In today's show, we'll lead off by recapping perhaps the worst week in Mitt Romney's political life, all the way from Monday's Mother Jones secret-video scoop (at which "Saturday Night Live" took a well-placed shot this week, hitting Fox News with some comedic shrapnel) to yesterday's puzzling release of his 2011 tax returns (in which he paid a 14.1% tax rate, engineered for the public's eye) and a "summary" of his returns from 1990 to 2009.
And that's not me calling it "puzzling," it's Republicans like former Romney strategist Alex Castellanos, who remarked, “At first I thought this was an April Fool’s Joke...but this isn't April":
“I can’t imagine that David Axelrod will now say, ‘I’m glad Mitt put this issue behind him.’ This will drag Mitt’s taxes back into the debate. And there’s not many days left. I just can’t imagine why they would do this. There are 40 days left and you have now made more of them about Mitt’s taxes….you don’t serve a life sentence and then confess afterward. They’ve taken their beating on this (already) … I just don’t understand how a (being) ‘little pregnant’ strategy (works).”
Considering the bad week -- no, month -- Romney has had, we'll take a look at how he and other factors will contribute to what candidates (and what initiaitive or referendum) wins down the ballot. We'll also get into a new, revelatory Pew poll on the so-called "engagement gap" in our weekly This Week in Voter Suppression!™ segment.
We'll also dig into senior-citizen issues later in the show, taking note of this Paul Ryan embarrassment yesterday at the AARP conference:
Paul Ryan’s speech to AARP’s national conference in New Orleans did not go over too well with the audience.
The Republican vice presidential nominee, who has led his party in proposing a privatization plan for Medicare, drew repeated jeers and catcalls as he made the case for Mitt Romney’s platform on entitlements. Easily the worst moments came as Ryan discussed repealing the Affordable Care Act, which increased prescription drug and preventive service benefits for seniors.
But folks, I may have saved the best for last: the great musician Willie Nelson (see above) will join Melissa to talk about this year's edition of his benefit festival Farm Aid, which celebrates its 27th anniversary today. We'll have other guests, too:
- Eddie Agosto, Air Force veteran and former postal worker, and current volunteer at the AARP.
- Ari Berman, contributing writer at The Nation magazine and author of "Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics."
- Brenda Gardner, actress and AARP member.
- Imara Jones, economic justice contributor, Colorlines.com.
- Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director, CEO, and co-founder of MomsRising.org, and author of "The F Word: Feminism in Jeopardy."
- Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher of The Nation magazine and author of "The Change I Believe In: Fighting for Progress in the Age of Obama."
- Alex Wagner, host of "Now with Alex Wagner" here on MSNBC.
- Matt Welch, editor-in-chief of Reason magazine and author of "Declaration of Independents" and "McCain: Myth of a Maverick."
As always, folks -- be sure to interact with us during the show here in the comments of this post, on Facebook, and on Twitter, using the hashtag #nerdland. We look forward to having you join us at 10am ET on msnbc!
Leave a Comment:
Being from a city that was a rust belt manufacturing area with steel mills and Railroads closed under the FIRST Carter administration....and seeing the effects of a generational welfare state where collecting Government benefits is these peoples "occupation",It sickens me to see this panel of Left wing radicals defend this current Jimmy Carter clones bloated welfare State. his policies take people from good paying jobs and seeks to make them government dependents.Disgusting....
Cognitive Dissonance; isn't that a pretty phrase.
I think upon reflection you might find this was not the best
opening or theme.
One might say you are over thinking it or failing to make it
plain; call it what it is.
Bull@!$%#.
No concern for the validity of or invalidity of the
statements.
You look good in this car. Really?
This car will change your life. Really?
You deserve this. Really?
After a fashion I suppose.
True? No
False? No.
I want you to buy? Yes.
So it is here. Within limits, any statement, no matter how contradictory,
is acceptable as long as support and a vote is secured or the opportunity for
it exists.
The presidency is the only goal.
Lack of presumption.
'I didn't say that, you inferred that, you assumed that, you
came to that conclusion.'
'Allow me to say it differently; more elegantly' or
did he mean eloquently.
