last year he wrote a piece called "the gop war on voting." much of what he wrote has come to fruition. he joins us from new york. good to have you on this program. >> i am a longtime admirer. thanks for having me. tavis: honored to have you on. let me talk about this piece you wrote for "rolling stone." i don't want people to think we are demonizing or casting aspersions on the gop, but i want you to lay out the facts. is it the case that most of this push, these strict voter i.d. laws, this is being pushed almost exclusively by republicans, yes or no? >> there are issues where democrats and republicans are at fault, where they are both to blame. this is not one of these issues. this is an issue that since the 2010 elections, laws that restrict the right to vote have been passed overwhelmingly by republicans in states with republican legislatures and republican government. that includes efforts to crack down on voter registration drives, to make it harder for people to register by demanding proof of citizenship. that means cutting back on ear

this has been a big 180 for the gop, ryan.aying that the entire gop needs to get behind akin. roy blount, who initially called for akin to step aside is saying voters will overlook akin's comments and vote for him. the "the huffington post" publication, has an interesting piece this morning where akin is responding to a question about voting against the lilly ledbetter act and saying it's all part of free enterprise and it's about freedom not paying women as much as men. >> that was the argument that was made against the civil rights act too, it's your business, you can do whatever you want with it. but i don't think it's that surprising that some republicans are coming back behind akin here. parties are generally speaking amoral. their job is to get themselves a majority in the senate or the house. whatever they need to do they're going to do to get there. now, it looked for a while like they were going to be able to push him off the ballot. so they all piled on. and they all had this, you know, spas. of more reality. -- spas

i think republicans need to change our gop moniker to a gsp. grand solutions party.ings about solutions, that's what swing voters care about. >> jennifer: so former florida governor jeb bush, so fascinating. he is not afraid to ruffle some republican feathers, and he believes his party has to make fundamental changes to stay relevant. and a big part of that is to reach out to latino voters. and jeb bush is warning that the problem with hispanic voters is so bad that texas, texas! now a red state could turn blue by 2016. so speaking of 2016 if governor romney loses to president obama, jeb bush becomes a leading gop front runner. automatically. so what is the likelihood that he is going to run? here to discuss that is joe hagen, joe has penned the article "bush in the wilderness" for this week's edition. i'm so fascinated by this piece. it was really so in depth. you really got inside of what was going on in the bush family. let's start with jeb. so why didn't he run this time? >> well, he was born. and he definitely wanted to and he had a lot of people asking him to p

now the gop's running from their record. vo: tough on china? not mitt romney.hen a flood of chinese tires threatened a thousand american jobs... it was president obama who stood up to china and protected american workers. mitt romney attacked obama's decision... said standing up to china was "bad for the nation and our workers." how can mitt romney take on the cheaters... when he's taking their side? >>> two years ago the tea party rolled into washington, confident, they were pushing their far right agenda. they strutted. they bragged. they acted like they owned the joint. well, guess what? they're singing a different tune now. in fact, they're trying to hide. in a debate last night, eric cantor ran away from his own record on budget sequester, which cuts over $1 trillion from defense. >> i keep saying i support a sequester, as he knows good and well that's not true. he knows that the president insisted of its insertion into the debt ceiling deal. >> blaming the president for something he supported? here's proof. right there in black and white. and 173 other re

democrats 46%, gop 31.7, other 22%. so in the state that you just showed there, at least 400,000 people there in iowa already voting so far or voted. >> yeah. the obama folks are doing so well there, they might be a little nervous going, whoa, how can this about? so far it looks like the romney folks are really going to have to put on an old-fashioned last 72 hours surge as in the old days. up to this point we suggest that the obama folks' early money was very well spent. you can react like rahm emanuel if you'd like, tamron, and go holy -- >> holy bleep. my mother is watching. i can't go too far. former president bill clinton hitting the campaign trail with president obama. mark your calendar. goes down on monday. while it may feel like a rush to the finish line, i'm going to talk with "new york times" writer mike oshear. he is this is a marathon, even at day 12, not a sprint. >>> time for the "your business" entrepreneur of the week. he works renaissance fairs and haunted houses and nightclubs. he hocks from his bone

