in taxes. a far lower rate than people making much less. then he said "i get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much." not very much? that not very much amounted to $374,000 a year. that's roughly nine times what the average american makes. no one is denying mitt's right to make money, but no one is going to stop the democrats from making an issue out of it either. plus once again, the audience was the big story at last night's debate. big cheers when rick perry said south carolina was at war with the federal government. boos when the moderator asked newt about possibly making racially insensitive remarks. huge cheers for newt when he stuck it to juan williams with his answers. does all this matter? did the debate audience tell us about where the gop is these days? also, in wisconsin, opponents of governor scott walker have turned in 1 million signatures demanding his recall. this is about more than walker can survive an election. this is about mobilizing the base in a must-win state for president obama. and new tapes come to light in which the captain of the grounded cruise liner off the coast of italy refused to get back aboard and help save passengers. it's a little bit off course for us in terms of topic, but what a story this is. you'll want to hear it on "hardball." let me finish with newt gingrich calling president obama the food stamp president. we'll get to that one. we start with mitt romney's income tax. susan page is washington bureau chief for "usa today" and dana milbank s. or guess we know why he was so secretive about his taxes, dana. >> i'll bet you $10,000 that mitt romney has no idea how ridiculous he sounds. he's doing it over and over again. and $374,000 isn't a lot of money to mitt romney. the problem he wants to be president of a country of people who doesn't make near that. >> seven times the average income for family. but he is speaking the way he thinks. >> he has got to stop doing that. >> every time we do what you're doing right now, we say learn how to talk regular american people. he gets more and more withdrawn. >> this goes back to his al gore problem. he's so afraid of what might come out of his mouth, he's thinking it through, which makes him make more mistakes, which is why you got that absurd clintonian qualification. >> but we know what he means. he has $215 million in net worth. he has 1% a year on his income. so compared to that, the $300,000 in speaker's fees is relatively a small part of his income. if he makes 10%, he's making $25 million a year. >> a pretty good salary. >> and he only pays capital gains on it. the average person has to pay 30%, upper middle income. this guy only pays 15% because he's basically a coupon clipper. >> the one good thing, he's doing this in january. >> everybody -- every journalist. would you stop doing this? it's only now. don't people have memories? >> people do have memories, but you litigate it now, he figures out an appropriate response. it is less potent. >> this is like the baseball team that says we only have to win the games in the spring because we don't have to win them in the fall. >> better off if he had better instincts on this. i'm just saying better for him to do this in january and try to figure out what he's going to say. >> do you buy this argument? everybody is doing this. glad he's dealing with it now. >> it's better to get out of the way now, but it's becoming part of the shorthand. mitt romney, word association, you think the $10,000 bet. the $250 million fortune. it becomes part of this. therefore, because it's in everybody's mind, it's easier for president obama. it's a caricature. >> all the occupy movement, even though it's had a hard time, it's about the fact that the very rich in this country have a very good deal. in addition to being rich, they have a good deal in terms of taxes. warren buffett has made that point. here's a guy, apparently, in his own words this morning pays 15%. now everybody out there watching right now pays more. everybody. everybody watching right now pays more than 15%. they earn their income through salary or wages. and that means you have to pay 30%. this guy never has to pay beyond 15%. as he pointed out today, he hasn't been working for ten years. here he is this morning. he was pressed by reporters on what his returns would show. bobby kennedy used to say, hang a lantern on your problem, get over with. he's getting it over with. let's watch him admit his 15% solution. >> what's the effective rate i've been paying? probably closer to the 15%. the last ten years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past rather than ordinary income. i get a little bit of income from my book, but i gave that all away. and then i get speaker's fees from time to time. but not very much. >> he can't run as a poor guy. he can't run as a working joe. he's a rich guy. he needs to figure out how to explain that to people that makes them not resent it and makes them feel like he has some understanding about the lives of other americans. >> do you think people that think about people making a lot of money, some of them sort of like trump, they like characters. they like serious entrepreneurs like steve jobs. the late steve jobs. why do you think romney would be vulnerable to dislike? >> americans don't resent it when people work hard and are successful. i think that's part of the american dream. rich people ran for office. most of the people who run for office are rich people. it's the exception