tavis: jonathan martin is a senior reporter at the politico, falling politics for a hot line and "the national review. thank you for having us -- joining us. let me ask you about mitt romney. what does it mean that he won maine? >> well, i think he had not won maine, it would be a bigger story. he barely edged out ron paul, and i think what that bigotry does for him, it's sort of stops bleeding some after the tough losses he had in minnesota, colorado, and missouri. to get any victory at all, as he did in maine, helped him out in terms of perception. now, a bunch of national polls have come out in the last couple of days, showing that rick santorum is really moving now, but getting that victory in maine does help to stabilize some. the big question is what is going to happen in michigan two weeks from now, tavis. the state where he grew up. is rick santorum going to be a competitor there, and can actually win that state? if rick santorum wins michigan, this race will really be turned on its head. tavis: talking about rick santorum and mitt romney being the two front runners, a few day

also jonathan martin, left tackle, looks to be one of the first tackles select and had another guy isooking to get into that first round and he wasn't able to work out at the nfl scouting combine because of an ankle injury in the fiesta bowl. when all said and done there could be four players go in the first round of the nfl draft. >> thank you, matt. over to the ice where the predators had a lead on the sharks 1-0 in the first period. martin finds shay weber and make it 2-0 nashville and then in the first martin joseph to kevin kline and finds the net and sharks are in trouble but a lot of time to go. it is 4-2 nashville in the second period. that will do it for tonight. we'll see you later, however, diane, as we talk more sharks. we'll have a final score as well at 11:00. >> and a win at 11:00. >> they'll turn this around. >> absolutely. >> thank you, henry. thanks for choosing the bay area at 6. we have "tech now!" next and then we'll see you back tonight at 11 with more on the forecast and when that storm might hit us. >> that will get people's attention. >> yes, it will. it will

got it all to worry b thank you, jonathan martin, thank you, chris cillizza.ropellers on our head. >>> when we return, let me finish with the toxic pollution from the republicans who want to be president. this is a smeared up campaign, nobody is looking good. this is not a good environment for republicans to have their convention or a nominee. you are watching "hardball," only on msnbc. hello, how can i deliver world-class service for you today ? we gave people right off the street a script and had them read it. no, sorry, i can't help you with that. i'm not authorized to access that transaction. that's not in our policy. i will transfer you now. my supervisor is currently not available. would you like to hold ? that department is currently closed. have i helped you with everything you needed ? if your bank doesn't give you knowledgeable customer service 24/7, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues,

chris cillizza and jonathan martin. here's my favorite tweet from overnight. so i far mitt romney has won every day that hillary clinton has won and he's lost every state that hillary clinton laos. i know it's an apples to oranges comparison, but there is some, shall we say apples to pears in that statement? >> florida didn't matter in 2008. hillary won there, and barack obama smartly didn't go there. for whatever reason, mitt romney campaigned in minnesota and campaigned in colorado -- >> he raised their importance. >> dropped mailed in minnesota, was doing radio interviews and tried to say yesterday there's no delegates these don't count. i think there's a lot of merit to that argument. this is like having in the middle of the baseball season an exhibition game. you draw a lot of fans, sell out tickets, but it doesn't count. yet we all cover it and enable it. >> there's a difference -- >> when the romney campaign engages, they don't help their cause when they say it doesn't matter. >> but we do see some fundamental differences, even if an exhibition game you

and jonathan martin and david decastro could go in top 15, and kobe fleener is still suffering from aprained ankle. he will wait or two the pro day on march 22nd. >> fleener is running, not running full speed yet, and to try to do something this week would probably set him back. so he needs to be healthy. >> makes sex. with -- makes sense. >> in match play, rory mcilroy can attain something his girlfriend already has. she is care caroline wozniacki. mcilroy, a winner to advance the semis where he'll face lee westwood, who can move to number one in the world. also moving on, hunter may han. he won 6-5, the shortest in match history. >> nascar. nice made today, danicka patrick had the poll but takes an early exit. the final lap, the busch brothers in front and then chaos. >> three wide in turn four. the squeeze into the outside wall. trouble in the corner. the race leader is james buescher. >> james buescher avoids the may hem by inches. his first need need win comes in his 41st career start in the nationwide series. should be great race tomorrow, the daytona 500. the daytona 500. >> th

