he wrote about newt gingrich and the art of racial politics today and alex wagner, host of "now" withwagner, here on msnbc at high noon showdown of great ideas. >> i'm going to take that one. >> charles, let's look at some of newt's claims last night. first, he repeatedly called president obama the food stamp president. he said the president wants to maximize dependency on food stamps. you wrote today that -- how this statement is not factually correct. tell us about it. >> first, you take the part about the president being the best food stamp president in american history, right? so what you can say, if he wanted to just be accurate and say there are now more people on food stamps than there ever have been, however, what president obama inherited is a -- both a system that was already growing, so under the bush administration, the food stamp program grew by 63%. seven out of the eight years that bush was in office, the program grew. only one of those years was a recessionary year. so, he wasn't coming out of recession, he got the recession at the end of his term. obama inherits a rec

just a programming note, coming up at the top of the hour, alex wagner will talk with richard cordrayection bureau. that's coming up with alex wagn wagner. >>> developing news out of texas where rainstorms have led to street flooding. at least three tornadoes have touched do unin houston toppling trees and damaging cars but 30 flights at dallas-ft. worth airport have been canceled. in san antonio more than a dozen roads have been closed so far. there have been no reports of injuries. >>> also here is a look at some other stories topping the news for you right now. hundreds of mourners are in state college, pennsylvania, this morning to pay their final respects to ledge endary penn state football coach joe paterno. the hall of famer died sunday just two months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. a private funeral will be held coming up this afternoon. >>> and did you hear that actress demi moore is seeking professional help for exhaustion after being rushed to an l.a. hospital on monday night? a rep for moore cites stresses in her life as the cause. you mi recall she split from hus

"now" with alex wagner is coming your way next and so is herman --ev ery time. 2% back on groceries.omatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. try bayer advanced aspirin. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first, it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you. love it, or get your money back. >>> when is the last time the first three republican primaries were political among three dirnt c -- three different candidates approxima? never, never before. joining me we have a killer panel from the nation,

alex wagner is standing by to take over for the next hour. hey, alex. >> hey, thomas. the cain train is moving in. joining me today, jonathan capeheart. steve cornaki, new york daily news columnist se cup and politico's ben white. >>> the president's speech comes just two days after addressing richard cordray. unemployment has dropped to 8.5%, the lowest in almost three years. the president is expected to talk about these numbers and cordray. we know that president is flush with anticipation at his new agency chief and actually taking his post. and also the good jobs numbers. mike, i want to ask you, should we expect a little victory jig over there at the cfpb? >> reporter: well, i don't think you are going to see jubilation or champagne corks popping. i think that you are going to see cautious optimism on the part of the president. look, they've been burned by getting out a little bit of in front of where the economy is over the course of last year. you remember the green chutes in the economy in 2009. you remember the prediction on the stimulus package and keep the u

don't go anywhere, "now" with alex wagner is next. we will see how things shake out today.t? don't look up there. why are you looking up? ♪ get outta the car. get outta the car. ♪ are you ok? the... get in the car. get in the car! [ male announcer ] the epa estimated 42 mpg highway chevy cruze eco. from spending time together, to spending your lives together, chevy runs deep. over a million people have discovered how easy it is to use legalzoom for important legal documents. at legalzoom we'll help you incorporate your business, file a patent, make a will and more. you can complete our online questions in minutes. then we'll prepare your legal documents and deliver them directly to you. so start your business, protect your family, launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side. i want to fix up old houses. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. thanks, mom.

joining me, alex wagner, host of "now with alex wagner" and msnbc contributor melissa harr harris-perryu both for joining me tonight. >> absolutely. >> thanks, rev. >>> melissa, let me start with you. for the past year republicans have engaged on a war on women's rights and women's health. you and i have talked about rick santorum saying food stamps and blacks, and what he would do for blacks, clearly offending a lot of people in the black community. when he spoke last night and started talking about his grandfather's hands. it was very moving. then he said his grandfather came here trying to flee a government like this administration, muse lynni. it woke me independence, reminding me who this guy was. he's probably the most extreme right-wing candidate we have seen in the flavors of the month. >> i think that's right, the most extreme of the kind of cycling of not-mitt or not-willard in your case, of candidates to come through. one of the things we need to pause and remember, it's not really clear that the iowa caucus-goers chose santorum based on his policies or positions. it does see

how about this from our own alex wagner tweeting jobs report, 200,000 jobs created, unemployment down in the oval office. 38% wider. now down to the wire. drew's engagement and a converse collection. here we go. tiger woods' ex-wife elin nordegren knows just what to do with her $100 million divorce settlement. she bought a $12 million home in north palm beach, florida and, get this, bulldozed it. the house had six bedrooms, eight bathrooms. no word on what she plans to build there. drew barrymore is sporting a shiny new engagement ring. the actress's art-consultant boyfriend proposed over the holidays with a four karat cut radiant cut diamond. they've been together less than a year. this will be her third marriage. >>> of all the tricks he could have pulled a washington state driver put a plastic skeleton in the passenger seat so he could use the car pool lane. he might have gotten away with it if he wasn't pulled over for speeding. >>> they really have world records for everything don't they? a retired florida teacher believes she has the largest collection of converse sneakers in th

