>> i'm ari melber in for alex wagner. joining me on the program, msnbc contributor and co-host of sirius xm the flaks, robert traynham. dana goldstein. co-creator of "the daily show" lizz winstead and of course, buzzfeed editor in chief, ben smith. if you blink this week, you may have missed governor romney's evolution in his position on paul ryan's budget plan. in making his vp selection, of course, romney seemed to listen to some of the conservative right commentators who began pressuring the governor to pick ryan, but he may not have picked up on why. take bill kristol who wrote in the days leading up to that decision, romney and republicans will be running on the romney/ryan plan no matter what. having paul ryan on the ticket may well make it easier to defend the plan convincingly. now immediately after choosing ryan, romney started distancing himself at least a touch from the house budget chair's policy. >> i have my budget plan as you know that i've put out, and that's the budget plan that we're going to run on. >>

joining me now, msnbc's alex wagner and chris hayes. alex, rush limbaugh magave the order yesterday, do not take any questions, answer any questions about not having any exception for rape and the abortion position of the party. mitt romney is certainly following that order. >> don't ask, don't tell. it rears its ugly head again. this is the point the republican party has sunk to. there are four days till the republican nomination. and the vice presidential nominee is talking about rape. they're in the talking about job creation and obama's record as commander-in-chief and chief executive of the country. they are talking about rape and their position on abortion in the cases of rape and incest. this could not be more uncomfortable for mitt romney. not only that, but the whole week has exploded this position the republican party has had on issues of choice, on reproductive freedom. it's extreme and has been for years. mitt romney got into bed with dr. james wilke, this theory that women couldn't get pregnant if they're raped. and now romn

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. >> joining me now, msnbc's alex wagner and ari melber. alex, let's stick with rush's thinking here, and take it just one step further. if the republicans lose, then doesn't that discredit the rush limbaugh wing of the republican party? >> yes! >> yeah, see? i thought it might. >> you know, lawrence, the takeaway from these sort of very adventurous last 72 hours, i think, is, what's the plan? this is what i got from that politico story. senior republicans, unnamed and otherwise, must be thinking, what is the deal, mitt romney? you didn't have a plan on bain. you didn't have a plan on the swiss bank accounts. you have now made a bed with the standard-bearer for the republican house caucus and some of the most draconian policy that has ever come across the floor of congress, and you don't have a plan on how you're going to address that. they trot paul ryan out there. it's a lamb to the slaughterhouse, almost. he can't even answer the questions. mitt romney doesn't know what hi differences are. this, they could have seen coming from a mile awa

i'm alex wagner.ost influential women in politics and media for a special edition of "now." whether it's health care, equal pay, or jobs, "now" is a time to talk about women. >>> bringing back the panel, dan, michelle, and casey. we're going to talk todd aiken. mike murphy, republican consultant extraordinary air just tweet thissed wlsh "moments like this when a bafoon candidate needs to be sack and dropped off at the state line make me miss the old-time bosses." in the day when there was a political boss, casey hunt, stuff like this, he would end up needing to spend more time with his family. that's not the modern party. we expect to hear from them. you have new information. >> looks like romney is probably expected to take a question today on this. he has an interview with wnbr who has a town hall, and we could see reporters put this question to him on a rope line. we'll have to wait and see. expect to hear pretty strong condemnation from governor romney. >> moments like this, it's easy for us to ta

"now" with alex wagner is coming up next. what you got? >> lots of stuff, including a real talk.g are critical questions about the romney/ryan alliance. they may be on the same ticket but are they on the same page? >>> plus, know when to hold them and when to walk away. we ask congressman elijah cummings about darrell issa's civil suit against attorney general eric holder. >>> and earth science and economics guru dr. jeffrey sachs talk about the consequences of the drought un-gulfing the u.s. 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. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. drse ce d w to there are projects. drse ce and there are game-changers. those ideas that start with us