jounks now here in washington jonathan martin, senior political reporter for politico. christina belatoni, political editor for pbs's "news hour" and michael sheerer, political correspondent for the "new york times". all this media hyper ventilation over a poor choice of words by romney, was it justified, or did it get at something deeper? >> well, i think it's justified in the sense that it wasn't just this isolated gaff. this is part of a collection of misstatements he has made when it comes to issues relating to put his personal wealth, but also just sensitivity towards money in general, and so i think in that sense it's fair game to talk about what he said. in terms of this specific episode, we all than he has used this sort of phraseology before, and so i think in that sense it's a tad unfair to pile on. i do think you have to look at the broader context over the last three months how many things like this he has said. >> if it's a tad unfair to pile on, michael sheerer, and he talked about the safety net, why did many in the press play it as i don't really care ab

. >> with us now the "washington post" chris cillizza and politico's jonathan martin.l know this morning, larry lud qud low last night, the romney campaign is leaking their new tax plan, what is funny, jonathan martin, he could have been talking about his own plan, flatter, fairer, simpler, no more 59-point economic plan coming on friday. >> yeah exwhat happened to that. >> a press release saying we are going to cut taxes 20%. >> he was hearing the unmistakable groans from a lot of conservative elites, you country just do biograph find the fact you are a business guy. they are going to try to make it bolder, more supply side, friendly, lower marginal rates, i assume. more on capital gains and dividends. >> interesting coming out of this they are eliminating some deductions as they lower their corporate tax rate. oh, by the way, the president unveiled his corporate tax plan, sway political release not a policy one. you don't do it without individual tax rates you can't do it individually. we know what the obama folks are up to a political release. they are announcing a

. >> thank you, susan page and jonathan martin. >>> romney is trying to look like an average joe.a pathetic effort. now he's telling a new story involving pink nail polish. trees are just the right height. he's talking nail polish. severely conservative. he can't learn the idiom of our language. you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. >>> back to "hardball." now for the "sideshow" this friday. first up, mitt romney the prankster. that doesn't sound right, does it? as rick santorum is gaining popularity, however, thanks to his average joe persona, romney is doing what he can to step it up in that arena. yesterday, romney let an ohio crowd in on a story he said he kept under wraps until that very moment. let's listen. >> you know where elyria, ohio, is. there was a young lady who i had once spent some time with. she decided to marry a fellow. it was a perfect wedding. they had little bottles of shocking pink nail polish so all the bridesmaids had the same nail polish. i found the groom's shoes he rented. i took some of that shocking pink nail polish and i wrote something on the bottom

jonathan martin is a political writer. i don't want to jump ahead. i think they think they are still thinking they are facing romney. is that correct? >> they still think romney is still the stronger candidate for the republicans to nominate against barack obama, but hard to ignore the fact that rick santorum has won four states. and is now leading, as you say in these national polls. >> but right now, are they rooting for santorum? >> rooting for santorum over romney? >> are they basically saying come on, rick? >> they have seen the vulnerabilities that mitt romney is displaying. >> who has more? >> but i think that rick santorum is a more target-rich environment. >> his rap sheet which -- >> for a general election, absolutely. >> because his problems with womens and gays. majority voters are women. >> the obama path, they think, is to go in the states like virginia, north carolina, nevada, colorado, the so-called enclaves of upscale suburbanites who work in technology who don't have cultural baggage and are not hard-core partisans. but who have mov

. >> thank you, susan page and jonathan martin. >>> romney is trying to look like an average joe. that's a pathetic effort. now he's telling a new story involving pink nail polish. trees are just the right height. he's talking nail polish. severely conservative. he can't learn the idiom of our language. you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. you get when you combine the home depot with this weekend? the cure for cabin fever. because with get-it-done savings on everything we need... we can turn this weekend into a fresh floor... or an updated bathroom... or a brand-new look. so let's hit those orange aisles, and make today the day, we make a big difference, no matter how big our budget. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot maximize your budget with great buys, like mosaic tile, just $4.98 per square foot. time out. sweet. [ female announcer ] with charmin ultra soft, you can get that cushiony feeling while still using less. designed with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent and you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. crisp, clear, untouched.

