the gop outside groups has technology that can actually text message people in different locales so he went to a concert in chicago and everybody at this concert all the kids at the concert got a text message from the romney campaign saying how the obama campaign had failed. it was just to those local people. so if all politics is local, this is hyper locality.

>> this is getting -- >> reach people in a very individual way and again, that may be determinative in terms of how people vote. >> that's crazy. >> we also have an amazing worldwide poll that we did with qualcom about how people are affected by mobile technology, how they use it and great statistics here in the u.s., you know, 80% of people between 18 and 24 sleep with their cell phone. >> oh, dear. >> something like 25% check their cell phones every ten minutes. >> oh, dear. >> and most people regard it as something that's an asset. but around the world in places where they didn't have old-fashioned telephone technology, people are less ambiguous about it. they see it as something that is a gigantic advantage and as jeff foes in places like africa and the third world, i mean it's transforming the way people do agriculture, the way they do health care. >> medicine. >> nothing has changed the fight against poverty more than the

phone. unbelievable. >> really? >> six or seven years ago there were no phones anywhere. now, of course, they're ubig which tus and as rick saying they're for everything. money transfers. way ahead of us in using the phones for payments for money transfers for, you know, the ampesa in kenya used everywhere for merchants. no atms around. they don't need it. everybody has a payment system. >> perfect example you can be in the most remote parts in subsahara in africa and get an answer instantly if you run in an encounter of some kind, a virus of some kind. agriculture, share very quickly what's working, what's not, what the conditions are. so it is changing. >> tied the world together. >> i remember a student of your fathers, i was a student of hers, in 1982 saying the greatest threat to the soviet union is not a cruise missile, it is the xerox machine. and they feared the xerox

machine more than they fear the cruise missile. and you move that forward, this makes china oppressing its people for the next 20 years impossible. this makes -- >> they can't do it. >> era of regimes for oppressing their people impossible. this is freedom for the third world. >> absolutely. i mean the amount of information and knowledge at your finger tips, i mean a kid in mozambique can have the entire british museum library on their smartphone and it does -- it is a great equalizer and potentially i think the greatest engine for solving income quality around the world. >> talk about how america and how it makes us more stupid. >> exactly and distracted. >> your children more distracted, how it's -- how they can't go 13 seconds without a distraction. >> we can't either. >> what about you? mika had an interesting vacation. >> i did. >> you want to tell everybody what your vacation -- >> you seem like you check your device a lot. >> i do.

i work around the clock. i put down the iphone for my vacation. >> for a week. she was ordered to by her family. >> it was really hard. >> where were you on your vacation? >> in maine pap i was with my family. but the iphone was getting in the way of my family. it was. you have to walk away from it. it's very difficult. >> we live in a part of montana where you can't get coverage. >> that's great. >> we can in the house. >> that's kind of nice. >> it's amazing. >> it's more than nice. >> healthy. >> it distills the experience. you know, a lot of my friends actually will not have any of this stuff, even though his business operates on a lot of it, i can't repeat the language but he described to a group of wonky guys at google conference about what it's like on mountain climbing in which they take their portable satellite dishes and iphones and they go and they hire somebody at great expense

to take them to base camp an then get them to a summit and back and go on-line and tell their family where they've been and what they've done and have their little espresso and he said, i only have one way to tell you this you are a blank when you left and a blank when you get back. >> very good. >> michael steele, respond to that. >> you're right. i hear that a lot. i want to ask rick, back on something you were saying, i think it really is an interesting question for the future. you were talking about how it makes us more powerful and more, you know, expansive in our knowledge. what do we do with that? where do you see this going when you see the ugly side, certainly those of us in media and politics have run into the now empowered individual who's sitting in their mother's basement in their underwear with their, you know, thumb's on the keyboard, wildly opining where

do you see that fitting into this new world that's opening up? even in places like the middle east and europe, for example? >> michael, i ultimately think it's empowering. the barrier to entry to commenting about things going on in the world, it's so low now. a great democratizing instinct. in the middle east it has been mostly been beneficial. even in the u.s. it's beneficial where you have people weighing in on things. there are downsides that we see all the time. it does escalate small things into big things, it does make people paranoid sometimes, but ultimately the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and the freeflow of information and the notion that knowledge is sun life that makes the world a better place is something i agree with. >> it's going to be good to track this year by year as you're going to do because this is so deep, the change, it's going to remake every part of

the country. remake politics, of course, as we've been saying. remake the education system. it's going to hold -- >> for better and for worse. >> it's going to open up the universities. all the universities putting their courses on-line, anyone can participate now. classes with 100,000 kids getting on all for free. >> right. >> being able to participate. >> that's one of the great -- >> fantastic stuff. >> is what is the advantage of an m.i.t. degree if m.i.t. puts its curriculum on-line. i think it will affect those elite places that were once so exclusive and charged a lot of money for something that people can now get elsewhere. >> new business models. >> all right. rick stengel, thank you. >> thank you. >> cover of "time" is the wireless issue. more "morning joe" in just a moment.

