here is jack kennedy at rice university back in '62. >> the exploration of space will go ahead. in it or not. and it is one of the great adventures of all time. and no nation, which expects to be the leader of other nation, can expect to stay behind in this race for space. >> here he is offering up that same go-for-it spirit that he and america once per son i'd fooid. >> some say the moon, why choose this as our goal? and they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? why 35 years ago fly the atlantic? why does rice play texas? we choose to go to the moon. we choose to go to the moon. we choose to go to the moon in this decade and dot other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills. because that challenge is one that we're willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone and one we intend to win and the others too. >> the question, is it yours sb is whether this country is still

finally, let me finish with the space shuttle launch today and the wondrous pioneering president jack kennedy once championed. >>> we start with the jobs numbers. david corn, msnbc political analyst. michael steele is the former chairman of the republican national committee. now an msnbc political analyst. did you hear the glee, the giggles of delight on your side of the aisle? michele bachmann said she hopes the bad numbers help her. >> no, no. >> she said that. >> i know what she said. let's just get serious for a moment. you had 18,000 jobs created last month. the 54,000 for may was the revised down to 25,000. the reality of it is americans are still hurting and both the administration and members of congress and the republican leadership, in particular, we can't paint specifically on job creation, need to get serious about this. all the talk about the debt and all the dancing belies -- >> you think the debt is an important issue? >> the debt is an important issue. in the context of job creation, it all has to work together. you cannot do it in isolation. >> let's take a look. here's the a

1960 thanks to frank sinatra, who wrote a second version of the 1959 hit "high hopes" for his pal jack kennedye song became a mainstay on the campaign trail. ♪ i've got high hopes he keeps american strong yes, there goes the opposition oops there goes the opposition curve oops there goes the opposition curve, kerr plunk ♪ >> ihink milwaukee, polish community event. ronald reagan turned the optimism note to a patriotic message. it was 9 hit song "god bless the u.s.a." by lee greenwood. ♪ i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free and i won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me and i gladly stand up ♪ chris: bill clinton and al gore's optimistic theme was all about their bridge to the future message. ♪ don't stop thinking about tomorrow don't stop it will soon be here ♪ chris: another winner. but what about theme song that's bombed? because they didn't marry an optimistic note with the candidate that looked optimistic. there was, of course, michael dukakis. ♪ around the world they're coming to america every time that flag unfurled ♪ >> and john kerry's didn't exactl

so from world war ii to president jack kennedy we had a 90% marginal tax rate. then from president kennedy to president reagan, we had 70% marginal tax rate. and then in the last half of the reagan administration and up until, well, 1986, it was reduced to 50% under reagan's administration. then reagan had another tax bill and it was reduced to 30%. then, of course, you know president bush, the dad, made this promise in the campaign that "read my lips: no new taxes." he didn't keep his promise. the taxes went back up to about 40% for a period of time until you get to a period of time when bush the son comes into office and the marginal tax rate is reduced to where it is now, 35. but whether you have high marginal tax rates or low marginal tax rates, you get about the same amount of revenue. i'm going to be repetitive on that point, but it's very important that you understand that. history shows that tax increases don't increase revenues. the chart here shows that revenues is a percentage of gross domestic product, hovers around 20% as far back as post world war

clinton started needling him about how jack kennedy didn't need a coat, it's really not very fashionable and people are going to question how tough you are if you go out there and have this big coat on. she needled him enough that he ended up handing off the coat, went outside into the bitter cold, made the introduction of the first lady, turned to welcome her to the podium, and out she came with a smile ear to ear, wearing his coat. he loved that kind of exchange with people and i think immensely loved the clintons. he was one of the first governors if not the first governor to endorse president clinton, and the clintons never forgot. he did not get to switzerland until may 5 of 1944. he was 156 days as an american, american, -- american jewish bomber pilot behind nazi lines in belgium and in france. no greater testament to this man's resourcefulness and drive could be imagined than succeeding for that long in that circumstance. when he came back from the war, he went to harvard law school and became an attorney at the department of justice. he was an assistant to a rhode island attorne

jack dorsey. >>> 4:49 is the time today. the crew of nasa's final space shuttle launch will arrive at kennedy's space center in florida. four astronauts are scheduled to blast off on friday in shuttle "atlantis." the crew will bring supplies to the international space station. after this final flight, "atlantis" will be sent to a museum as nasa closes the chapter on its space shuttle program. in 30 years nasa oversaw 135 shuttle missions, including the launch of the hubble telescope and john glenn's return to space. >>> the woman poised to become thailand's first female prime minister says it will be difficult to reconcile her divided country, but she's ready to do what it takes. preliminary results show 44-year-old shinawatra's party having the votes needed to win the former government. her brother was a prime minister but was ousted in 2006. he's living in dubai to avoid corruption charges that he says are politically motivated. >>> and william and kate will spend the time today on prince edward island. it's the home of anne of green gables, a fictional character who is said to be kate's favorite. william will co-pil

jack, that's a feeling that never gets old. steve hartman, cbs news, miami gardens, florida. >>> coming up a little later on "the early show," the shuttle comes home for the last time. live reports from the kennedyce center. >>> the debt debate in washington. will the gang of six plan to end the crisis? >>> and breast cancer, the latest recommendations on when and how to get mammograms. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm randle pinkston. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com