today, the gop just loves the guy. that's how desperate they are.cans have a todd akin problem. he's the missouri senator candidate who six weeks ago created a controversy with comments about so-called legitimate rape. he's speaking out against women again in a town hall meeting. last week, last thursday to be exact, he was asked if it it's okay for women to be paid less than a man. >> if somebody wants to hire somebody and they agree on a salary, that's fine, however it wants to work. >> that's fine. fine to pay women less than men for doing the same work? for weeks republicans tried to push akin out of the race. now they are stuck with it. but here's the gop problem. mr. akin says out loud what they believe. making akin a campaign issue. >> some things you have to draw a line. it's just too extreme, like ann marie buerkle. she co-sponsored a bill that would redefine rape for only forceable rape, women that were drugged or minors of statutory rape would not be classified rape victims. >> what happens in missouri isn't staying in missouri. todd akin

[ laughter ] plus, a gop senate candidate puts his foot in his mouth. i hope it wasn't in an airport bathroom. and i hope it was a foot. [ laughter ] and my guest anthony everitt is an expert on ancient roman culture. or so he claims-- anyone who could contradict him is dead! [ laughter ] only seven days until halloween! but i tell my kids it's ten. i get some great deals on costumes. [ laughter ] this is the colbert report! ["the colbert report" theme music playing] [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting stephen] welcome to the report. good to have you with us. [cheers and applause] happy wednesday. folks, let's get straight to it. we have no time to waste here because -- folks, huge news. we're always looking to bring you the biggest election story. and rumors started monday about a game-changing october surprise. >> donald trump now claims to have a bombshell announcement about president obama. >> a major announcement from donald trump coming today, and why it might change your vote in the presidential election. >> i have something very very big. it's

christie wasn't the only gop governor in sandy's path to hear from obama....swing state governors were also on a call tuesday.a porrnow - the politiis of sandy are playing out under the radar...democrats are parning that rooney will slash federal disaster relief - even get rid of fema...basing that on a cnn debate last yearrwhen romney said the federal role should be limited during disaster, anddthe states and even the prrvate sector hould have more power.romney wws asked multiple timee tuesday fema, but he didn'' answee. & romnny's campaiin insists he would ot eliminate femaa- an agency currently ggtting praise from gop governors for iis response t hurriccae sandy.dana bash, cnn, washiigton. rrbinson to calllin to claim - his 100 dollarr issagiftcard. if he doesn't call we'll draw anothee name in just 10 minutes. minutes.and next... the ravens ((break 33)ing the team.y... coming up n our 6 o'clock hour... we're still waiting to pear from shawn robinson... call in to laim your 110 dollar visa giftcard.we'll doesn't claim his prize... after the break. grounded... due to weather.the hund

what his issues will be how much will he be tied to mitch mcconnell in the gop leadership. came here in 2010 he was the pivotal vote against health care, scott brown 41, he's trying to go away interest that. it's difficult to gauge. six-year term will he be as independent as he says he will be. that will be the question that massachusetts voters end up making and how they decide on that will determine if scott brown is victorious. >> i always think of you as the hardest working man in congress but it's proven by the fact that is an empty hallway sir and your voice is echoing in surround sound because nobody is working on capitol hill. >> someone has to work. nancy pelosi is here holing a hearing about medicare so there is something for us capitol hill reporters to do. >> nbc's luke russert, thank you as always. >> take care. >> coming up, some republicans particularly newt gingrich like to call barack obama the food stamp president. wonder if they would characterize jpmorgan as the food stamp bank. turns out the company is making millions on the so-called welfare state. we

