ed rendell, i go to you next.on't want to know what you did throughout your political career. >> stop it, stop it. >> but i am speechless that mitt romney would be this clumsy. >> absolutely. i would never touch it. mark's right. the cardinal rule you learn when you start running for office, never talk about process. you talk about ideas and substance and what you want to do. never talk about process. don't talk about polls. don't talk about focus groups. and certainly don't talk about sending protesters into another camp. >> a rally. >> is mark there, though? mark, is it fair to ask governor romney today what type of sauce he meant? was it the white sauce or the brown sauce? >> actually, that's fair game. that's policy. >> mark, can i just ask you as a guy who has run campaigns, is it unusual for a campaign, i won't ask you about your personal experience unless you want to divulge something, to send in hecklers direct from the campaign or do you give yourself one degree -- do you do it with one degree of separati

rendell -- >> i would not be offended.ou're supposed to go by your highest office held so tom ridge being a secretary, cabinet secretary, is higher than a governor, he should be called secretary but tom likes to be called governor anyway. you're right, i don't get it. i don't get the slightest -- >> didn't we fight the revolution to get rid of the titles? >> actually, if i -- >> shouldn't they end as soon as the term ends? >> if i were president obama i would keep calling him governor -- >> highlight his record in massachusetts. >> as governor he did a great job on that health care bill. it was awesome. >> mr. rendell has a point. >> you are the current governor of now, so the governor title is 360 degrees. in your book, "a nation of wusses" you talk about politicians are wusses because they refuse to admit mistakes, don't have the courage to say no to their base, they refuse to answer questions from the media. yet we're talking about poor mitt romney. he's someone who seems constitutionally incapable of the retail politic

it looks like ed rendell is off the reservation? >> liberating about being a former governor, not having to face the voters and the obama campaign. >> greta: this is stunning. i am surprised that governor rendell did that. he has been outspoken and has his own mind. but this was bolder and sharper than i expected? >> he is trying to sell a book, it helps to say controversial things things and you are beginning to see, for folks who supported hillary clinton last tite time around, reminding people that they had their bets somewhere else. if the obama presidency does not succeed, they can play the told you so game is and have more credibility. this is a dangerous game for democrats to play this early and to be out there questioning, in any way, the leadership of the president, when he is up there in a very tough re-election campaign. we have been thinking about the republican splits. now to see the democratic splits emerging is problematic. >> greta: i wonder if he held his fire for a couple of years. he was a hillary clinton supporte

let's welcome robert reich, author, and governor ed rendell. let's start with robert reich, if you were in the president's ear and you had the authority to recommend policy recommendation steps, what would they be? >> well, chris, if the republicans were not going to join me, i would propose that the first $20,000 of income be exempted from payroll taxes effective immediately and shot in the arm for consumers, and number two, i am going to propose that we as a country, we use the fact that borrowing costs are now unprecedented at a low point because everybody else in the world is pouring their money into dollars and that means we can borrow and we can have a major infrastructure program to fix the crumbling highways and roads and bridges and ports, and i'm going to hire and make sure that all of the -- a large portion of the people, 23 million people who are now unemployed or underemployed, hire as many of them to fix america as possible and then we will have a wpa, a works project administration and civilian conservation corps to go to work on

joining me now is ed rendell and cynthia tucker. a visiting professor of journalism at the university of georgia. thanks to both of you for being with me this evening. >> my pleasure. >> good to be here, reverend. >> governor rendell, let me start with you. the republicans are trying to use health care to their advantage this election, but do they have the wrong messenger? >> no doubt about it. the message is skewed. president obama since he's been president, he average working family has seen a tax cut of $3600. then secondly make clear that on the mandate which the supreme court properly says is a tax, only 2% of americans will pay the tax penalty. which is after the first year $666. that's what 2% of americans will pay. if you're in a health insurance plan now and you're paying into that health insurance plan, you do not have to worry about the tax that comes from the mandate. it's only the people who are the free riders. so it's less than 2% of the population. and they're attacking a president who's cut taxes to almost the tune

we have ed rendell. listen. we have ed rendell. >> you supported hillary clinton strongly i.nk we would be in a different place if she had been leakd? >> i think she had more executive experience. the president, health care and the stimulus, two bills that did good things for the american people, but too much was left up to the congress. he says, here's my concept and you flesh it out. i think hillary clinton would have said, here's what i want. >> you predict is that that she will run in 2016. >> she says she's not going to run, i think she means tbut i think we can persuade her. >> sean: we will have another cory booker hostage video out. >> i think that rendell made the obama black list -- i mean, that's the biggest slap in the face, between -- this week, between clinton saying that and him promoting hillary clinton -- >> he is promoting his book. >> give it a rest, joe! >> go buy it. [overlapping dialogue] something's going on here. the question is, is bill clinton doing it because he really thinks -- what? >> rendell's a disaffected guy. disillusioned by this president.

