some of these guys are clearly unlikable, starting with rick scott.ack in that critical state of ohio. do you buy this argument that the governor being unpopular a year out can bring down his party when the presidential race occurs next november? >> well, that might not be -- there may not be the exact connection between the governor and the presidential race here, but i think these governors are symbolic of a republican party that has overreached drastically, since 2010. and what they've done in overreaching is tipped their hand. people who voted for scott walker for governor in wisconsin weren't voting for an end to collective bargaining rights. they got that, though, with scott walker. and think about the fact that walker and kasich, they've been in office for only ten months. it's one thing to have buyer's remorse after three years thinking, the guy isn't doing what i thought he was going to do, but ten months in, to want a recall. and the wisconsin recall looks like it might really happen, they've really got a chance there. there must be some awf

the law rick scott signed, number one, much harder to register people to vote.ee days late, you face huge penalties so people like the league of women voters. >> two days. >> two days from the day you register them. >> exactly. >> used to be ten days. >> so if you figure if you're registering voters way out in some rural area. >> right. >> or registering urban voters and registering lots and lots of people you have two days to get those turned around or face fines. that's led groups like the league of women voters to stop doing voter registration which hurts women of minorities. >> i've worked in florida with congresswoman fred fika wilson, by limiting the sunday beforen 1 >> exactly. >> and these people lead their congregations to vote after. he significantly impacts the black vote there. >> absolutely, and as you know, we both know bishop curry sold to the polls as a staple of the african-american vote. >> exactly. >> and african-americans in florida vote disproportionately during the early vote. the vote happens before election day. where blacks tend to go le

lee enough for i guess ironically coincidentally what everyone call it we were just talking about rick scott who passed a law in his state forcing people to get drug tested if they want to collect welfare and now somebody else is joining on the bandwagon now first i want to show you what newt gingrich has said in the past and then all read what he's expanded on take a look. i think we need a program of i wouldn't dramatically expand testing i think that we have and i agree with you i would try to use to rehabilitation i make it mandatory and i think we have every right as a country to demand of our citizens that they quit doing the legal things which. are blah blah blah. now he says i think that we need to consider taking more explicit steps to make it expensive to be a drug user it could be through testing before you get any kind of federal aid unemployment compensation food stamps you name it. i don't know what do you guys thoughts on that because i i think if the viewers probably know how i feel about it so you go on going to go well i mean if i'm if i can name it how about a tiffany's cr

florida governor rick scott is deejaying 0en a carnival cruise ship. an explanation if we can find one, later in the show. >>> but first, the news live at 5:30 a.m. here at 30 rock in new york city. a year ahead of the 2012 presidential election, there was another important election night on tuesday. democrats scored a number of hard-fought victories on the state level. in ohio, voters repealed a law passed earlier this year that limits the bargaining power of more than 350,000 unionized workers. the law was repealed by a large margin, 62% voting to take it down. this comes after republican governor john kasich told democrats to get on the bus or we're going to run you over. last night the governor humbled, saying it was too much, too soon. >>> also other ballots 0 ut there going on, one to tell you about, victory in mississippi, as the so-called personhood amend. was voted down by more than 55%. the amendment would have challenged roev. wade by decl e declaring life begins at fertilization. arizona state senator russell pierce is on the verge of defea

and particularly going so carry over in the battleground states where right wing politicians like rick scottott walker, snyder, chris christie, are going to have to face an electorate that is energized. >> richard, have you found the template to fight citizens united? i mean, are you a lot better tonight than you were back in wisconsin a few months ago? i mean, is it starting to grow the infrastructure, and how to work against citizens united? because this is just a sprinkling of the money that we're going to be seeing in 2012. >> absolutely. what this shows is when our members are motivated, when they're united, no one can turn them around. they simply cannot beat us with their money because we put too many people on the floor. they hire campaign workers. we have thousands, thousands of volunteers that came out that were motivated, that believed in what they're doing, that wanted to protect public safety, that wanted to protect the public education and wanted to protect the middle class. they'll do the same thing next year for candidates that stand with us. >> what about the divide that has