his consulting firm though profitable over the years from gop dollars, just as you said. he and his firm have been paid $21.2 million by the rnc candidates and super pacs. this year he and his firm were paid $3.1 million. last year he and his firms were paid $72 thourk by the romney campaign to do some field consulting. i mean, this is a lot of money, a lot of connections at the top levels here for a guy that is under this kind of continual questions and criminal investigation from a party who was so concerned about voter fraud. >> yes. when they were throwing all of these rocks about voter fraud, the rocks came back to break their own glass house. the voter fraud issues as i've said before is simply a marketing tool but in this case there may be some voter fraud and the evidence suggests it's being done by people who work for the republican party or affiliated with the republican party. this gentleman strategic allied consulting, he's been working with the party under this company name and other company name for years. they are not going to get rid of him. they are going

in 2008 he broke ranks with the gop to support then senator obama. on cbs "this morning" co-host norah o'donnell asked powell if he's still a republican? >> i think i'm a republican of a more moderate mold and that's something of a dying breed i'm sorry to say. >> powell served under three republican presidents but his support of the democratic ticket rankled some in the gop. senator mccain responded while campaigning for romney in florida. >> he's obviously endorsed barack obama last time and it's not surprising he would do that this time. i just wish he wouldn't call himself a republican any more. >> mccain said that powell haunts his legacy by endorsing the president and on cnn the co-chairman of president obama's campaign suggests powell's endorsement may have nothing to do with presidential politics. >> you have to wonder if that's an endorsement based on issues or whether he has a slightly different reason for preferring president obama. >> what reason would that be? >> well, i think when you have somebody of your own race that you're proud of

his helmet, hell head first into a fox hole, but will his outrageous comments hurt the rest of the gopd later we'll gather the latest intelligence from the enemy's camp. it's a wednesday night in the war room and it's go time. it's go time. it's go time. go time. you know what time it is. go time. it's go time. it's go time. what time is it rob? here comes the young turks go time! it's go time. oh is it? then it's go. go. go. go. go. go. go. go time. anybody? anybody? what time is it? oh, right. go time! only on current tv. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone is ready with the know-how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪ ♪ >>> we had a good group of people out there. >> this was a booming place. and mitt romney and bain capital turned it into a junk yard. >> i had no health care, and i

he switched to the democratic party saying the gop had gone -- gop had gone too conservative. >>> the end did he now -- endeavor now is at the science center after a 12-mile two day journey to l.a. x. they wanted to make sure there was room for the shuttle. >> as i spoke to people who fathered along the streets, i saw the real gift of the endeavor. the gift of the inspiration and the gift of dream making. >> endeavor will follow shuttle's discovery and it will go on display october 30thth. >>> it is a big leap in history. >> extreme athlete felix bomb gardener was able to break the sound bar yes. it took two and a half hours to get up and only 9 minutes to get down. he reached speeds of 834 miles per hour. his a send was the average for jet liners. >> i was and coming back a couple of times because you are sitting there and it is like how does it feel and look like and this this is way bigger than i have anticipated. >> now that he has fulfill his jump now unfold it on the website. they had the largest number of viewers in history. last time, 7 million online viewers watched president

but what you have on the gop quiet -- and gop side is clarity, and a plan that is not just burst occurs, but articulated with language that has made it to the u.s. senate. >> let's just say that we see that offering flexibility and we are willing to engage in compromise, you could see it as a lack of clarity, which is the way you see it, but i'm surprised. your one of the republicans that i hope to work with on this. we want to make this work. we are willing to have discussion. if your concern is really about small businesses, not families, but small businesses that are at some threshold, then let's have a discussion. that is what tax policy is about. if we're going to have a discussion about reducing corporate raids and getting rid of all tax deductions, or will we hang onto some that are important to corporate america that will help them be more competitive? i think research and development matters. if it does not, let's have a discussion about that. you are saying it is lack of clarity. we are saying, let's have a serious discussion about how we get to a place. what you see as the re

this is just a no go for the gop.the end of the year, even, he's lost this battle twice. i mean, some budget hawks, randi, who call them the bush/obama tax cuts for the rich because the president has extended them, once before. promises to be a tricky end to the political year. i will say, though, that some economists are starting to say that there is no way, no way that congress can give us the self-inflicted wound. this is a gun that has every single barrel loaded. no way that they'll really take us over the edge, but how they fix it, that's what no one knows. >> exactly. we'll watch it along with you, christine, thank you. >> you're welcome. >>> be sure to catch wro"your bottom line" coming up at 9:30 eastern. >>> here's a story that will make you say what? a popular sunscreen being recalled because it could catch fire. yeah, banana boat is voluntarily recalling its continuous spray sunscreens the ones that mist. the company says the product takes longer to dry on the skin and that contact with a flame could cause