people who -- >> i was watching the golden globes the other night, which i love because they are sitting around drinking. they occasionally say something ridiculous. we like them all. they look like ordinary people. >> i suspect the idle rich are watching your show tonight as well. there may be some people at that 15%. romney is blessed that his opponent, president obama, is also a wealthy man. but the difference where this is going to stick and resonate with voters is the corporations are people formulation. not only that he's wealthy, but he's looking out for wealthy people like him. it's easy to puncture. >> you know who watches this show? people who work hard and get home in the evening and want something that's big picture and they can think about and argue about. and also some retirees who have worked hard over their lives. your disdain for them -- i'm just kidding. they watch other programs. newt gingrich joked about romney's 15% tax rate today with reporters. let's watch newt going in for the kill. >> release his taxes. we'll find out if it's really 15%. and second, i think that we ought to rename our flat tax. we have a 15% flat tax. this will be the mitt romney flat tax that all americans can then pay the rate romney paid. i think that's terrific. >> the forgiving -- i should say the saving grace of newt gingrich is he has a brain on his shoulders. there he is pointing out something great. why don't we have everybody pay the same rates as this guy? >> and call it the romney rate. i'm sure romney is frustrated by that sort of an attack, but he has to be thanking his lucky stars for newt gingrich. if you look at newt and if you look at newt and santorum right now, add them together, and they are ahead of him. they are making sure romney is going to become the nominee. >> let's look at an exchange last night. here's rick santorum blasting away at romney for the attack ads that a pro-romney super pac has been airing about santorum. they say it distorted his own record on voting rights for felons. we know once you have been declared a fellen in many states, country vote. let's watch. >> i would ask governor romney, do you believe people who are felons and served their time and exhausted their parole and probation, should they be given the right to vote? >> governor romney? >> first of all, as you know, the pacs that run ads on various candidates -- >> i'm looking for an answer to the question first. [ applause ] >> we have plenty of time. we'll get there. i will do in the order i want to do. >> this is martin luther king day. ? a human deal in the african-american community. >> i don't think people who committed violent crimes should be allowed to vote again. that's my own view. >> and the state of massachusetts when you were governor, the law was that not only could violent felons vote after they exhausted their sentences, but they could vote while they were on probation and parole. >> this whole thing, obviously, romney has a belief he's allowed to co-moderate when he wants to. he answers the question, he answers when he wants to, somebody else is talking, he tells them to shut up. >> explain to me -- rick santorum got under romney's skin there. that was probably satisfying. but why is he criticizing him on voting rights for felons and not on massachusetts health care plan or flip-flops on social issues or things that might actually matter? >> because romney is going after him on that. a tit for tat. >> i understand that. but is this going to persuade any republican to switch from romney to him? it's hard to imagine. >> people tell me the critics of that performance last night say when rick santorum was doing that, he was trying to hook him into saying he didn't believe in giving voting rights to felons so he could come back and say, but in massachusetts you gave them voting rights. >> romney is improving. yes, it's bad whenever your answer starts to be about gobbledygook about pacs, but at least he didn't ask the moderator for help this time. >> the problem with this whole thing, we're going to it get to the second part of this show. we're going to get to something really awful about food stamps. but this debate process, are we getting near the end here? we have had 20 of these things. are we getting near the end? >> we're getting near the end of the debates people will actually watch. but there's still plenty to go. >> there's a strange development going on. i've noticed a polling shows a shift towards romney without a reason. it's not like he's made interesting points. not like he has shown great skill in these debates. a new poll today from "the washington post" takes a look. mitt romney has surged to a strong lead nationally among likely republican voters. he's gained 5% from last month. i always kid. i don't kid, i notice the weird culture of the republican party. once people see who is the front-runner, they get in line. they don't fall in love, they fall in line. >> that's right. they often typically nominate the next person in line. >> what is it about their culture? you studied these people, these republicans. what makes them fine out who the person they are supposed to vote for and vote for them? >> don't you think there are many traits that determine whether you're going to feel like you're a democrat or republican? and the fact is, invariably, whoever leads after new hampshire in the republican primary gets the nomination. not true for democrats. >> i like this. this may futz up the whole thing. who