"now with alex wagner" is up next. ex, i'm going to be watching closely to what you guys are going to be talking about. i don't know where you're going to start. >> please do watch closely, thomas. perry is out and the race is on. will this give newt gingrich some momentum to win south carolina? or will a new interview with wife number two spoil his day? and iowa, the beholder. we love puns. with no winner declared there, what does it all mean for mitt romney? plus, does the president's decision say not now to keystone mean he's now really ready for november? and we'll have the president's live speech from main street, usa, in disney world. all of that and so much more coming up next on "now."

"now" with alex wagner is next. >> hi, we will be talking about the winners and losers of last night'sore than just a romney pile on and campaign google trends when were viewers searching for during the debate, and audience reaction, how well or misbehaved was the crowd. and rick tyler, the ads that seem to be defining that race. that is all next on "now." . >>> has the party of lincoln become the party of child janitors? it's tuesday january 17th and this is now. joining me today, 1600 pennsylvania avenue's bill burton who now runs the super pack, and ben smith and mr. ben white. a big night, who were the winners and

if you don't want to miss newt gingrich's supporter herman cain on "now" with alex wagner coming up inhour. ♪ he was a 21st century global nomad ♪ ♪ home was an airport lounge and an ipad ♪ ♪ made sure his credit score did not go bad ♪ ♪ with a free-credit-score-dot-com ♪ ♪ app that he had ♪ downloaded it in the himalayas ♪ ♪ while meditating like a true playa ♪ ♪ now when he's surfing down in chile'a ♪ ♪ he can see when his score is in danger ♪ ♪ if you're a mobile type on the go ♪ ♪ i suggest you take a tip from my bro ♪ ♪ and download the app that lets you know ♪ ♪ at free-credit-score-dot-com now let's go. ♪ vo: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com™. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. >>> welcome back, everybody. president obama, first since the state of the union. we turned around some sound for you. >> hello, everybody. this is our first cabinet meeting afte

it's coming out tomorrow, we have an advanced copy here at "now" with alex wagner.oss from what i read is the contention inside the white house and also, you know the criticism that was lobbed at obama is that he is too isolated. michelle and rahm emanuel had almost no bond, she was skeptical of him when he was selected and now he returned the favor, they were the president's two spouses. one public and official and one private and informal. the first lady's attitude was summed by by i'm not an official give me a clean shot. but rahm avoided her at all costs. >> can i just say something? >> yes. >> how dare a journalist understand the dynamic between political families and their staff, especially at that level. this is inappropriate, they are still in office, give the first lady a break. it tough enough being a lady in politics. i have gone through it with my mother. >> i'm surprised that the administration going through a tough reelection being to record cooperating with this author. although it not an authorized biography, but it sort of it. they have not denied a

but "now with alex wagner" is coming up. >> hi, thomas.e a look at the millions of dollars going into the 2012 race and the people that are making it rain. willie geist will be in the house and we'll explore this question -- can whatever doesn't kill mitt romney make him stronger? ? tavis smiley and dr. cornel west will be with us to talk about the american rich and poor and whether the american dream is in danger of extinction. r science r helped us build it. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller. over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪ i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there. i want to fix up old houses. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing.

. >>> "now" with alex wagner comes your way. a lot to talk about.'ll have it for you. [ male announcer ] cranberry juice? wake up! ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. >>> welcome to the show. republicans just want to have fun. can mitt romney show them a good time? it's thursday, january 5th, and this is "now." joining me today from the new yorker megan mccartel of the atlantic and msnbc political analyst and former chair of the rnc and michael steele and john hielemann. the author of the fourth coming "game change 2" i'm not sur

eastern, you can follow me on twitter, don't go anywhere, "now" with alex wagner is coming up next. >ne-time friend santorum to step out of the race, and true mitt, we will be talking with the authors of a biography, a and t blending of poll tibitics and c. [♪...] >> i wish my patients could see what i see. that over time, having high cholesterol, plus diabetes or high blood pressure or family history of early heart disease, can put them at increased risk for plaque buildup. and they'd see that it's more important to get their cholesterol where their doctor wants. and why for these patients, when diet and exercise alone aren't enough, i prescribe crestor. adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol by up to 52%. and is also proven to slow plaque buildup. >> announcer: crestor is not right for everyone. like people with liver disease or women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. >> i