the gop nominee will spend the rest of the weekend in the boston area preparing for the town hall. he has been sparring with ohio senator robb portman who predicted their work will pay off. >> i was proud of paul ryan. i was proud of mitt romney last week. we will have another great debate next week. >> aides say mr. romney has already conducted practice town halls with swing state voters. >> our commitment 2012 coverage continues online. keep track of the candidates and who is leading the polls. you will find all of the details on the politics page. the longtime gop senator turned democrat died this weekend at his home in philadelphia from complications of non hodgkin's lymphoma. he was the chairman of the senate judiciary committee and played a key role in the confirmation hearings of bork and thomas. in april of 2009, he startled senators when he announced he was switching to the democratic party. the next year, he lost the democratic primary. ed rendell said he did more for the people of pennsylvania with a possible exception of ben franklin. he was 82 years old. the most recen

the documents were made public by gop congreesman darrell issa and jason chaffetz. ii a letter to president obama they write..."...not only did the administration reeeatedly reject requests for increaaed securrty despite escalating violence, but it aaso systematically decreassd existing securiiy to dangerous and ineffective levels. we have been told repeatedly that the admmnistrationndid this to 'normalization' n libyaaafter thh conclusion of its civil war." the bbmm administratiin as said there was o "actionable attack was imminent...and some democrrts on capitol hill say ápoliticalá advantageeoffthe attack.engel says: "do you think itts a coincidence two days before a nattonal debate oo foreiin olicy, congressman issa releases these documents, i meaa this is pure politics, pure and simple and he american peeple deserve better." also...gop senators john mccain, lindsey &ppraham, anddkelly a-yacht hav sent a áseccndá letter to the nation's ntelligence leaders...áagainá asking them to larify what they told the administration about the attacc...and when...the &psenato

[audience reacts] >> stephen: okay, let me just update the "days without a gop rape mention" board.cheers and applause] [ laughter ] [ laughter ] now mourdock's comments upset many hoosiers and also possibly god. it really makes him look like a terrible gift giver. i will say, god, next time you're stumped with picking out a good gift for the ladies, just go with an edible arrangement. [ laughter ] [cheers and applause] and mourdock is not the first member of the gop to drop the r word. first, we had missouri senate candidate todd akin who said "legitimate" rape victims couldn't get pregnant because the female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down. then there was iowa representative and angry dinner roll steve king who said he's never heard of a girl getting pregnant from statutory rape. pennsylvania senate candidate tom smith equated rape with out of wedlock pregnancy. and wisconsin state representative roger rivard who offered the sage advice that some girls, they rape so easy. [ laughter ] what can you say? some political careers, they end so quickly. [cheers and applau

the gop -- gop challenger newsworthyfox apologized for calling 47% of americans victims. called these, "completely wrong." romney was near virginia for a rally. finally, we have learned mitt will test those good morning america one day next week. -- guest host "good morning america" one day next week. abc says it is in discussions for first lady obama, as well. whenever her schedule allows. the message if you plan on going to a national playoffs game. cooper.derson >> local families devastated by d.c. sniper attacks come .ogether >> i am bob ryan. the weather center. it is a mild night. weeks of this campaign... and more ads. you, in your living room or... what i'd say. losing nearly eight hundred... mired in iraq. nation we are... moving forward again. get folks back to work and... again. that with even bigger... fewer regulations... prosper. on the same trickle-down... in the first place. so what's my plan? manufacturing jobs... exports... that... ship jobs overseas. in half and produce more... clean coal, natural gas... solar, and biofuels. efficiency of cars and truck