joining us now, the former governor of pennsylvania political analyst of nbc, ed rendell. he is an officer of a number of wusses. how american leaders lost the guts to make us great. i think everyone is thinking in their own way the same thing, which is those who have the most power, instead of becoming more accountable to solve problems seem to becoming less accountable and it makes everybody a little nuts. >> sure, and dylan, the biggest problem is our leaders are afraid to tell people the truth. i mean take a look at the number one problem facing us the long-term deficit which could reach 15$15 trillion if we don't do something about it. the answer is fairly obvious. we have to cut spending and that does mean looking at the entitlement programs. we can take money out of the entitlement programs without administering too much pain and i think seniors are bright enough to understand that when medicare was put into law, the average life expectancy was 65 today it's 85. so there has to be some changes and we can do it without administering too much pain. and on the republic

i am actually viseed that governor rendell did that. he has been an outspoken man with his own mind. but this was, i guess this was bolder and sharper than i expected. >> a couple of thoughts. he is trying to sell a book t. helps to say controversial thing when you are doing that. i think you are beginning it see, for folks who supportedded hillary clinton, a little bit reminding people that they had their bets elsewhere. so if the obama presidency doesn't succeed, they can play the told-ya-so game. this is a dangerous game for democrats to play this early and to be questioning, in any way, the leadership of the president when he is up there in a very tough re-election campaign, we have been seeing it a lot with republican splits. now to see democratic splits this early in the campaign has to be problematic. >> i wonder if he held his fire and bit his lip for a couple of years because he was a hillary clinton supportener '08. i wonder if light of president obama going off the reservation on the tax cuts issues, which he has dialed back,

>> rendell's a disaffected guy. disillusioned by this president.never enamored of this president. so he's got a reason, whatever his reason is at this point, to say what he's saying it. he is not saying this three days before the election. a lot will be forgotten. the positive things, he is saying so many negative things, they will be spit back before the election, if he gets out there in this campaign. >> sean: there is a couple of theories out there. one is that he wants hillary to run in 2016. i don't think that's the reason. i think -- i have talked to people who have spoken to bill clinton and they tell me that bill clinton thinks that barack obama is in way over his head. he has done a horrible job, that he is rigidly radical and i think he fears another four years of him. could that be a possibility? >> i think that's a serious possibility because a lot of people have criticisms of bill clinton -- let me just finish, joe -- have criticisms? >> joe, let peter. >> a lot of different levels. but i think he want what is is good for this country.

governor rendell is shaking his head.t do you make of that? i know you have been a supporter of keystone going forward. >> supporters of keystone like myself wanted it as part of a comprehensive energy package, where there were hearings, proper guidelines and controls put in place. i'm in favor of it but we have to have proper oversight and control. that wouldn't have happened by jamming it in a bill like this. >> the transportation bill expected to costç $120 billion. two year, three month extension, student loans, $6.2 billion. one year extension of course keep -- >> congress is doing a terrible job at doing its job and should be ashamed we have not had a real transportation bill since 2005. >> this level of funding even though it was somewhat of a victory for barbara boxer is t pitiful, significantly less than we spent ten years ago, at a time when the infrastructure is falling apart and we need the new jobs. >> unfortunately, we have to leave it there. i don't get to make another corny joke about luke russert and vin

thank you so much, governor rendell. nbc news political analyst. >>> up next, holy wars. the clash between american nuns and the vatican. this is "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. today from philadelphia. >> time for your business entrepreneur of the week. nicholas brand of seattle wanted to start a window washing business. to stand out, he wore a scottish kilt his wife made for him, called the company men in kilts and went door to door offering his services. that attention grabbing idea has grown to seven franchises with more in the pipelines. for more, watch "your business" sunday mornings at 7:30 on msnbc. [ thunk ] sweet! [ male announcer ] the solid thunk of the door on the jetta. thanks, mister! [ meow ] [ male announcer ] another example of volkswagen quality. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 jetta for $159 a month. visit vwdealer.com today. who tore out your sill-beating heart? ah, being a vegan is really working out for her. [ bowling pins ] ok, how's this gonna play? mi amore.