rick scott also approval ratings in the 30s. none of these elections in these swing states happen in a vacuum. and so i -- i've got to say, yes, last night was great. you're exactly right for them to organize, it's even better for obama and the democrats because they have a governor in the most important swing state. one of the most important, who is now politically damaged. >> there's tons more election news. harold, real quick. i've got other things -- >> it was a year ago today we were all saying florida, ohio, won by republicans. democrats can't win it. scott kasich won a year ago this week. so think about how much a year can change. >> exactly. let's be disciplined and get to other news. let's be disciplined. >> -- not overreaching. >> exactly. >> everybody overreach -- >> don't overreach. >> we were talking to bill clinton yesterday, and off the set we were talking about the parallels between '94 and 2010, '92. and we both said he overreached in '92, obama overreached in 2008, republicans overreached two years later and th

a few politicians, like governor chris christie, governor rick scott and john kasich in ohio.another governor you may not have heard of and faced angrier protests. this happened in puerto rico two years ago. the houses of union members clashed with police for days. they went in front of the governor's mansion because the governor proposed cuts far bigger than wisconsin but the governor just smiled. they say he had to make cuts because puerto rico's economy was a mess. >> we didn't have enough money to make our first payroll. >> his predecessors had grown the government point that one out of every three workers worked for the state. and the state was generous about giving out contracts. >> they couldn't care. their vendors will raise the prices and they would just buy the contracts. it was not the money. it was the taxpayers' money. >> john: puerto rico was broke. he decided the government would handle money differently. >> we have to handle as if was our money. >> john: new conservative majority the first in puerto rico in 40 years passed law 7 which shrank the state. what did

recovery an issue in the next election how can you do that successfully when you've got governors like rick scott out of florida who when he was offered i think it was a thirty eight million bucks for light rail or something like a billion dollars so i don't know what it was some enormous amount of money it would have created thousands of jobs he said no i don't want to he had ten point two or ten point six percent unemployment in florida one of the worst in the country he won't take federal money apparently because he wants the pain to be so bad going to twenty twelve that people will blame obama and this seems to be the republican governor strategy and their popularity is plummeting all these new republican governors case akin in ohio who's going to get his and his head handed to him with the with the election. to the referendum to repeal is anti-labor proposals all of these guys including wisconsin started in wisconsin. are seeing their popularity plummet and good progressive's like sherrod brown are going to get reelected because of this wave of of revulsion against the republicans and it it

investigators said from rick scott was one of three men who got into a fight in the surf club in marchone of men was shot and killed. scott and another man were charged in connection with that death. scott posted a $57,000 property bond and was released 11 days ago. the court has since issued a take back warrant because of a clerical mistake. >> we are hoping with these broadcasts that he realizes it was a clerical error and has the conscience enough to turn himself back in to face the crimes he was charged with in march. >> police say it is rare that somebody charged with first degree murder is ever allowed bond. bridge county state's attorney is now investigating how that mistake happened. >>> four local college students held up at gunpoint. one at the just of maryland. the others at gw. are these robberies connected? that is what investigators are trying to determine. john henrehan has the story. >> reporter: around 11:40 thursday night, a qlufort of maryland student was walking on the south part of the campus near a dormitory called cecil hall when he had a brief describent encount

. >>> folks, you know i don't tend to agree with right-wing governors, but i think florida's rick scottative reality. the palm beach post asked scott why he's turned down money to implement the federal health care law. he told them, quote, it's not the law of the land. i don't believe it will ever be the law of the land. now the law of the land? governor scott, i know you don't like the health care law, and i know florida is challenging it in court, but i think you need a refresher on what makes something a law. ♪ i'm just a bill ♪ yes i'm only a bill ♪ and if they vote for me on capitol hill ♪ ♪ well then i'm off to the white house ♪ ♪ where i'll wait in a line ♪ with a lot of other bills ♪ for the president to sign ♪ and if he signs me ♪ then i'll be a law ♪ how i hope and pray that he will ♪ ♪ but today i am still ♪ just a bill. >> he signed you, bill. now you're a law. >> oh, yes. >> oh, yes, governor. so sing president obama signed the affordable care act on march 23rd of last year, it's a law. >> let's get over this. if the congress votes to pass a bill and then the president sign