it's ugly. >>> plus, the gop todd akin problem just got worse.al edition of "politicsnation" as we get ready for the big night here on msnbc. stay with us. >> i don't think senator dole is too old to be president. it's the age of his idea that i question. by bright eyes you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. at red lobster. there's so many choices, the guests love it! [ male announcer ] don't miss endless shrimp. try as much as you like, anyway you like. like new teriyaki grilled shrimp for just $14.99! my name is angela trapp, and i sea food differently. my name is angela trapp, one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, n

massachusetts gop senator scott brown and challenger elizabeth wash trading jabs last night. that's an example of one high stakes senate race that could reshape the balance of power in the u.s. chamber. right now the dems have a 53-47 vote advantage. 33 seats are up for re-election, but on the national map, it's only about a dozen battleground states that are really in play. joining me now from danville, kentucky is mark in your murray. no clear winner, so what are you seeing? >> this is a pure toss up contest. not only is it probably the nastiest senate race in the country, it's maybe a pure 50/50 race. and it does impact the control for the senate. democrats, republicans, if they'll take control of the senate, need to pick up four senate seats. that's assuming president obama wins re-election. three if president obama ends up losing. and that massachusetts case is key because it jumps those three and four numbers to four and five makes it harder for republicans to take control. >> the poll numbers have been tightening. also here, mark, another post watched senate race in th

you're gonna "pop a cop kop a bop a gop."play paintball? who said that? leonard, i can hear your voice, but i can't see you. i'm not in the mood, sheldon. oh, there you are! leonard, i know you're upset about recent events, and i have someone here to help. i don't want to talk to amy. no, it's not amy. hello, dear. you called my mother? oh, leonard, is it really necessary to caption the obvious? he's been like that since he was a toddler. "look, mommy-- a butterfly." maddening. what's going on? what do you want? sheldon informed me that you're experiencing an emotional upheaval, and i'm here to help. that's so nice. and we're back to the obvious. now, what's up? well, uh... okay. um... i don't want to get back together with penny. we tried it; it was crazy; it didn't work, but i can't deal with the fact that she slept with my friend raj. and then i find out that raj's sister priya, who i've been going out with for eight months, is moving back to india. so i'm just completely confused and alone. i understand. got any advice? y

. >> some in the gop, some. >> it's interesting, you know. missouri there's a mirror image situation in massachusetts. missouri is a red state that doesn't really like the republican candidate personally. you look at massachusetts, and another key senate race. this is a blue state that really likes the republican person, scott brown, whose re-election is critical to taking back the senate. if he wins it's because of likability. we have an interesting new poll that highlights the two basic forces driving these races. one slis likability. brown is ahead by three points. this is a shift from three weeks. now brown has the lead. look what's happened and look at the second number on the screen there. right now it stands at a 16-point obama lead in massachusetts. a week ago when warren was ahead in the same poll, the margin was 28 points. what happened between last week and this week, this poll was conducted in the three days after the denver debate. just as we saw after the democratic convention, enthusiasm among democrats soared and warren took t

as for the top of the gop ticket, mitt romney will spend a second day campaigning in nevada. now some other head leans off the trail right now. the obama campaign is now allowing a previously off the record interview with "the des moines register" to be published and they'll stand by this guy senate candidate richard m ourdock despite the comment that a pregnancy of rape is a gift of god. let's bring in the panel. michael, we'll talk about this issue a little bit more in depth but this mourdock story line, the problem of the day for governor romney. he is saying that an ad that's up right now in indiana where he is endorsing him will not come down despite the fact the governor and the campaign strongly disagrees with the comments made last night in that debate. >> it's problematic because it's also akin and it's smith here in pennsylvania. and it furtheourturthers the na and everything matters. we are talking so much about how it's a razor thin margin and women's votes are very much in play and problematic and interesting that governor romney is not going to distinguish himse

