new yorker magazine editor and author of the new book "the bridge," david remnick. and editor of "time" magazine, author of "mandela's way," rick stengel. >>> first, the economy. the president welcomed the positive job growth numbers on friday saying the u.s. is beginning to turn the corner. with us live, the chair of his council of economic advisors, dr. christina romer. welcome back to "meet the press." >> great to be with you. >> this was the positive news, 162,000 jobs that were created in the month of march. some of those temporary workers working on the census, and those who are sort of underemployed takes that unemployment rate still higher. yet with those caveats, what did this mean? >> it meant we certainly had positive job growth. even when you take out what you mentioned, which is the effect of the census workers. we had some 48,000 people hired by the census in march. we also probably had a snow rebound effect. we think the big storms push down the numbers in february and artificially pushed them up in march. even taking those into account, we think we h

new yorker magazine editor and author of the new book "the bridge," david remnick. and editor of "time" magazine, author of "mandela's way," rick stengel. >>> first, the economy. the president welcomed the positive job growth numbers on friday saying the u.s. is beginning to turn the corner. with us live, the chair of his council of economic advisors, dr. christina romer. welcome back to "meet the press." >> great to be with you. >> this was the positive news, 162,000 jobs that were created in the month of march. some of those temporary workers working on the census, and those who are sort of underemployed takes that unemployment rate

the new yorker's david remnick and f we know why we're here. to give our war fighters every advantage. to deliver technologies that anticipate the future, today. and help protect america everywhere... from the battlespace to cyberspace. around the globe, the people of boeing are working together, to give our best for america's best. that's why we're here. ♪ so, at national, i go right past the counter... and you get to choose any car in the aisle. choose any car? you cannot be serious! okay. seriously, you choose. go national. go like a pro. how can you get your investments heading in the right direction? at oppenheimerfunds, our fund managers' perspective on the numbers helps uncover opportunities no matter which way the markets are moving. ask your advisor about oppenheimerfunds. call your advisor for a prospectus with complete fund information. read it carefully and carefully consider fund investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. mutual funds are subject to market risk and volatility. shares may lose or gain value

the new yorker's david remnick and f ♪ [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time.ime to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze, my eyes water. but with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief at liquid speed. that's the fast, powerful relief of zyrtec®, now in a liquid gel. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. it works on my worst symptoms so i'm ready by the time we get to the first hole. and that's good because the competition's steep today. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air.™ that promise to make my patients look younger. but nothing works like this. [ female announcer ] new neutrogena® clinical skincare, with 10 breakthrough patents, goes beyond lines and wrinkles for a firmer, more uplifted look. exclusive ion2 complex combines with the activating cream to boost collagen depleted skin. 100% of women showed improvement in wrinkles, firmness, or definition in just 4 weeks. the results? amazing. [ female announcer ] new neutrogena® clinical skincare from the number one dermatologist recommended brand. >>> we're back h

the book is called "the bridge" written by david remnick, the editor of the new yorker magazine.here are a lot of first time ever reported details, in which he charts obama's rise to the white house especially where race is concerned and find him to be a unique product of his times. >> there are a lot of american characters no matter what the field who make themselves, who create themselves out of what is in the cultural air. it is an american thing, mohammad ali, walt whitman or annie oakley. barack obama grew up in honolulu and had to learn how to be african-american in the absence of african-americans. racial identity is a drama obama had to undergo long after he became comfortable with his own identity. now he had to play it out in public, in politics. remember, this is a guy who in 2004 goes to the democratic convention in boston and delivers an electrifying speech that makes him a national figure, maybe a world figure and when he gets to logan airport a couple of days later he is pulled aside for extra examination at the security line. he is racially profiled and his campai

so very true. >> you called david remnick mr. arty. >> sounds like he needs an invite. >> i'm only on the cover of "cat fancy." so you're talking to somebody at "the new yorker." i have to hold them in high esteem. >> you do love cats. no getting around it. patrick gavin, thanks so much. we'll check you out today. coming up, a rental car giant gets even bigger. business headlines when we return. >>> also, anna quinlan will join the conversation when "morning joe" continues. ♪ [ monkey screeches ] ♪ [ male announcer ] a bath becomes even more pleasurable when you know that your water is being heated in an environmentally conscious way, while saving you hundreds of dollars on your water heating energy bill. introducing the geospring water heater from ge with advanced hybrid technology. heating the water in your home any other way is just going to seem primitive. ♪ rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps reli

relentless drive are spelled out in "the bridge," the life and rise of barack obama by author david remnick enjoying the book. i'm halfway through. there's a quote, what the title is based on, and it comes from john lewis, who told you the day before obama's inauguration, he said barack obama is what comes at the end of that bridge in selma. it's interesting, the president has tried very hard not to define himself in terms of race. >> yeah, and he's very well aware. as anybody would be, that he doesn't need to emphasize race because when he comes before a camera he's an african-american and has a powerful influence. i discovered from interviewing him at the oval office that he really will talk about race when he's in control and can give a big speech like he did in philadelphia in the midst of the gee mya wright affair. when he gives an answer, it's nothing but trouble -- it ends up throwing off his agenda as it did during the health care debate and it is a pain so he avoids that as much as he can. he's now starting get criticism to his left and in a congressional black caucus he's not payi

