romney has a secret. s ahead of bain capital he bought companies, carved them up and got rid of what he couldn't use. if mitt romney really believes. >> corporations are people, my friend. >> then mitt romney is a serial killer. (laughter) >> mitt the ripper. and you believe corporations are people, do your duty and protect them. on saturday january 21st, stop mitt the ripper before he kills again. americans for a better tomorrow tomorrow are responsible for the content of this advertising. >> stephen: wow. (cheers and applause) >> stephen: shocking, shocking stuff. so is mitt romney a serial killer? i don't know. but that question is out there now. of course the gang that couldn't report straight assumes i had something to do with it. >> stephen colbert's superpac hits the airwaves in south carolina. >> stephen colbert, here is one of his superpac ads. >> leave it to stephen colbert to take these ads to the extreme. >> stephen: folks, once again, i need to make it as clear as the bleach mitt romney may or may not use to dissolve the bones of his victims. (laughter) this commercial is the sole respons

romney or bain capital? >> no, ma'am, they said it was a documentary about u. s taking over small businesses in the u.s. megyn: they talk about how bain capital and mitt romney which made commercial washing machines nearlier to your family apart. that's one of the issues you take umbrage with. why? >> we weren't talking about bain or mitt romney when we were discussing that. we were talking about me and my partner was going out on our own to start our own business, and that's when it was getting stressful. megyn: years later after bain sold the company, and mitt romney had nothing to do with bain, and you were talking about having the fear of not having insurance and that the clip they played? >> yes, ma'am. your experience at unimac once bain took over. did you lose your job in did you take a pay cut? >> when bain took over actually everybody at the company received raise.when they took over. and i actually went through probably two promotions while they was under bain. megyn: do you have any issue with the way bain behaved once it bought unimac? >> no, ma'am. m

s his bricks like he's talking about voldemort when he brings them up. it was a lobbying group paid for by companies including bain capital. romney is not bain and bain is not romney. >> have you come out on the proposals coming out the democratic congress to raise taxes on hedge funds private equity funds, venture capital funds and so forth? >> i don't think it's a good idea to raise taxes. >> jon: yeah, cause they are your taxes! not to say mitt romney doesn't -- [ applause ] not to say mitt romney doesn't believe the tax system need not be reformed. there are certain taxes he feels should be raised. >> 47% of the americans paying no income tax. that's a heck of a big number. >> jon: yeah the tax code is so unfair to you. to clarify the millions of dollars that mitt romney saves because of the aggressively lobbied 15% tax rate is legal and fair. he's entitled to that from the government no strings attached. where did romney stand on other such government largesse? >> i like the idea that people receiving welfare assistance have the responsibility of working. i think he wants us to be a society where the people feel they are ent

think it really is a combination of the romney s campaign getting its act>> together after having poor responses to his 15% tax rate and his record at bain capital and all the criticism.an the gingrich campaign and the perry campaign unloaded on him in the south carolina campaign. mitt romney got his act together, certainly 15 to one spending. does workin in florida in this media markets. but it is a different make-up. even the latino vote in florida is so differentiate a cuban in one part of the state different than a cuban in another part, is a very tough mace to try toe match a south carolina victoryy in. so since the gingrich campaign i has died twice and is always evolving and the romney campaign had been banking absentee ballots, they have been able to execute and shift gears into full attack mode, very expensive one against newt gingrich, and with two new de-- with new debate coach and two good debates, he also managed to steal hisch thunder there and tt was newt's secret weapon. >> chris: paul, let's assume, and that's always a dangerous thing in this crazy cycle, butis let's assume the polls hold up and romney wins a convincingn victory