. >> a preview of tonight's debate between vice president joe biden and gop nominee paul ryan.much pressure david smallwood: maryland money needs to stay in maryland. it's just that simple, i mean, it's a no brainer. anncr: every year marylanders spend five hundred and fifty... millioion at casinos in west virginia, delaware... and pennsylvania. one west virginia paper calls it a "cash cow" for them. but its cost maryland over one biion dollars. money that could have created good jobs and... better schools for us. question seven keeps maryland money in maryland. david smallwood: question seven, i think it will be a... good thing for the state of maryland. honey, don't use your sleeve. vo: for cold and flu season, there's clorox bleach. >> live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. >> win or stay home for the nationals. there on the brink of elimination as they prepare for this afternoon's game 4 against the cardinals. >> in baltimore, breaking news. a house fire claims five lives. we will get an update in just. a just good morning, washington. it's thursda

meanwhile that prickly issue of abortion detonated once more this week when richard mourdock, the gop senate candidate in indiana talked about rape and pregnancy during the latest debate. >> life is a gift from god. when it begins in the horrible situation of rape, that is something that they intended to happen. >> gop candidate mitt romney distanced himself from the remark. but despite objections from women's rights groups romney didn't pull this campaign ad. >> i hope you will join me in supporting richard murdoch. this, of course, after freshman house republican joe walsh of illinois insisted there is no such thing as an abortion to protect a woman's life or health because of "advances in science and technology.". and representative todd akin's infamous remark about women's bodies shutting down to prevent pregnancy in cases of so-called "legitimate rape." >> so doctor, are these extreme remarks by republicans distancing themselves from these remarks, are they what are keeping abortion front and center? >> they are actions. they remind women of people trying to redefine rain rape. t

right now where they have been watching about 50, 70 people gathered here he it walnut creek at the gop watch party. here is their reaction starting first with the chair of the democratic party. >> i think romney did great. he was very presidential. he is so very measured. i think he gave voters the comfort they needed to see against someone who is going up against someone whose policies have failed. he. >> he is clearly makes his points. >> i think they are making good jabs and holding their own. the issue is to look at what are they saying and it is which one -- instead of continuing over the path that has failed over the last four years. >> that was the chair of the state gop party that we heard from initially. again, spirited reaction from this group especially to mitt romney's comments that he plans to reduce taxes from the middle class and about 60, 70 people here. a lot of folks feel like it went well and we are live here in walnut creek. >> how will you vote, take the ktvu election quiz. like the ktvu page on facebook and you will find the quiz right below our cover photo. >> th

hoping to make him a late-breaking example of what they call a gop war on women.that romney just cut an ad endorsing mourdock. >> i hope you'll join me in supporting richard mourdock. >> reporter: bad timing for romney. aggressively trying to lure undecided female voters. romney does support allowing abortion in the case of rape. and a spokeswoman quickly announced mourdock's views don't reflect romney's. gop senator abruptly canceled plans to campaign for mourdock and he called a hastily arranged news conference to clarify he wasn't saying rape was something god intended to happen. >> life is precious and that abhor violence. if they came away with any other impression than that, i truly apologize. >> reporter: a controversy sparked by these comments from todd akin. >> if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has a way to shut that out. >> reporter: republicans are standing behind mourdock. gop sources say his comments, not articulate, mirror those especially in indiana that life should be preserved even in the horrific circumstance of rape. >> i've taken a sta

contrary", first, gop nominee mitt romney pulls even with president obama among women voters in swing states. then, sexual assault on campus. behind the headlines, author joan walsh explains, what's the matter with white people? hello. i'm bonnie erbe. welcome to "to the contrary", a discussion of news and social trends from diverse perspectives. up first, wooing women. one more presidential debate remains for gop presidential hopeful mitt romney and president obama to make their case to the highly touted women's vote. this week after the so-called "town-brawl" debate dueling ads appeared focusing directly on the women's vote. >> turns out, rick perry doesn't oppose contraception at all. >> couldn't we find women that are qualified. a gallup/usa today survey in 12 crucial swing states finds women list abortion as the most important issue 39% for women, followed by jobs 19%, healthcare 18% and the economy 16%. in contrast, men see jobs 38% and the economy 37% as the two most important issues facing men. romney is now within one point of obama among female likely voters in swing states