governor rendell, i want to start with you, because you do have this book. have to ask you about the title. who are the with uss? >> pretty much all of the folk that are in power today. democrats are afraid to confront our base, for example, to tell seniors we have to do something with entitlements because that's where the money is and we can do it without really crushing benefits. republicans are afraid of grover norquist. they're afraid to raise revenue, even though everyone knows we can't do it by cuts alone. we have to are revenue and cuts. and unless we have leaders willing to take a risk, do what's right, we're going to hell in a handbasket. >> schieffer: that takes me right to senator hutchison. there's something i want to ask you about. you're retiring uof course, and there's a republican primary to decide who is is going to get the republican nomination for your seat. david dude hurst is the lieutenant governor, i guess i would call him-- if there is such a thing-- an of the establishment candidate. he is in a runoff with a tea party candidate, ted

so, governor rendell makes a good point. have, i'm not sure what her executive experience was other than being a legislature just like barack obama. however, i think -- getting in this i didn't think -- ying and yang is wrong. what we have are peoplenned aagree perhaps valid criticisms when the republicans don't do. more importantly, this coming today. i'm hearing optimism, seeing states gel and by the way if you looked at the exit polls in the wisconsin special election, many of the people that voted for in recall said they would vote for barack obama and he clearly beat romney in the exit polls and we'll -- will take wisconsin. this is a silly season. focusing on wisconsin or focusing on what ed rendell says. >> laura: let me tell you what someone who is not a democrat but well respected mark happen happen -- halperin "time" magazine not just republicans who think that barack obama can lose. democrats amongst themselves are speaking that he he has interviewed says they are worried now. they are worried he is off with celeb

we had governor rendell on who was head of the democratic party at one point.t you said that you think president obama will win this election? here is what governor rendell said. >> you said today that the president was going to be competitive but you wouldn't say that he was going to win. why? >> because i don't know he is going to win. i have this strange habit of trying to tell the truth when you ask me a question. i am not sure he is going to win. >> why can't democrats get on the same page. is this great news for your party? >> why should he do that? tv can be like real life. democrats know in their hearts that this is going to be a very difficult election for the president. the fund-raising numbers and the job numbers are the same story. president obama -- or candidate obama in 2008 raised so much money because he was able to raise lots and lots of checks and people were giving $200. they weren't always ultra small donations. a lot were giving $200 one month and another $200 another month. but the shape of this recovery has been one where the people with

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my surrogate is former governor rendell. >> republicans pounced on rendell after his critiques of theresident's past experience. >> i think the president was hurt by being a legislator only. >> apparently, a couple of questions here. you were at the wawa gas station event yesterday, the mitt romney event. what were you doing there? and does your comment about president obama's background signal some tension in the party? >> well, first of all, we were 200 yards away, we were in a parking lot 200 yards away. i told the obama folks that we're not going to go in any way, shape, or form disrupt governor romney's rally or h his -- whatever it was he was doing and they agreed with me. we were 200 yards away, we didn't even have that microphone, we were having a press conference, myself and four other democratic elected officials and we wanted governor romney to stop his surrogates from telling untruths about president obama's spending, his taxes, his proposals, and we wanted governor romney to answer the big question, how does his economic plan work when for 60 years lowering taxes on the w

former pennsylvania governor ed rendell weighs in on job creation. >> tom: that's "n.b.r." for monday, june 4. we want to remind you this is the time of year your public television station seeks your support. support that makes programs like "n.b.r." possible. goodnight everyone, 'll see you online at: www.nbr.com, and back here tomorrow evening. "nightly business report" is brought to you by: captioning sponsored by wpbt captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >> tom: i'm tom hudson with an "n.b.r." news brief. greece's debt drama continues to unfold: the s&p credit ratings firm gave a one-in-three chance of greece exiting the eurozone after national elections later is month. fits and starts for a nervous wall street today, as a slowdown in factory orders points to a slowing u.s. economy, feeding fears of another recession. the dow lost 17 points. the nasdaq added 12, and the s&p closed nearly unchanged. tomorrow our coverage of the 2012 election, the economy and jobs, continues, former pennsylvania governor ed rendell weighs in on job creation. for more fi

was extraordinarily popular after "desert storm" but who bad economic times took down. >> reporter: rendellf "a nation of wusses: how america's leaders lost the guts to make us great" says the president needs to continue emphasizing short and long-term economic fixes. >> nobody can do that better than the president if he gets back to it. >> reporter: earlier this year the president was able to make his case that things were getting better quicker. >> the recovery is speeding up. >> the economy is getting stronger. >> the recovery is accelerating. >> we're making progress. >> reporter: now the numbers suggest the economic recovery is not speeding up. it's slowing down. adding to democratic angst, this obama campaign raffle of a fancy manhattan soiree with fancy stars like sarah jessica parker. >> president obama and michelle are coming to my house to dinner on june 14th. i want you to be there. >> reporter: and "vogue" editor anna wintour, en event they've been mocking as tone deaf since so many are out of work. diane, president obama is hitting the fund-raising circuit this opening, in fact