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we want to thank tom brae kau for being on the show and jeffrey sachs, thank you as well. up next, obama campaign senior adviser david axelrod will be joining us. keep it right here on "morning joe." these fellas used capital one venture miles for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use...

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what does it say about a president's character when his campaign tries to use the tragedy of a woman's death for political gain? what does it say about a president's character when he had his campaign raise money for the ad and then stood by as his top aides were caught lying about it. doesn't america deserve better than a president who will say or do anything to stay in pow wore? >> i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> god. >> welcome back to "morning joe." mike barnicle and sam stein are

still with us. stop it. you guys are just -- okay. with us on set here along with willie geist, joe and me, we have in washington, former rnc chair michael steele and joining us now from chicago, senior -- >> no no. >> what? >> kill hamlet and give us that. tj cut that out. mike, we have friends we love and friends we care about. >> ax. >> we love ax. >> hey, guys. >> i'm worried about him. >> i think you guys are a little worried about him -- >> for a week. >> can you cut his microphone. he looks agitated. he's mad. >> no. >> mike, what should we do? look at him, man. >> no. david? >> no drama obama, we're concerned about you, man. you're agitated. >> i'm so happy to be with you, brother. happy to be with my friends.

>> okay. david, you know what, i'll start. >> are you going to feed him an easy question. go ahead. >> yeah. >> okay. so david. >> at least you're truthful. >> here's my question. i'm serious. for the campaign, the entire campaign as well as the press office, why can't that -- you guys could have put away the whole ad that was by bill burton by saying it wasn't a good ad, it wasn't fair. nobody actually said that, you know. why not? >> i just wanted to give -- i wanted to give you guys a week of programming. >> well, you did. >> thank you for that. >> i know you've been -- >> you could have put it away. >> listen, listen, let's talk about -- because, you know, i'm a faithful viewer of your show. >> we love you too. >> thank you. >> i've watched this discussion go on and on. let's talk about it. i've said and i said the on sunday on the sunday shows, no one can -- no one should or could blame governor romney for

the death of that guy's wife. i don't believe that ad said that. but whatever. we didn't do the ad. it never -- it aired once i guess in cincinnati or something by accident. we didn't authorize it. and you know, what -- you guys, understand the critique of it, that's -- that's fine. what bothered me was just -- and this is where i guess you had a clip of me from sunday on the air what bothered me is at the very time you guys were going over this again and again and again again, governor romney is running an ad on welfare that is flatly undeniably blatantly false. millions and millions of dollars he paid for that ends with him saying, "i'm mitt romney and i approve this message," and you guys are beating to death an ad that was done by -- by a super pac that never ran. >> a guy very, very close to you, very, very close to the

white house, very close to president obama. it's not like bill burton is from kansas and he was in a bowling league and decided -- >> not a rando just out there. >> let's set that aside for a second. i understand your critique of the ad. anybody who watches your show would have to because you go over and over it every day. >> oh, yeah. >> but what i'm saying, what i'm saying to you is, why not take some time and analyze the integrity of an ad that is a blatant falsehood that is running for millions of dollars all over the country -- >> so david, for instance, not only 30 minutes ago but in my politico column yesterday, i accused mitt romney of shameless demagogry on his medicare ad. i mean talk to -- talk to the romney people and they will tell you that they scold them every day. we give it to both sides. if mitt romney accused barack obama of killing somebody or a

third party had, we would be -- you know this, we would be hammering mitt romney as much as we're hammering you guys. >> well, let me just say on that particular ad and we can put it to rest, i said what i said, which i don't think you can accuse or should accuse romney of that. you can accuse him of badly mistreating the workers at gs steel by loading the company with debt, walking away with millions of dollars while it went to bankruptcy and leaving the workers and creditors holding the bag. that is certainly a fair critique. >> yeah. >> to say the other is not a fair critique. whether that ad does that or not is something you can talk about endlessly. let's go on to the welfare ad that's been running for a week. two republican governors asked the federal government for waivers. the government said we will -- on the welfare to work program. the government said if you want to do this in a different way, you can, but you have to increase the number of people who move from welfare to work by