Let's just not read too much into it or give any of it the
appearance of complex.
Every sales man knows that if they leave the lot, you lose
the sale; keep them on the lot.
Close the sale at hand.
Absolutely love the show! Look forward to seeing you Sat morns! Continued Success!
Welch's example that people will draw more out of Medicare than they contribute is only part of the story. ACA solves part of the problem not only by covering preventive care, but also by helping people who have not yet reached medicare eligibility age acquire insurance coverage, thus receiving medical care they wouldn't have and quite possibly averting major or chronic medical conditions that typically eat up a large percentage of medicare monies which are spent on a small percent of user who suffer from chronic conditions. Bottom line Obama cares!
We can also go back to doing what presidents of both parties did consistently until 1993: adjust the employer/employee withholding tax rates as necessary to adjust for increasing numbers of recipients. The changes won't always mean increases. Some years, there could be changes within the two components, SS and Medicare. At some point, because the "baby boomer" generation will begin shrinking noticeable, tax rates will come down.
We should have been doing this for the last 20 years. Had we done so, people would have barely noticed the difference and we would be on a much more sustainable course.
I am a medicare recipient and I believe that neither Obama nor Romney have money left for entitlements...it's just a matter of how they use what little they can use. Obama has done nothing the last 4 years to make us feel more secure of getting the same care we are used to under every other president we had..whether republican or democrat. I can only accredit this insecurity of seniors to Obama's inexperience. His wars are not going well and he accumulated more foes in the middle east than any other president ever....all from his inexperience...inexperienced people will vote for an inexperient president..you think he leaned something the last 4 years, and yes he did, but nothing that will help the country directly.
I know I'm not supposed to feed the trolls, but here goes.
Your framing language betrays that you may not be arguing in good faith:"entitlements". If you look at it honestly as most seniors do, you would say earned benefit.
You also refer to "his wars" and "accumulated more foes in the middle east ", both of which are patently false.
Put these together with your other comments and they all amount to a stinking heap. Please take your spewage elsewhere.
That the AARP is on your show..shows where they lean to. They keep denying that they are on Obama's side and like his healthcare while selling life insurance and healh care themselves and getting rich...they are telling as I believe a lot of untruth to seniors to get the yearly dues...but are not really for seniors who just have to live of social security....we know that by now...
@MHP - thank you for noting the impact of voter ID laws on trans-individuals during your show today#nerdland.
Social Security segment: I am 66. I wish I could walk up to Mitt and Ann and give both a nice sharp slap in the face. Other than than, am I right in that all the years that I worked, I paid into Social Security? I was born in 1946. I began working as soon as it was legal as part time during my high school years in Arkansas. Am I right is saying that the majority of those seniors from 1936 both in retirement age and going into retirement age throughout the years until my birth 1946, which is 10 years accepted Social Security paying into Social Security from zero to a low number of years? Those at the Social Security age from 1946 through 1956 paid into Social Security a low amount of money compared to the amount each received. I therefore understand why we baby boomers are a bit demanding at the moment with our Social Security because we have carried the heaviest responsibility paying into Social Security. We paid dearly for the majority who did not pay into the system or paid into the system very little compared to what each pulled from the system. Secondly, if the federal government was forced to pay the going interest rate at the usual compounded rate, each baby boomer would be a millionaire and more today at my age 66. I base this educated guess on the capitalist bankers who always argue for private accounts rather than Social Security. Thirdly, I bet that 90% of our American families do not make enough money to live for themselves and also therefore have little extra to take care of their parents. So, if we all who live near to poverty pool our resources into a federal fund over 40 years not only each of us but our parents also though us be millionaires. My argument is in accordance with the republican argument. So why are the republicans resisting? Why am I not a millionaire, and why do I live in poverty? And why am I unable to provide for my parents?
People are crazy to believe that things won't change for people over 55. The initial proposal may not involve reduced benefits, but plenty of pressure will be applied to cut those, too.
Those under 55 won't be happy paying the same level of taxes and eventually receiving reduced benefits. Once the Ryan plan is adopted, it won't be long before there will be antagonism toward those "greedy, entitled, privileged seniors" with their "Cadillac Medicare," getting better benefits.