. >> ed rendell on cbs with charlie rose, did compare hillary clinton to barack obama, in the way theych deal with congress. let me play a bit of that from today. >> i think she would have come in with a lot more executive experience. i think the president was hurt by being a legislator only, for example, health care and stimulus, two bills i think did good things for the american people, too much of it was left up to the congress. he sort of said here's my concept, you guys flesh it out. i think hillary clinton would have sent them a bill and said here's what i want. >> so that's ed rendell. he has a new book, "a nation of wusses." he speaks his mind. there's no question what example he came from originally, which was the clinton camp. that is what a lot of people say, that hillary clinton had those legislative stills that we're still seeing lacking from the white house. you hear the complains from the democrats on the hill. >> there's no question, but the fact is both barack obama and hillary clinton would have been coming in dealing with a highly polarized washington environment, an

ed rendell, i don't know how you can beat that it sounds like music to me.et's go out and do it, the rps may oppose it, and the idea you have been talking about years now, i hate the word infrastructure, but everybody knows what it means. we're behind the europeans. they have trains that go 300 miles per hour. we have the amtrak, it's nice, but it's yesterday. put a tunnel from new york to new jersey. tell that governor to get out of the way. we have bullet trains in asia, everybody is ahead of us now and we're going along like it's 1953. >> secretary reich is absolutely right. it's a time for action and the president should understand what the american people are looking for is what's next? what are the plans? we know the economy has improved and stalled, what's next? governor romney suggest we cut taxes, first of all that has never worked in the last 60 years, but even if it did work, it would be down the road. we need action now, particularly infrastructure. 25,000 jobs are produced for every billion dollars of infrastructure spending. every expert agrees

on rendell after the obama supporters recent critiques of the president's past experience. >> i think the president was hurt by being a legislator only. >> reporter: after ordering a hoagie inside, romney told supporters how impressed he was by the ingenuity of the private sector. >> a great testament. >> pressed a little touch tone keypad, touch this, touch this, touch this. go pay the cashier, there is your sandwich. it is amazing. >> reporter: and while today is father's day, ann romney is a proud mother. her horse yesterday qualified to be a member of the u.s. olympic team. she was at the trial. the equestrian trial in new jersey. here is a picture she tweeted out. the tweet, ann romney said, we're proud of jan that is the rider, and team usa. now let's bring home the gold. the romneys are hoping to spend some of their summer at the olympic games in london. jenna? >> peter alexander. peter, thank you very much. >>> david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. >> good morning. >> so the campaign trail is in full effect. mitt romney and house speaker john boe

the president has the best plan, no ifs, ands and buts about it. >> ed rendell.ation of wooses." thank you very much. >> funny book. >> fun book. funny and fun. >> yes. >> thank you very much. someone moo knwho knows how to politics fun. >>> up next, the first president bush as you have never seen him as he approaches his 80th birthday next week. a new documentary about bush 41. this is andrea mitchell only on msnbc. emily's just starting out... and on a budget. like a ramen noodle- every-night budget. she thought allstate car insurance was out of her reach. until she heard about the value plan. see how much you could save with allstate. are you in good hands? of how a shipping giant can befriend a forest may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing number of lower emissions planes... which still makes for a pretty enchanted tale. ♪ la la la

thank you, robert reich, thank you ed rendell for joining us. coming up, john edwards hints at a comeback. now there's a man with optimism. but after a dramatic fall, could he actually rise again? maybe we need john edwards' hopefulness. >>> and why did house republicans push a bill based on gender based abortions. are they really willing to say a what they're talking about here? i wonder if the republicans are playing this as a game. >>> what happens when a top surrogate like bill clinton gets off message? >>> and make or break moment for the president. i think that's what he's in right this moment. this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ male announcer ] considering all your mouth goes through, do you really think brushing is enough to keep it clean? while brushing misses germs in 75% of your mouth, listerine® cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine®... power to your mouth™. holding down the fort while you're out catching a movie. [ growls ] lucky for me, your friends showed up with th

my surrogate is former governor rendell who said i could win pennsylvania. >> republicans pounced on rendell after the obama supporter's recent critiques of the parent's past experience. >> i think the president was hurt by being a legislator only. >> after ordering a hoagie inside, romney told reporters how impressed he was by the ingenuity of the private sector. >> impressive keypad, you touch this, touch this, touch this, go pay the cashier, there's your sandwich. it's amazing. >> and while today, of course, is father's day, ann romney is a proud mother. her horse yesterday qualified to to be a part of the u.s. olympic team. she was at the trial in new jersey. here is a trial that she tweeted out of her enjoying that moment. romney said, we are proud of jan, that is the rider, and team usa. now let us bring home the gold. the romneys are hoping to spend some of their summer at the olympic games in london. >> peter, thank you very much. david gregory is moderator "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning. >> so the campaign trail is in full effect. mitt romney will be at an e