20% and they're running ads, two now, saying that the president wants to end the welfare to work requirement. the president authored the bill here in this state moving people from welfare to work. so, that is a complete and utter falsehood and so even as governor romney's moralizing about the tone of the campaign, he's knowingly running an ad that has been called blatantly false by everyone who's looked at it and i think that's where worthy -- you know, of a panel like yours to spend time on. >> mike barnicle, you are the eminent of eminent. >> do you think the welfare ad injects race into the campaign unnecessarily? >> you know, i'll let others make that judgment, mike. what i know is that it's an absolute, complete falsehood and the romney campaign knows it and they continue to run it. i think the two republicans governor who asked for waivers

would tell you that. and, you know, you would have to ask them what their motivations are. you know, similarly the notion that -- of their current ad that we're stealing money from medicare to pay for obama care, when what we did was lengthen the life of medicare, you know, increase prescription drug coverage, make it possible for seniors to get preventative care coverage, is false. the fact of the matter is what romney is proposing now is to roll all that back, which would mean that medicare would reach insolvency eight years earlier and seniors would lose benefits, lose prescription drug coverage, lose preventative care coverage, that's the romney plan right now. so, you know, it's -- we should have a debate but it should be an honest debate. >> david, it's willie. you guys have been very critical of the paul ryan budget calling it the ryan/romney budget. do you believe that paul ryan

is, in fact, motivated by a devier to balance the budget, to cut def set, debt, or do you really believe that he is, in fact, out to protect the wealthy? >> i think he has a theory. i like paul ryan. i met him on your set and joe was standing there, we had a great chat. he's an affable guy, a good person. i have no -- i have nothing personal against paul ryan. he is an idea log. he grew up in the think tanks of washington and went to congress and has this theory if we just cut more and more taxes, particularly at the top, that will, you know, propel our economy and the result of it, however, is that you're going to cut back on things that we need to grow like college scholarships for kids, like research and development and like health care for senior citizens and that's not the way forward as far as i'm concerned.

i think there's an honest debate to be up, both the romney and ryan programs are very similar in the sense that, you know, romney's proposed $5 trillion of tax cuts, skewed to the wealthy, $250,000 tax cuts at the top, and as you know there's been a study now done that would suggest that taxes on them the middle class would go up when it all nets out about $2,000. that's not the right way forward. but they believe it. i think paul ryan believes in his ideology and, you know, i respect the fact that he has an ideology. i disagree with it. >> and the think tanks of washington much like the old soviet leaders would put 3-year-olds into gymnastic camps early on and romanians, have them so programmed that by the time they were 15, they were more machined than man. >> what? >> paul ryan is a true believer. >> i don't know if they took

gymnastics there -- over there in the think tanks that ryan grew up in, but he's doing a lot of gymnastics right now trying to keep up with romney's position. >> oh! >> aren't you something. >> save that for cnn. >> but david, do you agree, though, that medicare is a huge looming problem for this country's economy? >> yeah, willie, only one candidate has done something to address it. we took steps to lengthen the life of medicare and extend the period of solvency for medicare. the romney plan now is to roll that back. and we do have to do things. the question is whether you do it in a way that strengthens medicare or do it in a way that sends the medicare program into a death now. i think that paul ryan jen quinnly believes -- genuinely believes it would be better if seniors were given a voucher and placed in -- you know and set loose to get private insurance policies. that's his theory. that's what he believes.

>> but that's not his -- >> but he's on the romney ticket now. >> but that's not his plan, as you know, david. >> no that -- >> widen the plan and gets a choice. seniors would get a choice. >> willie, the reality, every analyst who has looked at this has said the same, the way that thing is set up, it's a rigged deal so ultimately the sickest and oldest seniors will stay in medicare and younger seniors will move from medicare and medicare will slowly be -- will slowly dissolve. and the result of the voucher is, that as the cost of medicare -- as the cost of coverage goes up, that the cost will be shifted more and more to seniors. that's why they say that it will add in ten years about $6400 to the cost of coverage for seniors. and the the thing is it's all happening at the same time as we're having -- that as his program would have massive, massive tax cuts at the very top. and, you know, that's just a