won the iowa caucuses? it's possible that there was a miscount. and romney may not be on the road to winning the first three. he may only have won at home in new hampshire and new england. he may lose this because the word will get out by friday and saturday that santorum may have won. we'll know by friday. >> a lot of good it did al gore to win the tally in 2000. >> what do you say? >> just what you guys were just saying a moment ago. republicans like order. they like following instructions. >> but suppose the wrong order were issued. but this is the conundrum. suppose he didn't win iowa and wrong orders went out and the republicans who get in line and do what they are told to do are voting for the wrong guy. >> so is dr. strange love. >> democrats do what they feel like doing. >> and they like to date around. they like to flirt with this person and that person. >> they like to rumble and have have fun. this is getting a little desultory. thank you dana milbank and susan page. coming up once again, the rowdy crowd was the big story last night. we'll talk about the more stranger aspects of the debate. what were they saying about the republican party? you learn a lot from this crowd. they like to cheer. fry the people on death row quickly. very interesting commentary coming from the crowd. you're watching "hardball." i'm al ways looking out for i'm al small ways to be more healthy. like splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweeteners. this bowl of strawberries is loaded with vitamin c. and now, b vitamins to boot. coffee doesn't have fiber. unless you want it to. splenda® essentials™ are the first and only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. mmm. same great taste with an added "way to go, me" feeling. splenda® essentials™. get more out of what you put in. here's something interesting. nancy pelosi is tweaking republican front runner mitt romney. listen to what the former speaker said about why conservatives are resisting romney. >> if the far right thought that romney could win, they might be more enthusiastic about him. but they don't share -- they question what he stands for. and they don't think he's going to win. so what's the sell? i'm not sure he knows what he stands for. and that makes it harder too. >> she's raising the electability factor. democrats have 75 house districts and need to plan at least 50 of them if they hope to win back the 25 seats they need for her to become speaker again. . i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there. i want to fix up old houses. 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>> no. i don't see that. >> well, the crowd, largely white, if not entirely white, agrees with him. roger simon joins us. there were a couple points last night really that bug me about that it crowd. they seem to get a chuckle out of the fact when newt gingrich referred to him by his first name, juan. that seemed to get a chuckle out of them. in fact, a big applause. what was going on in that room last night with the issue of food stamps? what was really going on do you think in the conversation? or was it going on? >> well, with speaker gingrich, first of all, good evening, chris. what he was trying to do was play to the crowd. he's trying to appear to the social moderates and say i'm your candidate. support me. i think he was playing to the audience. as far as the welfare comment, unfortunately it's true. but the way the speaker said it was clumsy. we have a high african-american unemployment rate, 15.8%. the overall black male unemployment rate is 19.9%. we have a lot more folks who are of color who are unemployed than before this administration started. but his approach is clumsy. you shouldn't just say black folks need a job rather than a welfare check. >> he didn't say welfare check. he said food stamps. >> but my point is, why don't we say we create a climate in this county that all americans have a better pathway to get a job if they were unemployed rather than say you should just get food stamps. >> roger, let's take a look. i want you to get a richer look in case you missed last night. here's another exchange over race, i believe, which led to one of the biggest applauses of the night. >> my e-mail account, my twitter account, has been inundated of people of all races who are asking if your comments are not intended to belittle the poor and racial minorities. we saw some of this reaction to a visit by you to a black church in south carolina. it sounds as if you're seeking to belittle people. >> first of all, juan, the fact is that more people have been put on food stamps by barack obama than any president in american history. >> roger? >> this is not newt gingrich being clumsy. this is newt gingrich being arrogant, condescending and dismissive. the only thing you can say in his favor is that he's arrogant, condescending and dismissive like that to a lot of people, white and black. but in that audience, with that kind of bloodlust in the air, an audience that was way over the line and way over the top, gingrich was playing a dangerous game by playing to the audience and baiting people and appealing to their worst instincts instead of their better instincts. >> what do you mean by that? there's no question you have a conservative audience, but you say it's dangerous. it's bloodlust. juan williams is a mentor of mine. he can take care of himself. he asked a question. you have seen speaker gingrich be very arrogant and condescending to other