so governor scott walker, governor rick snyder -- i'm sorry, rick scott. right down the line. not just republicans either. some democrats needs to be put on the unemployment line as well. >> you can throw snyder's name in there as well for michigan. he's pretty radical as well. >> they're repealing the 20th century. i keep telling people i'm not against capitalism. i'm against crime. for these guys to talk about we're the party of personal sponl responsibility. they're very hypocritical and doing a disservice to their countrymen. >> jesse, thanks for joining us tonight, let's do it again. >> absolutely. >>> answer the question at the bottom of the screen and share your thoughts @edshow. >>> coming up, the scott walker recall efforts are going strong in wisconsin with big events this weekend. state senator lina taylor gives us the latest. >>> this week's gop front-runner newt gingrich calls this network the obama re-election team. i missed that staff meeting. if i had known it was there, i would have attended. >>> and the senate is having secret santa this year. but one party d

director was fired and state law enforcement might get involved at the behest of florida governor rick scott. >>> this is the famous video from uc davis, campus police pepper spraying campus protesters will forever be associated with the occupy movement. the school's english department is calling on the school's chancellor to resign, the officers were placed on leave. students at four other campuses have been vigorously protesting another planned tuition hike after last year's 18% increase. the city university of new york system has also voted to increase tuition. a group calling itself students united for free cuny organized a protest. 15 people were arrested. in chapel hill, north carolina, dozens protested a tuition hike there that would increase state tuition by 15%. >>> joining us now to talk about this is chris hayes, my buddy and the host of "up with chris hayes" very early on saturday and sunday mornings. chris, i wanted to talk to you about this. i know you have been researching, writing and working on the declining trust in american institutions. as somebody associated with higher

democrats hope the unpopularity of walker along with john kasich and rick scott could give president obama an edge in those three critical states. "buy boo♪ ♪ but the second that she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for the whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪ ♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪ v.o.: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com >>> welcome back to "hardball." republicans have a new attack line against president obama, by distorting his own words. listen to this latest ad from the perry campaign. >> we've been a little bit lazy, i think, over the last couple of decades. >> can you believe that? that's what our president thinks is wrong with america, that americans are lazy? that's pathetic. obama's socialist policies are bankrupting america. we must stop him now. i'm rick perry i approve this message. >> the problem with quoting the president

but the new crop of republican governors, particularly john kasich, scott walker and rick scott could be baggage for the eventual republican nominee in in the swing states. tonight eight republicans running for president meet in the ninth ke debate of the cycle right here in rochester, michigan. the backdrop, that's impossible to ignore the sexual harassment charges against herman cain with two women now publically accusing him of sexual harassment. a defiant herman cain doubled down on his strategy at a news conference in arizona. >> the charges and the accusations are absolutely rejected. they simply didn't happen. the democrat machine in america has brought forth a troubled woman to make false saaccusatio, statements, many of which exceed common sense. >> cain went as far as to say he does not even know accuser sharon bialek. almost daring opponents and the press to come forward with inconsistenci inconsistencies. >> i'm not an expert on how the brain works. but i do know that i sat there and went over and over in my mind do i know this lady. the answer kept coming up no. sitting t

walker's one of three new republican governors in big swing states, john kasich in ohio, and rick scott in florida are the others, whose approval ratings are in the negative territory. both states, those states, could well determine the election, and unpopular republican governors could be very good news for president obama. >>> and with enemies like these, who needs friends. michele bachmann's new web ad makes a devastating case against every viable republican in the race. in other words, it doesn't include her. it's so good, she's done the democrats' job for them. more must-see tv tonight in the sideshow. >>> and let me finish with the two things driving the republican presidential race -- hate and indifference to experience. >>> we start with herman cain. michael steele is the former chair of the republican national committee. he's now an msnbc political analyst. and dana milbank is a columnist for "the washington post." gentlemen, let's go straight to the tape, as howard used to say. here's herman cain yesterday answering a question from the editorial board of the "milwaukee journal