choice. i think there's a philosophical difference about what we need as a country. do we need more tax cuts for millionaires or take care of our deficits in a responsible way and invest in those things that are going to strengthen the middle class. >> michael steele is with us as well. michael, jump in. >> hey, david. how are you doing, man? >> hey, mr. chairman. i'm good. >> about that vice president of yours, just a quick question. where do you see -- >> he's your vice president, too, by the way. >> ♪ i'm proud >> you referred to george bush as our president, not your president, i figured biden, he's yours. the question really boils down to, where do you see -- how does the campaign deal with sort of the biden interrupp tus in the flow of messaging? now we're sitting on this pin head of, you know, whether this was an overly sensitive response to his racial comment or was it a racial comment about, you know, y'all being put back in

chains. now i assume he was including white folks in that since there were white folks in the audience. that's now how it was read by the larger public because of where this event took place. how do you guys balance that out with the vice president right now? does someone sit him down and go, you know, joe, does that happen much or what? >> you know, i appreciate the way you positive that question because, in fact, it was a mixed audience, it wasn't simply a black audience and you're right, he wasn't making a racial comment, he was making a comment about the impact of rolling back all of wall street reforms on consumers, essentially rolling back what we've done and putting the burden back on consumers. that's the point he was making. listen, i have a great affection and respect for joe biden. i think he's been a great vice president. he's taken on a lot of tough assignments for our

administration. r from administering the recovery act and he did it very, very well, through being the point person on the iraq war and getting our troops home and doing that -- the politics of that over there. he's done a great job for us. so, you know, i guarantee you that every single person, all four of the principles will have days in which they will say things that will send the whole media world into a frenzy that will amount to nothing. i believe this will be one of those days. >> all right. david, it's sam stein. i'm guessing you're not taking john mccain's advice to drop him and put hillary clinton? a more serious question -- >> far be it from me to denigrate senator mccain's advice on vice presidential -- >> can you speak to how you see the paul ryan affecting the race? are there states that you feel

like the campaign must focus on more clearly, whether florida or ohio? how do the issues in the debates change going into the convention, out of the convention? what kind of changes is the obama campaign making to just to that choice which was maybe two weeks ago on an unexpected kwho choice? i think the impact of the ryan choice has been to mostly clarify our choice. as you know for about a year, the romney camp was saying this isn't about us, this is all about barack obama, this isn't a choice. now, you know, they've -- they've named ryan and now it's this is a choice we've got two distinct philosophies. that's fine. let's have that debate. do you believe in trillions of dollars of tax cuts for the wealthy or do you believe in investing in bringing down the deficit and -- things we need to grow the economy. >> [ inaudible ]. >> well, i think that ryan certainly clarifies some. we're having this discussion on medicare and how you strengthen medicare for the future. that's a good debate and there

are many states in which that's central because they have large numbers of senior citizens. ryan shares the view with romney on the issue of abortion. ryan's view is we should make abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest. that's a very galvanizing issue for a lot of americans. you know, they both -- ryan votesd against the ledbetter law and on pay equity. >> who does that? it's ridiculous. >> mike barnicle -- >> i'm serious. >> that's a big issue. >> do you have a question? >> he like romney voted against funding for planned parenthood. that's a big issue. certainly there are places that's going to come into play. >> mike barnicle. >> what's the level of concern in chicago over the apparent reality that for the first time in my memory, an incumbent president ofhe united states will be outspent by his rival? >> that is a source of concern, mike. this week alone, we're being outspent three to one on

television around the country because of all the super pac spending. i think it's something like $27 million being spent in one week. in may we spent $25 million for the entire month. >> terrible. >> there's nothing -- there's no parallel in history to this and, you know, we're testing the proposition that, you know, you can't simply overwhelm an opponent in a presidential race with that kind of spending. that is the bed of the romney campaign. you hear it. we have lots of money, going to overwhelm the president. i think the american people are more discerning than that and get to watch this presidential race very closely. they're going to make their judgments based on what they see with their own eyes is my bet and not on this. is it a source of concern? of course. it's a big factor that no one's ever had to deal with before. >> before we let you go, if i'm an independent voter sitting at home waking up to this campaign after a long summer and want to cut through the ground noise and the story of the day, and i'm

thinking about my own job and life, what's the clearest distinction you can make to that person about why voting for president obama would be a quicker path to a job for me than voting for mitt romney? >> because -- not just a job, but also to raise pay and make sure that work pays, it's not just about getting people back to work, but make sure that work pays. he has a practical plan to get that done by investing in education and research and development at least to advance manufacturing, in energy, in home grown american energy, in infrastructu infrastructure. the very things that will produce jobs he's not -- the other side, you know, is putting their faith in tax cuts for millionaires and their particular ideology. we need practical solutions. not just to restore our economy to where it was before the crisis, but to restore the middle class that taking it, you know -- taking the hit for a longer period of time. >> all right.