but don't go anywhere, "now with alex wagner" is coming up., thomas, we're going to the moon! coming up in a mere three minutes, newt gingrich's latest plan to colonize the lunar landscape. >>> plus, mitt romney is getting aggressive down in the sunshine state. is it working? >>> independence day. how both parties are fighting for that critical voting bloc and attorney general beau biden on now. he joins us to discuss president obama's new housing task force. will it crack down aggressively on wall street? that's all now when "now" starts in 180 seconds. >>> who is the "your business" entrepreneur of the week? harvard student james herschfield wanted to trns late the look and feel of a high-end paper invitation to the digital realm. in 2007, he and his sister pooled their savings and started paperless post. it attracted high-profile users like prince charles, condoleezza rice, and the white house. for more, watch "your business" sunday mornings. today my journey continues across the golden state, where everyone has been unbelievably nice. morn

"now with alex wagner" comes your way next. hey guys, breakfast!] if whole grain isn't the first ingredient in your breakfast cereal, what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first on the side. from honey nut cheerios to cinnamon toast crunch to lucky charms, get more whole grain than any other ingredient... without question. just look for the white check. >>> seven, that is the number of possible outcomes of tonight's iowa caucuses meaning who knows what will happen. tuesday, january 3rd and this is "now." joining me today in iowa, msnbc political analyst and former chair of the rnc, michael steele. here on set, steve of salon.com, s.e. is a columnist with the new york "daily news." the iowa caucus is just eight hours away and these are the closing arguments. >> i don't think i'm going to win. whatever i do tomorrow night will be a victory.

alex wagner is host of now which airs every weekday at noon eastern time. exactly at noon. you're a young commentator and analyst in the news. first of all, i want to hear your reaction. >> it was my favorite moment of the debate. i thought huntsman was incredibly strong. he's been hammered and over again for having served as ambassador to china. the response was eloquent and of a peace in terms of new hampshire what the voters want there panned to some degree what the country thinks. is it such a black mark on his record that he served in the administration? i don't know why all of a sudden we talk about the ideas of public service and serving in government is a bad thing and being a politician is a bad thing. here's a guy with incredible foreign policy experience. yes, he served under a democratic president. but the huntsman question has been a huge head scratcher for me. it's great to see he's rising in polls and he answered that with confidence and spoke truthfully. >> here's a man with unique experience in china, the most trading partner we'll have. speaks man dar in,

this is alex wagner. you have a new campaign comparing her to margaret thatcher, the iron lady.at tact will be among iowa voters? >> we're excited about our new add we launch this had morning. you can find it at michele back man.com. to joy's point in terms of pouring the water, that was a spur of the moment thing that she did. and it just goes to show that michelle is a compassionate person, she is a servant leader. certainly any of you that have children if you can help serve others, you do that. it was just a natural reaction for her to help, you know, the others get water at that event. >> but in terms of evangelical christians vote for a woman as not a help mate but the president? >> that's a great question. we have brought on many pastors and faith leaders from across iowa and added more than 30 in the past few days, bringing our total list to over 200 pastors and faith leaders. that's very important because pastors have a way obviously of speaking to their congregation who they support. we were at a church yesterday where she gave her faith testimony and the pastor encour

now with alex wagner, next, she talks about the iowa ground game with alice stewart. [ male announcer a.m. scholar. the two trains and a bus rider. the "i'll sleep when it's done" academic. for 80 years, we've been inspired by you. and we've been honored to walk with you to help you get where you want to be. ♪ because your moment is now. let nothing stand in your way. learn more at keller.edu. but are we any closer to having an actual republican nominee? it's monday, january 2nd, and this is "now." joining me today from the nation, msnbc contributor arie mel about your, matt lewis of the daily caller, jimmy lewis co-founder of united republican and from the grio.com,

also tomorrow, now with alex wagner. talks with newt gingrich's newest celebrity backer, the man you see there, herman cain. >>> oakland, california cleaning up from the largest protests in its history as the occupy movement comes roaring back. and in d.c., another crackdown could happen in less than an hour. we're keeping our eye on the latest developments from that. >>> and the american aid worker rescued from somali pirates from a team of navy s.e.a.l.s headed home. new details on her story. sweet, nutty crunchy nut. [ sighs ] i can't wait till morning. wait! it's morning in china! ♪ [ male announcer ] it's sweet, it's nutty... it's absolutely delicious. kellogg's crunchy nut. it's morning somewhere. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i