Republicans will be at the forefront, egging on those resentful under-55 folks who will be calling for cuts in benefits for those on the traditional program. The majority of working Americans will be paying taxes to support people who get more than they will. That's a recipe for disaster for Medicare. Just watch conservatives use Koch-funded groups like Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity to generate plenty of rallies designed to vilify those over 55 and to put political pressure on lawmakers.
Another possibility is that, since benefits will be reduced, so will contributions through the Medicare portion of FICA. If that happens, there won't be enough money to fund full benefits for seniors--and guess what happens next. Right. Lots of benefit cuts for this "unsustainable" program.
Either way, those on traditional Medicare will lose and the program as we now know it will be gone—even for those over 55.
Lots of people, including guests on the show, apparently haven't had a front row seat to the debate over public employee pensions. Republicans have taken note of how easy it is to generate hostility toward those who get "privileged benefits." They won't miss the opportunity to use this successful strategy against another group of elderly "elites" who have something younger people won't be able to get.
Not everybody has parents still living, or is smart enough to see the connection between maintaining traditional Medicare benefits and their own self-interest. Remember just how effective the conservative media machine is. Corporations don't have children.
Hello Ms. Melissa,
Great Show (as usual) !
Thanks for having Mr. Willie speak about Farmaid efforts.
Just got inspired to write a little somethin' regarding the topics of your shows discussions today.
Trickle-Down Economics is a Ponzi Scheme.
Ask anyone who has ever misguidedly gotten in on a multi-level business Pyramid Scheme. Trickle-Down Economics is just a soft-peddled Elitist scam. A Trickle-Down-Up-All (but the Elitist Few)-Fall-Down-Pyramid Scheme.
The folks who start the Trickle-Down-Up-All (but the Elitist Few)-Fall-Down Pyramid Scheme are merely raking up, and raking in, the profits and hard work of Everyone else (Sheeple, that We the People have chosen to Be) on the bottom rungs of the lofty, Rope-a-Dope Ladder to delusional success. The Ones at the Top of the Pyramid, Trickle-Down-Up-All (but the Elitist Few)-Fall-Down-Scheme greedily, and whole-heartedly, devour all of the enthusiastically earned profits from the wide-eyed Suckers they drew into the Scheme (and all of the other Suckers those indoctrinated wide-eyed Suckers drew into the Scheme, and so on and so on…). And when the Mathematical algorithms and tricky accounting theories and applications or the Product finally implode upon themselves and explode into the Economic Conditions of Suckerville, and eventually scorch the streets and country sides of Sucker Land, Dollars-and-Cents (Sense) Mayhem ensues.
Housing Bubbles Pop, multitudes of Jobs are lost throughout Sucker Land,
Wall Street, the Global Banks and Corporations are bailed-out, while The Middle Class and Working Poor are done-in, and Suckered all over again.
Private Enterprise, when owned by and manipulated by the Ultra-Rich Puppet Masters and Mistresses (The Few, The 1% to 2%) always digresses into Economic, Social and Cultural Feudalism. The Few are the Kings and Queens who divide up the spoils of We the People’s labors and contributions. They buy and create their own militaries and mercenary Knights and Squires. They buy up all of the Planet’s territories, because it is very important to them (for a variety of Reasons and UnReasonings) to Own and Control Everything and Everyone.
They disguise their Schemes, base desires and wants (that have been converted into Needs) as Entrepreneurship and Individualism, but those two worthy Values and Goals are really only meant for Them - the Global Elitists and Global Corporatists. Everyone else (except perhaps, their cronies, bought-off politicians, lawyers, lobbyists and judiciaries) involved in their Statewide, National and Global pursuit of Self Actualizing Entrepreneurship, Individualism and Private Enterprise are merely lowly vehicular Vassals and (Not-So-Free) Free Market Place Pawns to be Mis-Used and Abused, and left behind in the dust of Their illustrious free-wheeling and dealing heels as They arrogantly and carelessly walk away with all of the Re-Dis-tributed Wealth of The Many.