so what does susan need to do -- let's show the video here. what does susan need to do to calm david down when he examines -- comes on? >> i like it. >> david. >> day game at wrigley. >> david -- you keep doing what you're doing. >> david, i thought if you went to chicago you were going to calm down, man. this was -- you're supposed to like -- >> don't listen to him. >> i feel great. my only regret in life is that i don't get to sit right at the table with you guys, that i'm on a remote. i would like to have that intimacy. >> you like to punch back. >> and lean over and smack me. how is susan doing by the way? >> she's doing great. we got a kid getting married on september 15th, my son michael. >> oh. >> so a lot of excitement in my family. >> fantastic. >> that is fantastic. >> when is the next -- >> that is so nice. >> when is the next cure event? >> now i'm going to get in trouble at home. the next time i'm on, next time

i'm on i'm going to have a complete list. >> i'm going to -- >> cure epilepsy -- >> one at fenway park. >> cureepilepsy.org. we do have an event coming up in -- at fenway? >> yeah. >> in boston. coming up soon. >> we have your back, david. >> that would be the first good thing that's happened at fenway park in about a year and a laugh. >> since our show was there. >> a man who is not afraid -- >> come to the other sox. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you, guys. great to be with you. >> gold medalist from the u.s. women's olympic soccer team hope solo will be here on set along with espn soccer analyst roger. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks.

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all right. >> all right. >> there it is. >> that's not bad. >> that means roger. >> yes, hi roger. >> is back. >> suddenly interested in soccer. >> i know. i know. my daughters have definitely brought me on board. thanks to our next guest. it's not you. >> i still don't understand a word you say. i have no idea what you're talking about. >> my wife says the same -- >> you make no sense. it's like verbal vomit of nothing. >> with us now, the u.s. women's soccer team goalkeeper, gold medal winner and author of "so lo a memoir of hope" also roger. >> do you want to hear more of what he has to say. >> van percy and ma ruini

together. >> listen to men in blazers at 9:00 a.m. on sir sir just radio. >> thank you. >> i have a lot of those. it's tacky to wear them around. >> yeah. >> he likes to keep his inside in. >> it feels heavy. i have some neck pain. >> yeah. >> it is amazing. it's beautiful. it means so much. i'm very proud of this gold medal. of course i'm proud of the last one. but each tournament presents itself a new challenge to overcome and this one, there weren't too many challenges to be honest, amongst the team. it was pure enjoyment of the game. >> yeah. there was a little bit of controversy. >> always. >> the canadians -- >> what's the controversy? >> the canadians, let me ask you if you held a ball for like six and a half seconds would you be miffed if they gave the canadians -- >> that kind of controversy. >> yeah. trying to figure out -- >> the rules are the rules and i mean, the ref made a good call.

it is -- i would be a little upset, of course, but if you look into the game actually, she held it for 17 seconds, 15 seconds, and it was taking time off the clock in a very important game where we had to score a goal. >> talk about your life and what this book is about and the obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are today. there were so many. >> there were so many. but i'm proud of overcoming so much. everyone thinks i had a challenging childhood and, you know, i think people start to feel sorry for me. i don't -- my family is -- has a great dynamic. we've gone through a lot but we're resilient, we have strength and the beauty of it is all is, it was always filled with so much love. yes, my dad was homeless. yes, my mom, you know, abused alcohol. there was so much love and a lot of families can't say that with so much confidence. >> but there is an excerpt from your book, you say my family

doesn't do happy endings. we do sad endings or frustrated endings or no endings at all. we are hard wire to expect the next interruption or disappearance of broken promise and for so many people that breaks them. for others that drives them. you get up earlier than everybody else, you go to sleep later than everybody else and work harder. that obviously had that kind of impact on you, didn't it? it drove you? >> everybody -- would think that it would cause distractions in my career and life, but all these distractions that -- well distraction, really allowed me to play with so much freedom on the field. my happiest moments were on the field. my most focused moments were always on the field. >> my daughters absolutely adore you and have followed every bit of your career, your sports career. what do little girls ask you now that you're sort of center stage in the spotlight, the international spotlight? do you get a lot of questions -- >> i get all sorts of questions. you know, your most favorite