"now" with alex wagner is coming up next. x, we're watching ann romney practice her speech for tonight. it's going to be the most important speech of her life. >> it is indeed. prime time ann. we are going to monitor the latest developments from hurricane isaac but first, rain on the gop's parade. we'll discuss the republican party's identity crisis and governor romney's big chance to define himself. plus, romney's economy. we ask laurence o'donnell why the governor's economic message hasn't resonated and mark halperin explains why team obama remains quietly confident. >>> and the feminine mistake. how the rnc's platform isn't helping the party with women. we'll talk with cecile richards and sandra fluke when "now" starts in a mere 180 seconds. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care, with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder musc

"now" with alex wagner comes your way next. cebook friends with our babysitter. no., right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here? what? no! is it okay if i quit my job and start a blog? no. really? cold cuts from a package? yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects deli meat. the tastes you love and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food. starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. >>> days after congressman todd akin raised the question of legitimate rape, republican party leaders are calling for h his ouster. it's tuesday, august 21st and this is "now." joining me today, radio host and author of "true believers" kurt andersen. politico's senior white house reporter, glenn thrush. author of the brand new ebook, "obama's last stand." lynn sweet of the chicago sun-times and the man who fore

girl empowerment continuing with alex wagner. what's coming up? from your set. they are amazing. thomas, we have a lot coming up, including dodge-paul. governor romney avoids questions about his fiscal plan compares with his running mates. we will talk about paul ryan's liabilities including his not so secret florida problem when we are joined by the grand poobah of the sunshine state, jose diaz-balart. plus ever hear the one about the mormon and the catholic on a campaign bus? we look at how religion will play out for the romney/ryan ticket. and with surrogates like these, a new story reveals turmoil on team romney, both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras. a little snack. on a wednesday. at 2 am. get that great taste anytime with kingsford match light charcoal. check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. >>> after four days of pomp and circumstance touting the big choices facing t

"now" with alex wagner comes your way next. hi, i'm phil mickelson.tunate to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or pale

"now" with alex wagner is coming up next. ari melber is filling in today. what's coming up?u doing, thomas? >> doing good. >> good. >>> look, coming up, governor mitt romney, who is back to the drawing board announcing he will reunite with his friend paul ryan monday in new hampshire. on the agenda, a joint defense of their budget and exchanging medicare for that voucher program. >>> plus, taxes are off the agenda but the obama campaign is trying to change that with a new offer today. five years of tax returns and then they'll drop the issue. we will look at that and why the tax rates for the 1% don't seem to be going away as an issue in this campaign. >>> one more thing. a big story. the manhunt for julian assange. we are interviewing an attorney on his legal team to talk with his quest for asylum and perhaps departing london. all that starts in three minutes. naging my diabetes is part of my life, between taking insulin and testing my blood sugar... is this part of your life? freestyle lite test strips? why, are they any... beep! wow, that hardly needs any blood! yeah... a

. >> i'm alex wagner, in for lawrence o'donnell. mitt romney thinks he's found his battle cry.ut on sean hannity's radio show on thursday, romney brought it on to the national stage during a media availability day on friday in las vegas. >> harry reid really has to put up or shut, all right. so harry, who are your sources? let's have harry explain who that is. >> mitt romney claims harry reid has to put up or shut up, regarding his source on romney's undisclosed tax returns, after reid launched attacks that romney says are patently false, though he patently refuses to offer any proof. >> let me also say categorically, i have paid taxes every year, and a

i'm alex wagner, in for lawrence o'donnell. go until the presidential election, and there is a telltale sign when a republican knows he's running a losing campaign. ronald reagan's losing campaign for the gop nomination in 1976. "there's a woman in chicago.