alex wagner is a host of "now" which airs every weekday around noon eastern. you're a young commentator and analyst. first of all, your reaction? >> i thought it was my favorite moment of the debate. i thought huntsman was incredibly strong. he's been hammered over and over and over again and i thought his response was not only el want but what the new hampshire voters want and to some degree what the country wants. all of a sudden serving the government is bad thing. here's a guy who has incredible foreign policy experience. yes, he served under a democratic experience. the huntsman debate has been a huge head scratcher for me. he spoke truthfully. >> here's a man with a unique experience in china. probably the most important competitor in the world. speaks mandarin. able go over there and do what few others in our history could ever have done, having the language ability. he's asked to give that unique training and experience to the country in the interest of the country, and he accepts it. >> and i mean i will say huntsman has outdone himself a service in s

i, will be -- >> dylan, how will your tour differ from the announcement today on alex wagner's show now with herman cain's 9-9-9 tour to restore america? >> there's really only one basic difference. herman cain's 9-9-9 plan is really just a moronic 3-year-old trying to market something. the arbitrary assertion of some set of numbers as if magically adopting 2-2-2. remember when "there's something about mary," and he says, i've got a genius way to kill the 6-minutes abs, the 7-minute abs. 30 million jobs is the scale of the problem we have. there's no human being, i can't do it, no one knows how to create 30 million jobs. but we do know if we create an orchestral environment, an environment with low-cost, high input education and health, and i set those marks, and i say, we have tax, trade, banking reform, policy proposals that can drive money into those cradles of innovation -- >> they will create jobs. >> then jobs grow like fruit in a garden, my friend. i don't know if herman cain can run for president with the fruit in the garden narrative, but i know it's at least not so -- the 9-9-

. >>> tomorrow here on msnbc, herman cain will be alex wagner's special guest on her show friday >>> good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show," tonight from new york. breaking news out of the beantown. "the boston globe" is endorsing jon huntsman for the gop nomination. apparently, they don't like their former governor mitt romney anymore. maybe because he's not being straight with the voters? you see, middle-class mitt is trying to hide how rich he is. tonight i'll blow romney's cover. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. >> i spent my life in the business world. people say, well, what difference does that make? >> the difference is mitt romney is the richest presidential candidate in a decade, and he's trying to keep it off the radar. >> with regards to income taxes, that's not something that's required by the law. i'm not planning on releasing my income taxes anytime soon. >> i'll tell you what mitt romney's trying to hide. reaction from eugene robinson of the "washington post." >> i don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them someone else's mone

>>> tomorrow here on msnbc, herman cain will be alex wagner's special guest on her show friday at noon, 9 pacific time. "the ed show" is up next. > can midamerica ever be mitt's america? let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews at the armory in manchester, new hampshire, where in just five days now, this state will hold its first in the country primary. leading off tonight, we are the 75%. that's the 75% of republicans who have never supported mitt romney, didn't vote for him on tuesday in iowa, and don't want him as their nominee. they've signed the abm treaty, if you will, anyone but mitt. but who? rick santorum? how well will santorum have to do in new hampshire next tuesday to become a real challenger? the warhead. could he become the warhead of the abm crowd? the good news for santorum is he's peaked at just the right time, before he could be hit by his rivals, vetted by the media. the bad news, there's time now. just who is this deeply conservative republican who won twice in blue state pennsylvania before getting clobbered by 18 points? plus, when president ob

mary kate huntsman abbey's mom will be coming up in the next hour with alex wagner. then at 1:00 p.m. jon will be a guest on "andrea mitchell reports" so we look forward to that. my thanks to abbey. >>> the unemployment rate ticks down another 0.1% to the lowest rate in nearly three years. president obama talks about the december jobs report coming your way in a few minutes. plus, washington state's governor says it's time for marriage equality there. will washington become the seventh state in the union to approve same sex marriage? and joran van der sloot expected to plead guilty to murder in peru. full details ahead. # follow the wings. [ male announcer ] cranberry juice? wake up! ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. >>> welcome back. there are just six states around the nation where same sex marriage is in full effect. but if the governor of washington has her way that number could increase by one. the governor said this week it is time for marriage equality in washington s

now with alex wagner who's next. !emale announcer ] if whole grain isn't the first ingredient in your breakfast cereal, what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first on the side. from honey nut cheerios to cinnamon toast crunch to lucky charms, get more whole grain than any other ingredient... without question. just look for the white check. without question. hey, i'm really glad we took this last minute trip me too. you booked our room right? not yet, thanks for reminding me. wait, what? fret not ma'lady. i have the hotels.com app so we can get a great deal even at the last minute. ah, well played sir. download the free hotels.com app and get exclusive mobile deals. hotels.com. be smart. book smart. >>> 73 cents. that's how much rick santorum is estimated to have spent on each caucus vote received in iowa. can he get a good bargain in new hampshire? it's wednesday, january 4, and this is "now." joining me today msnbc political