moment or did you cry on the podium, which i did not cry. i was, you know, belting out our national anthem with so much pride and just filled with joy and happiness. but yeah, people think you cry on the podium and -- no, it's just a happy moment. >> and look -- >> look at that. >> there's also young readers edition which is going to be great for roger, i'm going to give this to you and then get another copy for kate my 8-year-old d now 9-year-old daughter, excited to know you're coming on. >> a wonderful q and a at the end of that book for young adults and i think the children will really enjoy the answers that i provide for them at the end of the book. >> that's great. >> kate will love it. >> what do you think the state of soccer is in the united states? feels like we've been so many times on the cusp of it becoming the biggest sport in the united states, 1999 after the world cup, everybody said it was going to explode. do you feel like now with -- as good as you guys have been for the last eight years, decade, whatever you want to call it, this is the time now for soccer?

not just on the women's side but men's side? >> soccer in america is here to stay. there's longevity in it, absolutely. but yeah, we still have our challenges we have to face. obviously there's no women's professional league here in america. and to me that's one of the most bizarre things. i mean look at our national team, filled wembley stadium with 83,000 people coming to cheer us on and we have a huge fan base, yet for whatever reason, we still don't have a women's professional league. >> why do you think that is? they tried after the '99 world cup. didn't work out. >> tried three different times now. three different times. it's hard as a female athlete. what do you do? the olympics are now over. we don't have another major tournament for three years. >> where's the next -- >> world cup. >> what do you do? you're faced with a lot of questions and, you know, many of my teammates will probably go overseas. >> i don't get it. if there's such a marketing opportunity here, i mean, all -- you know, the talk in our house on vacation was, you know, was about you and the other

teammates and the game. i mean this is the first time i was really brought -- i have no idea what you're talking about but the first time i was really interested was because of you. wouldn't that be an avenue? >> well, the avenues are there. we just have to have the right recipe for a successful league and i think we as athletes we sell the product on the field by playing the beautiful game and we do play it the a sophisticated manner, more now than we did a decade ago, and that's why we have longevity in the sport. at the same time you need -- >> a long way to go. >> a group willing to lose money. >> roger, like i said, 1971, mark my words this pe lay guy -- >> you knew -- >> good nose for talent. >> we predict this time and time again. you wrote about it, you know the fifa the video games and

everything else. >> ea sports. >> kids in college, high school and college, are all over soccer now. this is the time. >> they just found out it's the second most popular sport in america for the 18 to 24-year-old category chasing on the nfl. >> yeah. >> pele with the talent, hope solo, admire anyone that uses the olympics as an extravagant promotional event but there's a beautiful point in your book where you write about being in middle school where your dream is to be a professional soccer player. leagues have come and gone three times since then. how do you keep -- there's not another world cup for three years? how do you [ inaudible ] you've done "dancing with the stars." what are your options? >> i'm not here -- maybe that's silly and maybe i don't know marketing and all of that, but, you know, what, what makes me me is i'm a competitor and want to be the best goalkeeper in the world, athlete i can be and that

is what has sold my brand. so how do i do it? i train my butt off day in and day out, even in these years we're not playing world cups, in the olympics. i'll continue to train and continue to remain on top of my game. >> so for a 9-year-old girl, what makes a great goalkeeper? >> everyone thinks it's in the hands but it's all your footwork. speed, agility, lateral quickness. >> lateral quickness. >> lateral quickness. >> willie, should have been a goalkeeper. >> i missed it. >> i love it. i can't wait to give these to my daughters. the book "solo, a memoir of hope" nice to meet you. >> thank you for coming. >> congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> that is great stuff. >> very exciting. >> i'll take this off. >> keep it on. >> you can read an excerpt by the way at our blog mojo.msnbc.com. hope solo, thank you so much. up next after high profile marriages to peter jennings and rich holbrooke, journalist katty

martin is telling her he vealing life story tells us on set when "morning joe" comes right back. bf [ 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.