Trickle-Down-Up-All(but the Elitist Few)-Fall-Down Pyramid Schemes are poisonous plutocratic Oligarchy Malarkey poured down the open gullets of an unsuspecting and cynically trusting Global Populace because We the Many of We the People are Consciously UnConscious of the State, National and Global sticky web-like Patterns winding their entrapping strands around Us All.
Spiders do not listen to the pleas of entrapped Flies.
These are Ancient Schemes and Themes. There’s nothing new here. The only thing that is new, is that due to the wonders of technology We the Peoples of the World are Talking to One another. We’re Communicating and Informing one another about a vast variety of topics, subjects and concerns.
This Worldwide Communication is stimulating and creating Conversations of Awakening, and primarily Peaceful, Reasonable and well Reasoned Change. Change which leads toward a higher Evolutionary Revolution of Noble and Higher Standards and Ideals which Benefit Everyone and the Planet.
We the People can BeCome the Healers of the World. Poverty is a Planetary dis-ease that can be Cured. No one should live in Poverty. Starvation is a Planetary dis-ease. No one should starve to death. Illnesses and Maladies are Planetary dis-eases. No one should be left to linger in the Pain and Hopelessness of Illness and Malady. And the list goes on.
Careless, arrogant, malevolent Greed and Sloth are dis-eases. No one should linger in Poverty, Pain, Illness or Starvation due to the inherent obscenities of dis-easing Greed and Sloth.
When The Many are Nurtured, Sustained and Prosper, The Few are Nurtured, Sustained and Prosper. We must Seek to Balance the Energies existing betwixt-and-between The Many and The Few.
We are all in This Moment of Time and Planetary Spatial Placement Together. If The Many fail, and fall into servitude to The Few, The Many will always eventually rise in Revolution seeking Justice and Fairness for All against the oppressive Forces and Behaviors of The Few.
These persistent and insistent individual and cultural behavioral contributions and retributions toward the destructive inequitable Energies within these see-saw, childish Games of Re-Dis-tribution are maddeningly Non-Sensical.
It is an Ancient Cycle. When will We the People finally Choose to outGrow its fatalistic push and pull ?
A heartfelt but sober message to the White American Middle Class…
Let us start with our fears, an article in the Daily Titan (Torres, Renee, Daily Titan, November 16, 2011) Rich Benjamin, Ph.D. sums these fears up best. “White Flight” is occurring today. In a room overflowing with people, Rich Benjamin, Ph.D., brought this ongoing phenomenon to the attention of students and faculty (California State University Fullerton) Tuesday. People stood in the back and sat on the floor.
Benjamin is a journalist, scholar, social and political commentator, author and a senior fellow at Demos, a non-partisan national think tank.
Benjamin’s website explains the premise of his novel on “Searching for Whitopia,” Whitopia being a combination of “White” and “Utopia” and to describe the growth of white flight.
“By 2042, whites will no longer be the American majority,” said Benjamin. “A related, less reported trend is that as people of color, especially immigrant populations, increase in cities and suburbs, more and more whites are living in small towns and exurban areas that are predominately, even extremely, white.”
This my friends is the big PINK ELEPHANT in the room. It is this fear that makes an intelligent and thoughtful white Middle Class electorate vote against it own economic priorities, interests and wellbeing. Estimates are that 80% of minorities, Hispanics, Blacks, Gays, Women, Asians, Indians, etc. will be voting for President Obama. My guess is that they are not voting for President Obama because he is a Black Man, but they are voting “THEIR” Middle Class economic priorities, interest and wellbeing. The fear of a Non-White Nation has no effect on their vote. They can freely choose to vote for American Middle Class economic interests without racial bias.
The Republicans have used this fear in White America to their advantage, but know full well that the time will come when the numbers will not bear this strategy a winning one. Sen. Lindsey Graham told us everything we need to know about the Republican Party when he made this statement during the RNC: “We’re not generating enough angry White males...” The ARITHMETIC bears that out; in 1984 Non-College Whites comprised 61 percent of all voters. In 2008 they comprised 39 percent.