"now" with alex wagner is coming up for the next hour.d show. >> we do have sort of a jam-packed show. >> everyone must watch. >>> everyone stay tuned. coming up, he is finally officially the nominee but is governor romney officially a human yet? and did he move the needle with independents, women and hispanics? we will get an analysis from mark halperin, chris hayes and karen finney. plus last night's supporting cast. did strong showings from rubio and bush give the gop a case of buyer's remorse? and hash tag eastwooding. inside the actor's studio host james lipton evaluates clint eastwood's share talk and the optics of governor romney's address. ♪ ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love

i'm alex wagner in for lawrence o'donnell.go, ann coulter appeared on fox news, where she called on mitt romney to immediately fire his spokeswoman for remarks he made earlier today. >> obviously, it's unfortunate when anyone loses their job. this particular case was a plant that was closed years after governor romney left the company. and to that point, you know, if -- you know, if people had been in massachusetts under governor romney's health care plan, they would have had health care. >> in response to saul's remarks, erick erickson, the conservative editor in chief of redstate.com tweeted, "omg. this might just be the moment mitt romney lost the election. wow." erickson later deemed saul's comments the "read my lips moment of betrayal." a conservative writer for the washington kparm tweeted, "not sure if the romney camp realizes what a huge opening they've just created for democrats on obama care." and here is rush limbaugh's reaction. >> if people had been in massachusetts, under governor romney's health care plan, they

"now" with alex wagner is coming your way for the next hour. what you got coming up?>> hey, thomas. coming up, a storm is brewing for the gop as tampa braces for tropical storm isaac, governor romney faces hurricanes akin and biden, not to mention the republican national convention's stormy platform. can the romney/ryan ticket turn the focus back to the economy? >>> plus opening the book of mormon as team romney prepares to embrace the candidate's faith, mckay coppins tells us what it's like to attend church with the governor. >>> and bill nye, the obama guy. we ask the scientist about his new lab partner and why some republicans deemed science a four letter word. all that when "now" starts in 180 seconds. we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it

"now" with alex wagner is next.ave a very special show ahead that works out to be really timely. >> it is indeed. coming up, it is a special edition of "now" dedicated to women in politics. on the heels of missouri congressman todd akin's controversial comments on abortion, we will discuss whether attitudes towards women are moving backwards. we will tackle the most important issues facing women this election season. specifically, the underrepresentation of women in office, their roles as leaders and legislators, equal pay and how far women have come, and have yet to go. our all-star lineup features senator kirsten gillibrand and kay bailey hutchison, lilyledbetter and gabrielle union, all coming up in 180 seconds. ♪ [ male announcer ] you've reached the age where you don't back down from a challenge. this is the age of knowing how to make things happen. so, why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for

"now" with alex wagner comes your way. what's coming up?ming up, governor romney's popeye defense. will his "i am what i am" convince doubtful gop members? we will discuss. >>> plus, the latest on tropical storm isaac and the cone of uncertainty surrounding the republican party. >>> and the states of disgrace. we'll go behind the politics of the push for voter i.d. laws in key swing states with former pennsylvania congressman, joe sestak. that's all coming up when "now" starts in 180 seconds. t's take t from "that looks hard" to "that didn't take long". let's break out behr ultra. .. ...the number one selling paint and primer in one, now with stain blocker. each coat works three times harder, priming, covering, and blocking stains. let's go where no paint has gone before, and end up some place beautiful. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. behr ultra. now with advanced stain blocking, only at the home depot, and only $31.98 a gallon. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' c

i'm alex wagner, in for lawrence o'donnell. there are 91 days to go until the presidential election, and there is a telltale sign when a republican knows he's running a losing campaign. ronald reagan's losing campaign for the gop nomination in 1976. "there's a woman in chicago. she has 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 social security cards. she's got medicaid, getting food stamps, and she's collecting welfare under each of her names." bob dole's losing presidential campaign in 1996. >> i will vow to end welfare as we know it. i will insist on a swift passage and i will sign it. >> newt gingrich's losing presidential primary campaign this year. >> obama is the best food stamp president in american history. more people are on food stamps today because of obama's policies than ever in history. if the naacp invites me, i'll go to their convention and talk about why the african-american community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps. >> and now, mitt romney. >> in 1996, president clinton and a bipartisan congress