the serve. the soviets left in 9 and the united states turned it back on the region leaving our pakistani allies who had been supporting the mu janine with us, high and dry, afghanistan then fell into a civil war, and the pakistani supported taliban came in and that led directly to bin laden and led directly to where we are today. now we cannot repeat 1989 again because we will then -- al qaeda will come back, the whole region will go back into a crisis far worse. >> that was the late ambassador richard holbrooke on one of his many appearances on "morning joe." joining us now his widow and author of "paris a love story" kati marton. she writes if i have come to paris in search of healing an distance paris holds memories of a time before peter, before richard, a time before i had children. grief imposes its own rhythms.

my feelings of loss and sadness collide with an an tight for life which i have not felt since i was a girl here in 1968. i will try to live in paris at my own pace, the way i dreamed then. unlike in those days, i am not trying to be french. i am merely looking to live life more mindfully more respectfully. very, very good to have you on the show. >> thanks, mika. great to be back and as you know, richard loved being on the show, but sometimes i was just telling mike he would come home and say jesus, i knew all their parents. >> he does. he definitely did. yep. >> made him feel 100 years old but he loved you anyway. >> you decided to, boy, you decided as the "usa today" says, you decided to tell your story. >> big spread. >> flaws and all. >> yes. >> you go into it deep. when did you -- what part of the process did you decide i'm just going to tell everything? >> well. >> and bear my soul? >> it's not a tell-all.

it's a respectful account of the two men i was lucky enough to be married to, peter jennings and richard high schoolbrooke, not same time i hasten to add. they were extraordinary men, i lived an extraordinary life and feel the loss and their absence. richard, of course, left very suddenly, left us all grieving and it was part of my healing process to keep a journal during this past year of grief and because i couldn't shake all the ghosts that were present in my new york life, i decide to try living in paris, which is where richard and i lived our best times in the last two years when he was serving as president obama's afghanistan/pakistan envoy, paris is where we would meet. we actually bought a little place in paris where i'm now spending part time and it's -- it's, among other things, it's,

yes, a romantic story because not only did richard and i have our romance in paris, it's where peter and i first met as foreign correspondents in the '70s and '80s. >> you talk about getting away from the ghosts. >> yes. >> of new york. >> yes. >> in this case, geography did help, a change of geography did help get away from that. >> absolutely. paris is about romance, beauty, love, all those things, and those are all very good for the soul, but this is not really a book about grief. it's really about the fact that oddly enough, when you're at your lowest, when you're at your saddest is when you most want to hold on to life because you see how elusive it is, how quickly richard left me and, therefore, in paris, i feel like i can live fully and now i'm ready to plunge back into new york as

well. it's really a -- i mean it's my story. it's not richard's story. it's a woman's story. but it's a story about what do you do with grief because none of us escapes loss in a lifetime. i mean it's just not possible. but -- so the challenge is, what do you do afters loss? >> the process of writing this, though, how did it not put you in the depths of despair? >> it did not because i realized first of all, my life seemed so incoherent. i had this dramatic childhood which i wrote about in my last book. my parents were arrested when i was a kid in budapest and i didn't see them two years, they were charged as cia agents. then years later i had this big passionate love affair with peter, then 15 years after that, that marriage dissolved and i met richard.

it all seemed so incoherent but writing it somehow, made sense out of it. but it was also a way of keeping the missing peter, richard, my parents, close to me by giving them solid form. >> mike? >> you know, you mentioned the universality of loss. >> yes. >> and joan didian was in here a while ago and her book about the first year after gregory dunn's death magnificent piece of work as is this -- >> thank you. >> how do you navigate on a daily basis through loss and your life -- >> mike, it's interesting, joan played a big role in this book shortly after richard's death. she dropped off a note at my apartment saying dear katti, i woke up this morning and thought of you and all the mornings that you will wake up and think about richard, and i thought, i mean, it's a beautiful touching note

but i thought holy cow, that condemns me to a life of grief and sadness and i don't want that. so i want to write a book that will be about, yes, grief, but life after grief. >> yeah. >> and so this is in some ways the opposite of joan's magnificent book "the year of magical thinking," this is about grief that hits like a thunder clap in mid life, and momentarily derails you, but then i attempt in this book to assimilate the grief, i mean richard is with me every day, but to push on, to kind of surf through the grief because i'm here to tell all of you that it's going to hit us all. >> sure. >> and it's -- we might as well be ready for it and i hope that this book gives people some