Much is made of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court, but honestly if the American Middle Class were “UNITED” regardless of color or race, we really could take our Country back and make it work for us. Minorities are voting for policies that will benefit all in the American Middle Class; Education, Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Benefits, The Affordable Care Act, Disability, Clean air, water and food safety, and the safety net etc. All benefit from these policies apart from their race, religion, sexuality or ethnicity.
Stop for one moment my fellow Caucasian Americans, and think about what the Republican Party is promising you and let’s actually see those solutions in BLACK and WHITE. Their mantra is “WE WILL TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK” I am assuming they mean back to a time when Whites were the majority and all laws favored them. Is this a “REALISTIC” goal for a political party? Yes you could take this Country back, but it would entail, taking voting rights away from ALL Minorities including Women the full repeal of the Voting Rights Act; it would mean a mass round-up and forced deportation of “ALL” 11 million un-documented immigrants by our military and police; it would take the repeal of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, revoking EQUAL PROTECTION; it would take the rescinding of all anti-discrimination laws in employment, education and housing so that you could work and live in an environment segregated from all Minorities the implementation of apartheid in the USA; and God forbid some crazy horror of a human-being would suggest ETHNIC CLEANSING. No my friends this is NOT an HONORABLE or CHRISTIAN goal worthy of Caucasians. It is shameful and dangerous.
The Republican Party is playing with fire, but many in the past and not so distant past have done the same and it has ALWAYS been their undoing. There are Statesman Good and Just that are White, it is these White Males not the angry ones that have made this Country Great! George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodor Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, William Jefferson Clinton and Abraham Lincoln, all White and all Statesman and all have done much for Whites to be proud of. Which White Male are you, the STATESMAN or the ANGRY WHITE MALE?
It is time to let it go. This fear is doing NOTHING for the White American Middle Class, no good at all. It is time to undo the shackles of racism and to build a better future for the AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS. It is time to exercise American Values, United We Stand, and Divided We Fall.
We have things to do, Mitt Romney has let us know in his SECRET VIDEO what he stands for, and it is not the priorities, interests and wellbeing of the American Middle Class. Quite to the contrary he looks down on 47% of us.
Our President has worked hard in the past 3 years to make things better for us and that is the “US” of all races and ethnicities including Whites. It is time for the American Middle Class to “UNITE” and fight for this man BARACK OBAMA, the President has done what he can to be our Champion, the Champion of the American Middle Class regardless of what color we are!!!! We must vote “OUR” own economic interest the interest, priorities and wellbeing of the American Middle Class.
My sincerest apologies for saying it so blatantly…And God Bless us ALL!
In the fund raising video, Gov. Romney says 47% believe they are "entitled" to health care, food and housing. "Entitlement" is an element of an "inalienable human right" that has been recognized and instituted by the government.
In The Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690) John Locke writes, "...men, being once born, have a right to their preservation [right to life], and consequently to meat and drink [entitlements], and such other things as nature affords for their subsistence..." As democracy progressed in the UK and US, "the right to life" came to include entitlements such as public sanitation, a potable water supply, safe construction codes--and eventually in the Europe: health care.
Healthcare or a pension may be mistaken elements of the "right to life," but for Gov. Romney to question the right to food and shelter is contrary to the "self-evident" social norms of the American republic. If Gov. Romney truly believes that food and shelter are not entitlements entailed by the "right to life," then I can only conclude that he has been "brainwashed" by some anti-democratic propaganda.
cancel
A newly discovered group of mineral nutrients appear to be essential for animal and plant health but they are depleted from our soil whenever we ship food off site and flush it into the seas. We refer to these nutrients as the ormus minerals.
These nutrients also appear to increase brain coherence and intelligence. You can find more info at subtleenergies dot com slash newtrients dot htm.
Melissa,
Great show with one exception.
Despite his education and professional experience, the person named Imara Jones was a terrible distraction from your program.
Even though some of his or her comments were substantive and useful, he or she was obviously confused about his or her gender and cast dispersions as to what Black Americans look and act like.
You are a good example of a US Citizen and AFrican American, etc. That character Imara is really, really strange.
Again, maybe he or she is well educated and has had some great experiences and now has some substantive comments, but... that person should not be allowed on television, especially damaging a good show like yours.
J