so, are the attacks on mitt romney and bain capital hurting the g.o.p.'s chances in 2012?how are you. >> clayton: looks like newt gingrich is tricking up a little bit in the poll. are they have an effect? here is the latest poll. >> too early to tell whether there's a cause-effect with the polls? the broader argument doesn't help mitt romney. we've had a series of attacks and criticisms from newt gingrich and rick perry and huntsman and others, and unresponded. i think the romney campaign found their footing and found a way to respond that tells a different side of the story and put out the add, talks about the jobs created with staples, which is a company that people are familiar with, or sports authority, and people can understand, if you make these initial investments and you create a company like that, it's going to lead to job and they've done an effective jobs leading to attacks. >> clayton: there's been criticism, as you well know, whether or not he's answered the bain krit searches effectively and weem want to see the records, the tax records and critics argue ther

romney was at bain. how heartless he was and how he wasn't a job creator at all. or rick perry talking about vulture capitalism. the ad se themselves. and when you can quote the people in his own party making the case you want to make. >> i don't think they should just run newt gingrich. they need to run the john mccain ad, the one i just played where in 2008, when they were running against mccain, this is what mccain -- >> huckabee had the perfect line. he reminds you of the guy that fired you. that was the huckabee line in '08. >> wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. have a great weekend, e.j. >> you, too reverend. >> and you, too, steve. thanks for joining me tonight. >>> ahead -- newt is at it again. he's hammering willard on bain. and it may be working. >>> plus -- president obama continued his relentless fight for jobs and justice today. we'll show you why his plan to win is all about fairness. >>> and we had a huge response to our story last night on willard's dog riding on the roof of his car. you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. ♪ [ male announcer ] talking a big game about your engine is one thing. having a

s he going to let them go? were they going to be fired? that is the way it works? >> bob: rick perry is using this line. they lost jobs because of bain capital? hurts romneyine about him saying i like fire people. that will be cut. that will be used against him. he stepped in it. if i'm romney i will be 100% unapologetic. this is a chance to stand up for capitalism, and earn credit with the g.o.p. voters. look, i would rather have romney taking risks. i don't agree with him on everything. but i'd rather him take the risks with investor money than taxpayer money like obama and democrats do. >> eric: he -- >> bob: he could have turned and said we were successful in some things and others we weren't but at least we're out there doing it. we are elected officials. >> greg: but there is an error with romney saying he likes firing incompetent vote. he loses the incompetent vote. you need the potential to be fired or you don't achieve anything. demonizing the action of firing, a job is pointless if you can't get fired. look at professors with tenure who are incompetence because they know there is no way to measure achievement. >> bob: do you see this take out of

s to offer. >> how do you feel about these attacks on governor romney? i've heard this from other conservatives. they'd rather the attacks be about his record as governor not his record as bain capital. are you one of those conservatives? >> i am. i'm not in favor of negative ads in general. i think that you ought to be talking about who you're for and why you would be -- why we need to replace obama because of his social policies and his economic policies. i think that this is divisive and i think the reaction among republicans and social conservatives is negative to these kinds of attack ads. i just don't think they work. i think they turn people off. you know, i'm hopeful that newt and rick and perry will focus on what they're for and what they would bring to the white house and let south carolina voters decide which one they think is the most viable against both romney and against both -- against obama. >> let me ask you about what you're doing in texas. explain who is going to be there? >> well, i don't know who's going to be there. i deliberately remained ignorant of that. it's, you know, an off-the-record discussion among friends about the best way forward for the cause we al

s corporation. that in come close to his aunt -- his corporation and he is taxed on the full 35% on that. mr. romney gets in come from bain capitals taxed at only 15%. host: talking about warren buffett's secretary. warren buffett is publicized as saying he should pay the same tax rate as a secretary. his secretary was seated in the first lady's box. and we will get them ready in a moment. what does that tell you? i think we have it. ok. that reap remind our audience that our phone lines are open. -- all let me remind our audience that our phone lines are open. the telephone numbers are on the screen. you can join the conversation at twitter or send an e-mail and here's more from last night's state of the union address with the president. [video clip] >> right now because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households. right now, warren buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest americans or do we want to keep our investment in everything else? a education, and medical research, a stro