moderators. just because juan happened to be black, i don't think the speaker was trying to bait him or bait the audience based on the color of juan williams' skin. i just entirely dismissed that. >> i didn't say it was based entirely on the color of juan's skin. >> you said it was dangerous. >> it is. it is dangerous. the fact is there's no reason on earth for newt gingrich, who had been addressed by juan williams as speaker gingrich, his highest title, to refer to mr. williams as juan in that long, drawn-out way of his. and then pausing for the applause. you also saw him pause for the laughter to build earlier. newt gingrich is very, very good at dealing with an audience, at being silent so the audience reaction can build. the other candidates just usually answer the question. >> you are being nice about this. i'll be blunter. let me ask a question. you and i are friends. i want to ask you. i think there's a history here we can't ignore. ronald reagan, who had good things about him, people will argue on both sides, done some good things, he could go around and campaign talking about the young buck in line using food stamps to buy gin or vodka in the safeway line. he'd use that term, young buck. that would bother people to watch that go on. he would talk about welfare queens. do you agree there is a history of this kind of dog whistle? i'm just asking. >> of course, on both sides of the aisle. >> in this particular use of language about poor people? if you don't agree, just say i don't agree. >> chris, i think in decades past, you have seen that. the republican party has made an effort to be inclusive of all people, regardless of color. let us not forget who was it who tried to block the civil rights act of '64? the both parties have had a history of race. both parties need to address the issues that confront us and get beyond playing to people's racial insensitivity regardless of the color of the skin. >> let's go on to rick perry. i agree with you. here's rick perry receiving applause from the same crowd in myrtle beach, south carolina, when he said two southern states, his and theirs, were in conflict, even at war, with the federal government over voting rights. >> i'm saying that the state of texas is under assault by federal government. i'm saying also that south carolina is at war with this federal government and with this administration. >> you know, there's a birth of a nation aspect to that. i can't even start with that, voting rights. this sounds like going with the wind. what are we talking about here? >> you said he's not playing to the audience. this is south carolina, a state where people proudly tell you they were the first state to secede from the union. rick perry began his campaign by saying texas had a right to secede. he said he wasn't advocating it but said texas had a right to do so. this is the state of john calhoun. >> i think ron is waiting for him to say nullification before you blow the whistle? when are you going to say, enough guys? >> does not believe in state's rights. >> i actually am the one to say enough. there are states, texas is one, south carolina is another, that are at conflict with the government. it's a legitimate right for a state to impose their own qualifications to vote and have folks produce identification. but for rick perry to suggest that they are at war with the federal government, we're not at war with the federal government. we're a good nation. we do things civilly. i think that was red meat to the crowd. he wants to be the state's rights guy. i understand that. but he needs to really ratchet the rhetoric down. >> okay. thank you. i think we agree on that one. ratchet it down. red meat for the crowd. feeding time at the lion cage. anyway, thank you ron christie, thank you, roger simon. thank you both. up next, barack obama pokes fun at himself with a birthday greeting to golden girl. i remember her from "september bride." you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. if there was a pill to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? 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[ male announcer ] and there you go, business pro. there you go. go national. go like a pro. back to "hardball." now to the sideshow. first up, to the birthday bash. today marks the big 9-0 for the enduring betty white. celebrities cake out to honor her last night. one guest who couldn't make it was president obama, but he recorded a video message for the guest of honor. let's watch. >> dear betty, you look so fantastic i can't believe you're 90 years old. in fact, i don't believe it. that's why i'm writing to ask if you'll be willing to produce a copy of your long-form birth certificate. thanks, and happy birthday, no matter how old you are. >> another birthday falls today. michelle obama, the first lady. the president didn't ask her for her birth certificate. next up, major letdown. just last week, the south carolina newspaper, "the state," went out on a limb and chose to endorse jon huntsman. when news came yesterday that he was no more, one editor was particularly crushed. "it was like rather gone through a courtship for some time and finally making love with a man for him to suddenly turn around and say, ' i think i'm gay.'" i guess that's one way of putting it. and grilled. mitt romney made the confession that his hunting skills were mostly limited to small varmints. the topic resurfaced last night at the debate. >> you were teased a few years ago for saying you hunted varmints. i wonder if you have gone hunting since '07? >> i'm not going to describe my exploits, but i went moose hunting -- not moose hunting. i'm sorry, elk hunting. pheasant hunting. i'm not the great hunter that some on this stage probably -- rick perry, you're a serious hunter. but i must admit i enjoy the sport. and when i get invited, i'm delighted to be able to go hunting. >> republicans really do cling to their guns. up next, opponents of wisconsin's union-busting governor scott walker are turning in hundreds of thousands of signatures, maybe a million demanding his recall. in the process, they are mobilizing the democratic base for november in a crucial presidential state. that's ahead. you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. wasn't quite the same. the recipe's not the recipe... ohhh. 