i mean, like john kasich and scott walker and rick scott and rick schneider, terry branstad was elected governor of iowa in the great tide that was the huge republican election in 2010. he, too, has pursued an agenda in his state that's very, very conservatively, both economically and socially. but unlike those other very well known nationally famous governors, terry branstad has not become nationally famous from iowa, and i think that's because in large part he hasn't been able to get a lot of his stuff passed. republicans in iowa have the amazing mustacheio terry branstad in the house, but the democrats hold the state senate. so big conservative priorities like, for example, getting rid of same-sex marriage rights in iowa, those priority have said stalled because of divided government. but terry branstad is no fool. and in september of this year, when it came time to appoint someone to an available full-time gig on the state utilities board, he bypassed a whole bunch of people that really wanted that job, a whole bunch of republicans who really wanted that job. donors, elected officia

is it also a warning signal for governors like scott walker and rick scott around the country and ofourse for kasich in ohio? >> i think so. if you looked at governor kasich's comments last night, he acknowledged this was a signal. he said he was going to go back to the drawing board, have to think about this. so he was very conciliatory in rhetoric last night, but the labor movement is already saying actions speak louder than words. will kasich try to broker a deal. what will it mean for scott walker. they are trying to fund raise off the victory in ohio saying donate to us to recall scott walker, so the movement is still trying to capitalize on this going forward. >> i know in virginia they're still counting provisional ballots, is it likely republicans will get control of the state senate? this would be a big victory for governor bob mccdonald. >> they have provisional ballots to count. looks like the virginia republicans will pick up two seats, make it a tie, give republicans the tie breaking vote there. overall, a mixed result for president obama and tim kaine looking to 2012 th

i think we do the same thing with rick scott in florida.r who got a little more support probably cod do that in michigan. when you start going down the list, there's a lot of us new governors who got elected to do something big. >> you're the first domino. >> yep. this is our moment. >> joining me now is washington correspondent for "the nation" magazine, john nichols. why do i feel like an old-time deejay spinning the hits on these tapes that are so priceless? john, great to have you with us tonight. >> it's good to be with you, ed. >> you know, last week's result in ohio, i mean, does that motivate the folks of wisconsin that there's light at the end of the tunnel, that this stuff can actually happen? what impact is that going to have on the wisconsin recall campaign? >> it has a huge impact, ed. in fact, i was at an interfaith dinner up in appleton, wisconsin, last night and just mentioned the word ohio and everybody started applauding. so people here followed the ohio fight very closely, and it's notable that the governor did as well. g

that's because florida's new republican governor rick scott turned down the funding saying the money would be better served in the hands of taxpayers, but the money was already allocated to the department of transportation which turned around and invested a chunk of it in high-speed rail for california. we'll be right back. cords and found that moderates the senate elected in 1982 had 80 moderates. senators who might vote either way on tough issues, but that number dropped nearly in half to 36 moderates after the 1994 elections, and then dropped even more dramatically to just 9 after the 2002 vote. until finally last year, no moderates left in the senate. joining me now to talk more about this is matt cooper, the editor of "the national journal daily." matt, i remember talking to ron brownstein about this survey a year ago. so that people understand what you do, you've been doing this for three decades. you track votes which are capable of saying this is how a liberal would vote. this is how a conservative would vote, and you call them as you see them. >> that's exactly right, michae

in florida this year, republican governor rick scott signed a law that cuts early voting in half.tion drives all but impossible. florida's new rules are so complicated and onerous that the league of women voters gave up rather than inadvertently commit a crime why trying to encourage people to register to vote. a teacher is accused of making that mistake. she's now facing a $1,000 fine for an alleged crime of turning in students' complications to vote in violations of the new rule that make that almost impossible to do illegally. the republican secretary of state in florida has written to the state attorney general demanding that teacher be pursued and fined for helping students sign up to vote. a second florida teacher has been accused of essentially the same crime in volusia county. >> we're fighting in wars so people can have democracy. when we don't recognize that, that upsets me. >> it's hard to conceive of prosecuting a case like that one, but in florida that is the deal now. the county election supervisor told the local paper, quote, this isn't someone who is going to commi