david remnick himself. what is that legacy as you go into "the new yorker" where there is such a rich history? [inaudible] when i am working on a story, i really try not to think about those things because if i had it in my head, truman capote while i'm trying to write my story i don't think i would get a single word out. i by use of this information-- inspiration and i will look for certain stories and read them which provides inspiration. perhaps it is about a character getting inside of a cure or. i look at these and they help me and when i'm working on a story i try to use all that stuff. i would be paralyzed if i was using too much truman capote. >> malcolm do you have writers who inspire you? [inaudible] i have been very inspired. [laughter] also i have had a huge impact on my writing. the thing about adams, i regard him as the quintessential practitioner of "the new yorker" because the stories he does and maybe you have to be a writer to understand it, the degree of difficulty is so high. you are tak

it's david remnick's fascinating biography of barack obama, "the bridge."in great detail how this jumble of a person, who didn't really fit into any group, half black, half white, raised in hawaii and indonesia much of the time by white grandparents put himself smack in the middle of the narrative of american civil rights and politics. he arguably won the election because of that. the details in this book are truly amazing, down to the future president's favorite type of marijuana. and now for "the last look." if anyone thought the life of a president was a walk in the park, this video i'm about to show you will prove otherwise. at the nuclear security summit in washington this week, president obama welcomed heads of state and dignitaries from 47 nations. and he had to shake hands and make small talk with each and every one of them, over and over again. the process took one hour, at least. and that was before dinner even began. so an enterprising photographer shouting 1,338 pictures of the process and put it all to music. take a look. but while you do, try

i recommend to everybody reads david remnick's, "the bridge." where he covers president obama's life up to becoming president, a brilliant book by the editor of "the new yorker." and jonathan alter of "newsweek" has a book coming out on the first year of president obama. but i think it's been very historical. he sputtered a lot in some ways out of the gate. he did the big bailout that general motors, i mean, the federal government owning 61 percent of general motors, that's fascinating stuff. we're not sure where that's going to end up. but with the health care, having a year of a slugfest like he had, if he had not passed that health care bill, i think his presidency may have been one term. >> but you know, one thing -- >> but he did pass it and i think now he seems to be on quite a roll and he's unflappable. he's zen-like. he's in this -- everybody pulling at him and he never seems to lose his cool. >> let me -- let me interject, though, that if you listen to talk radio, and i listen to all of it, visceral dislike, daily, minute-to-minute anti

and we'll talk about this new book by david remnick about this new book about obama. >> we have him ons well. david gregory, thank you so much. savannah guthrie, we'll see on you "the daily rundown" right after "morning joe." we'll continue the conversation here on "morning joe." still ahead, the editor of "o" magazine gayle king joins us on set. newark mayor, cory booker, last month had a huge milestone. we'll be back with much more right here on "morning joe." >> can you imagine if some of these reporters were working on a farm and if you planted some seeds and they came out the next day and they looked and nothing's happened. there's no crop! we're going to starve! >> it's been a week, folks. hey! increase in 6 months. pete, back it up! ( marker squeaking ) when business travel leaves you drained, re-charge with comfort suites. spacious rooms, free hi-speed internet, and free hot breakfast. comfort suites. power up. now stay two separate times with comfort suites... or any choice hotel and earn a free night. book at choicehotels.com. let's wind 'em with precision. open our throttle

guest: i am reading the book by david remnick and i am 2/3 of the way through.it is a brilliant book. we're so early in to prop'obamas presidency. -- we're sorely into barack obama's presidency. there is a richness and it makes you more interested in its subject matter. often biographies leave you robert bork of the subjects. this -- often by r refreeze believe you board-- often biographies leave you bored. so many of them look like you cannot read them and how few of them you get around to reading. i have a lot of books like that. take one or the other. host: "the bridge" will also be on book to be this weekend, right before pat buchanan comes on live from noon to 3:00 p.m. this weekend. new york. caller: i think it's a crime i have to pay for the bailout of the water industry when i drive a 22-year-old corporate the banks are being held to the antitrust laws. the pinnacle of all of this is the atlantic york case where investors can force people out of their homes to put in their toys. an investor from russia believes you should be able to force workers to work

now new yorker editor at david remnick on his look, "the bridge" the life and rise of barack obama.he was interviewed for a little more than an hour at an event hosted by politics and prose bookstore. [applause] >> this is such a treat for me because david and i are old friends. we worked at "the washington post". you always knew when you wrote a particularly delicious piece of copy because david would send little notes and i still remember that years later. this book was so wonderful to dive into. most people in this room have read much about barack obama. and every chapter you learn new things about him but you will also learn much about this country. when i first talked to you about this it wasn't clear that you were writing a biography so i want you to tell me a little bit as we begin david about the process, how you came to write this particular book. was at the book that you actually plan to write? >> i think it was a less ambitious book and maybe even more focused on the question of race and less biographical but it became clear and researched that the more it became a biogra

i haven't, you know, unlike david remnick i haven't done the research on the obama administration. i can't say. what i can say is this, what is very interesting is to watch leaders express their willingness to change. not just to change the country, but themselves to change and to learn. we've been, we have sort of a tension in american society where some people think you have to know what to do the minute you become president. but is that really realistic? frankly, there's no job like being president, even vice president. even a very strong, miss lahr vice president in the -- muscular in the case of the vice presidency of dick cheney. even in that case you're not president. so there are burdens which you can only really shoulder when you are president. so is it realistic to assume that day one the president is going to have the right answers? on any day? what i think will be interesting for all of us to watch is the extent to which barack obama shares his learning process with the public. because, you know, he is, after all, if you look at his training, if the you've read his memo