. >>> from politico, jonathan martin writing ric santorum may be leading in michigan polls but you wouldn't know it from talking to mitt romney's most prominent backers two weeks before the increasingly pivotal showdown in romney's state of michigan and michigan supporters are kpuding confidence that he'll win and win easily and send santorum into the process. ric santorum is ahead in michigan and a new poll showing he's ahead in ohio. one of a number of states with super tuesday primaries on march 6th. states we're keeping an eye on and we'll have much more next week as congress recesses and we turn our attention to the primaries in michigan and arizona on february 28th. meanwhile, democrats gear up for the the convention that take place in charlotte, north carolina and the mayor of los angeles. >> i'm last mayor antonio vil are go saw and i'm honored to be asked to serve as chair of the 2012 democratsic national convention. because at this convention, we're making changes. i know something about fighting for change. since i was in high school, i brought together coalitions to make a diffe

jonathan martin and david decastro could both go in the top 15 spend the theirs fleener, recovering from sprained ankle, so no running for him. he will wait for pro day. >> anyplacer is running, not running 100%, not full speed yesterday, and to try to do something this week would probably set him back. so he needs to be healthy. >> speaking of healthy. terrell owens making his indoor football leighday buoy for the al length wranglers. still hope are for one more shot in the nfl. the wranglers beat the wichita wall. >> with a win rory mcilroy can attain something his girlfriend already has, number one in the world. mcilroy in command. from the greenside bunker on 13. doesn't get much better than that except going in, ml mcilroy, the 3 and 2 win to advance the semis and faces lee wed wus. 3 and 2 over laird, moving on as well. hunter mahan, the american, destroyed matt kuchar. he mitts mark wilson. >> the daytona 500 is norm. the nationwide series took center stage today as danicka patrick had the pole but would exit early. her teammate bumped her out. she was not happy. final lab now. th

the reality, he agrees with jonathan martin on msnbc.so last week took newt gingrich to task with al sharpton meeting smelling salts because he called barack obama the entertainer in chief because he sang that song. you know there are racial illusions there. you can say cracker and it's okay. >> sean: they were upset with entertainer in chief? >> it has racial illusion. don't you use that phrase again ever. >> sean: excuse me. all these people in panhandle. i lived in alabama. i lived in georgia. >> i'm sure, sean they all watch msnbc too. >> sean: that is pretty outrageous. there is new narrative put out by the white house. whatever there is a narrative. they can count on nbc to advance it. it's not obama the food stamp president. no, if the dog bites. if you are feeling sad it's all whose fault. george w. bush's fault. >> let me ask you another question, we spoke about last time. gingrich called him the food stamp president and increased food stamps 41%. i know that you know that actually bigger increase was under president bush, right

. >> sean: joining me is jonathan martin, and doug schoen. you were with just the bishop. you were at the vatican with him? >> in the holy land. >> sean: that's right. >> and heading next week to the vatican for him to receive --. >> shep: i understand that he actually got a call from president obama himself. is that true? >> it is true. he actually met with him in the oval office. he has said clearly he went to the oval office, this is after archbishop dolan and bishops had asked for exemption for the obamacare mandate, saying, hey, listen we are providing unbelievable amounts of social services in united states of america. we will not violent our conscience by providing things we don't believe in. president obama told him, he says don't worry. don't worry. it's going to work out much better than you expect. you know what has happened. he is forcing us to violate our conscience. >> sean: if they back off this it will be only for political reasons. they can't say the president was involved in the decision-making. as far as i'm concerned, this is a war against our constitut

. >> up next, the michigan ground game, jonathan martin live in grand rapids.his is delicious okay... is this where we're at now? we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber one. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. s