"now" with alex wagner is coming up next. it was a late night for you. on twitter. >>> it was a late night for the country. we will be continuing to monitor hurricane isaac as it slams louisiana and mississippi coastlines. we will get an update at the top of the hour and then, love versus respect. ann romney and chris christie had dueling messages last night but did mitt romney score any wins? we will discuss the hits and misses with the a.p.'s casey hunt and sam stein, plus republicans spent the evening attacking welfare and celebrating voter i.d. laws. we will talk about the grand old strategy. and tonight's p.r. blitz. ezra klein joins us for a closer look at paul ryan and his plan for america when "now" starts in a mere 180 seconds. if you have copd like i do, you know how hard it can be to breathe and what that feels like. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open a full 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment

. >> i'm alex wagner, in for lawrence o'donnell. mitt romney thinks he's found his battle cry. after trying it out on sean hannity's radio show on thursday, romney brought it on to the national stage during a media availability day on friday in las vegas. >> harry reid really has to put up or shut, all right. so harry, who are your sources? let's have harry explain who that is. >> mitt romney claims harry reid has to put up or shut up, regarding his source on romney's undisclosed tax returns, after reid launched attacks that romney says are patently false, though he patently refuses to offer any proof. >> let me also say categorically, i have paid taxes every year, and a lot of taxes. a lot of taxes. so harry is simply wrong. that's why i'm so anxious for him to give us the names of the people who have put this forward. i wouldn't be at all surprised to hear the names are people from the white house or the obama campaign, or who knows where they're coming from. >> after saying harry reid is wrong, romney counters what he claims is a specious and baseless attack on him by specio

i'm alex wagner in for lawrence o'donnell. moments ago, ann coulter appeared on fox news, where she called on mitt romney to immediately fire his spokeswoman for remarks she made earlier today. >> obviously, it's unfortunate when anyone loses their job. this particular case was a plant that was closed years after governor romney left the company. and to that point, you know, if -- you know, if people had been in massachusetts under governor romney's health care plan, they would have had health care. >> in response to saul's remarks, erick erickson, the conservative editor in chief of redstate.com tweeted, "omg. this might just be the moment mitt romney lost the election. wow." erickson later deemed saul's comments the "read my lips moment of betrayal." a senior writer for the conservative "washington examiner" tweeted, "not sure if the romney camp realizes what a huge opening they've just created for democrats on obama care." and here is rush limbaugh's reaction. >> if people had been in massachusetts, under governor romney's

and you can always follow my tweets @alex wagner. "hardball" is next. >>> romney versus romney.ing. i'm chris matthews down in washington. let me start with this. revelation. do you believe it? a true revelation. did you hear? the romney crowd has let slip the biggest fact of the campaign. that the former massachusetts governor is not just proud of the health care plan he rammed through up there, he wishes people like that fella in the new obama ad whose wife died of cancer and presumably everyone else living outside massachusetts could benefit from such a program. he wants people no matter where they live in this country to have a state-driven health care plan. it's a rarity in modern politics. a stunning declaration. what we expected to be true and now for the first time in the campaign a candidate openly confesses, romney long ago said he saw his massachusetts health care plan as a model for the country. now his campaign spokesperson is trumpeting that fact. but wait a minute, isn't he the guy out there promising to kill national health care if he gets elected? and that's the

and you can always follow my tweets @alex wagner. "hardball" is next. >>> romney versus romney. let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews down in washington. let me start with this. revelation. do you believe it? a true revelation. did you hear? the romney crowd has let slip the biggest fact of the campaign. that the former massachusetts governor is not just proud of the health care plan he rammed through up there, he wishes people like that fella in the new obama ad whose wife died of cancer and presumably everyone else living outside massachusetts could benefit from such a program. he wants people no matter where they live in this country to have a state-driven health care plan. it's a rarity in modern politics. a stunning declaration. what we expected to be true and now for the first time in the campaign a candidate openly confesses, romney long ago said he saw his massachusetts health care plan as a model for the country. now his campaign spokesperson is trumpeting that fact. but wait a minute, isn't he the guy out there promising to kill national health ca