notion of how to take the loved one with you, the missing person, into your new life, but, you know, you guys all knew richard very well. he would have been the last person who would want me to go into the fetal position. he would -- he would -- i can hear here in my ear, get on with it, write the next book, move on, be a good mom, you know. we had a great run. i mean there we are in budapest at our wedding. he was -- this is the human side of richard and peter, too, but, you know, these guys, these guys were very human, flaws and all, as am i. no paragones of virtue. >> what are flaws? >> yeah. >> right. >> we could teach them a thing or two about that. >> it's fascinating you bring up the year of magical thinking,

because joan in that book, she examined pain and examined grief and she went inside and, you know, it's -- i've talked to a lot of people that said that was very helpful for them to understand what they're going through. this is the other side of it. >> yes. >> which is, this is like you said, the shock comes to you, and you -- you -- >> you can't be defeated by it. >> you don't wallop. you can't be defeated by it. you have to move on. >> and the thing that life -- that death in mid life teaches you, teaches me, is that this right now, this is what we have. >> right. >> this is -- so don't put any -- don't put anything off. and don't think that you've got 10, 20, 30 years, as richard and i thought we did. we, you know, we had a list of all the trips we were going to

take after he brought peace to afghanistan, which unfortunately he didn't quite finish. but, you know, we had other lives ahead of us. but you know don't count on that. in other words this today -- >> live now. >> is good as it gets. >> and get to it now and don't put it off. >> yeah. so i hope this book gives people -- mine starting with -- i mean starting with us women, but men too. it's just a friend of mine asked me, a very shove nist, there are a few, is this for women? i said actually it's for humans. >> it's got a universal message for sure. the book is "paris, a love story" is available on our blog mode mojo.msnbc.com. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. in 2008, i voted for president obama with no reluctance.

he presented himself as something different. i had hoped that the new president would bring new jobs. not major layoffs, not people going through major foreclosures on their homes. he did get his healthcare through, but at what cost? he said he was going to cut the deficit in his first term. i've seen zero interest in reducing spending. he inherited a bad situation, but he made it worse. i think he's a great person. i don't feel he is the right leader for our country, though. i still believe in hope and change, i just don't think obama's the way to go for that. the president has not earned re -election, in 2012, in my book.

i've seen his now definition of hope and change. it's not the hope and change i want, and it's not the hope and change i thought i was going to get. i don't feel that i helped my grandchildren by voting for president obama and i regret that. americans for prosperity is responsible for the content of this advertising. introducing share everything. unlimited talk. unlimited text. tap into a single pool of shareable data and add up to 10 different devices, including smartphones and tablets. the first plan of its kind. share everything. only from verizon. now add a tablet for only $10 monthly access. for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use... but mr. single miles can't join his friends

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>> sometimes you kind of have to be transparent. >> i don't think so. >> if people call you a wet blanket you retweet it, it's funny. check on business before the bell. cnbc's brian -- >> he does not think i'm a wet blanket. >> hear he only has 60 seconds. >> one minute, go. >> like a gham show. here we go. >> now 40 seconds. >> story number one, the institute for policy studies a left leaning think tank a story out where they've done research that 26 major companies paid their ceos more than they will pay in federal income taxes this year. the companies dispute it. story two, apple is in talks with cable operators about somehow either making apple tv the set top box or some way linking up with the cable operators. right now they're sort of fren mys but we'll have to find out how that goes and story three is that amtrak now dominates travel

between washington and new york, 75% of passengers are taking the train because like me and what happened to me thursday night going to michigan, they are sick of delays, slow airport security, and just an overall miserable experience at the airport. three stories, 60 seconds, back to the best team on business. >> look at that. he is so good. >> going to be here tomorrow. >> let's have him on. >> you want to come on? >> i am. i'm going to wear a tube top. >> all right. tube top friday he's on "morning joe" with that. we're out of here. we'll be right back. era laundry detergent once stomped a stain

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folks, where is it written we cannot lead the world in the 20th cenry in making automobiles? >> all right. welcome back to "morning joe." >> yeah. >> i think we should lead the world in the 20th century. >> i know the man for the job. >> had who is that. >> henry ford out of michigan. >> i hear this kid is good. >> joe biden, henry ford is calling you later today. take his call. >> it's going to be big. >> we will own the 20th century. i love joe biden. >> yes. he's a -- >> mike barnicle? >> i learned that i'm more [ inaudible ] than ever. >> michael steele? >> i learned the power of hope. i just love her story, i love watching her play and great to see her. >> very inspiring. little kate my 9-year-old girl watching at home today, very excited. she is a great example. >> firm handshake