. >> jonathan martin put it well this morning to me on my show when he said, you know, he's like newtust talk his way out of -- he wants to explain his position in such detail that at that point you're like oh, too much, man. just talk to me about the manufacturing policy. >> it's all topic selection. politics is what are you talking about? >> you don't want to make people squirm in their seats. contraception, all that makes some squirm in their seats even if they might agree with something you're saying. >> these numbers really tell us a lot about the organization of romney versus the momentum of the other guy if you will. in michigan romney leads santorum among those who voted early not today. not next tuesday. but have already voted 49-26. that is a romney walk away. if you take away the early vote it's basically tied. it's the same pattern in arizona among early voters, people who voted by mail or at the voting booths. how do you vote in arizona? >> an early vote and you can do both by mail and i think there is a drop off. it's one of those western states. 50% have already voted.

jay martin -- jonathan martin, the senior political reporter. he's here with the story. what happened? why did rick pull that big upset in colorado? we were watching minnesota and the beauty contest in missouri but he went all the way and swept last night. >> there is more organic support for rick santorum who is an authentic culture warrior than for mitt romney in the grassroots of the gop. when you have these contests where the electorate is largely comprised of movement conservatives, chris. santorum is going to win. the romney campaign has made a show of saying these don't count. there are no delegates at stake, which is totally fair. what a lot of republicans want to know is if that is the case, what was he doing in colorado last night? what was he doing in minnesota campaigning there? once you go to those states if you're romney and you engage there, well, delegates or not, then you create a contest. if you lose as badly as he did in two of the three states, you create a problem for yourself. >> last year's pregame of this campaign was like an hour of cartoons and

joining us is chris cillizza and also jonathan martin who works for politico. hate to waste two big heavyweights like you guys. you are the best. i listen to you guys all the time. i learn constantly. i learn constantly. i listen to chuck. i mean it. i'm going to prove you wrong. let's get to this. a lot of good things going on. we have the stock market going up. what is the thing if you're sitting in the white house, you're david plouffe, the prope resident looks up to, across the table to. what is he most worried about between now and november. >> the economy. this has been the best three months of the obama presidency since the first three months of the obama presidency in 2009 but the economy is this thing that -- if you asked david plouffe, they would admit they don't have that much control over how it turns out. so he's worried, look, have we had a couple good months? absolutely. if we have a couple bad months now all of a sudden the energy, excitemen, feeling things will turn around double dip, things not getting better, i think it's the hardest thing it

instead he was told last week according to this remarkable story by jonathan martin and maggie haibermanold he'd be paid for his work so far, but wouldn't have a formal role going forward. >> you were on that story a week ago today in south beach where the leaks came out and said, wow, the staff has turned this around -- >> they needed to fire somebody. i'm not sure if the ship didn't run into an iceberg and they found a deck hand and threw him -- >> of you never know what really is going on -- >> i would fire the guy in charge of the campaign and stare at everybody else saying i'm looking forward to the stories. but if you want to throw a deck hand over, you can. but somebody needed to go. this was a big mistake. >> mike allen with a look at the political playbook. thanks so much. >>> coming up, with less than a minute left in the game, bradshaw scores one of the strangest touchdowns in history, sitting down and falling back ward into the end zone. full highlights of the game and post game reaction when we come back on "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. capital one's new cash rewards ca

and my understanding is from jonathan martin's reporting this morning is that romney's already reserved1.2 million in air time in michigan alone for the next couple of weeks. that's probably more money than santorum has total to spend in races over that period. >> well, they're going to go after him, obviously, because they know they have to go after him. i'll tell you another race that is really heating up. >> this is exciting. >> this is going to be a great senate race. >> massachusetts, let's go straight there. new poll shows democratic candidate elizabeth warren is up three points over incumbent republican senator scott brown, leading 46% to 43% within the poll's margin of error. tell us what's going on here. we both, i think joe and i, thought this would be a close race. >> the most fascinating race in the country this year. relatively low unfavorable ratings, raising gobs of money, she's actually out raising scot brown who is the incumbent senator two to one in the last quarter. they're both going to have well north of $10 million to spend against each other. it's probably going t