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just kidding. let me ask you think th. why didn't you do so well in 2010? what's the difference between 2010 and 2012 in your state? >> first, thanks for having me on. i'm a huge fan of "hardball." 2010 was a bad year for us. the national momentum was not going our way. we had a ron johnson come on and spend a ton of money. and we had mayor tom baric go down to scott walker. but i think today, collecting over 1 million signatures, getting almost as many signatures as scott walker did votes, it sends a signal. scott tried to jam down this radical agenda. he didn't campaign on this, he didn't tell people that's what he was going to do that's why people are so upset here. that's why i believe we'll have a successful recall. >> here's why the recall election, will have repercussions. in 2008, president obama made a clean sweep of the states. look at the ones with the white flag there, including a blowout in wisconsin he beat john mccain by 14 points. here's six of the eight states had democratic governors. that changed dramatically in the 2010 elections when power flipped in these midwest states. now just two of the eight have democratic governors. so back to you, ed. i know you're mainly a labor guy. you're interested in labor rights. what's this mean in terms of economics in this country? >> i think it means a lot, chris. this story goes far beyond the borders of wisconsin. and scott walker has got it right. this has national ramifications. this is a template to work against citizens united. there's millions of dollars coming into the state trying to save him and the other senators who put forth a radical agenda that goes after middle class wages, pension retirement, the whole thing, health care. so this really is a template on how to fight back. in 2010, an answer to your question, it was simple apathy. people were lazy and didn't get engaged. what i get on the ground here in wisconsin, this is going to motivate people. this is going to focus people on how important 2012 is. and the big beneficiary of this should be president obama and the obama campaign. and it should be a wakeup call, as we saw in ohio and indiana. right-to-work is a huge issue. there's being labor issues going on in michigan. so these radical governors that came in, this is really, i think, an overreach and a response to an overreach. it's a ground swell response. i think it does play big in these states in 2012. >> let me go back to mike tate. i grew up with the fact there was big labor. i remember working in the senate years ago. a long time ago when people like george meade, head of the afl-cio, would come in. republican senators would rush over to light his cigar. that sounds like a thousand years ago. big labor was truly big labor. bigger than the fed chairman. bigger than the guy from the fed, afl-cio was big they were the fed chairman, politically. do you see that coming? i don't mean overnight, but could it become a big part of the progressive coalition in this country? politically delivering in big states likewise which is? go, mike. >> i hope so. i think labor has been critical in delivering wisconsin in any number of races. any given sunday, chris, big labor is about 25% of the electorate here. which is a pretty big state. we have been a very strong labor state. but i think we have we absolutely need an expansion of labor. i think it's people's ticket into the middle class. that's what people are hungering for right now is how to live their life with a little bit more so they can get by. >> okay, it's great to have you on. >> go ahead. last word, ed. the big thing is, 80% of labor membership is concentrated in 16 states in this country. a lot of this pushback in wisconsin is because a lot of middle classers feel like that the governor is trying to balance the budget on the backs of middle classers. it's one of the first things he did when he came in as governor was to give tax cuts to the rich and the corporations, which has not resulted in big job growth. this is a pushback from the middle class as much as it is the labor sector. >> thank you both. thank you, ed schultz, my colleague on to talk about t and on after us at 8:00 eastern. mike, nice to meet you buddy, happy st. patrick's day. next the incredible story of the cruise ship. you mean, jack kennedy, illusive here row, that one? anyway, off the coast of italy, we have a new tape of the cruise liner. what a sight. what a sight. the captain abandoned ship and was ordered back to get back on the ship and wouldn't do it. what a story. harry smith has that story. harry smith has that story. this is "hardball" on msnbc. an accident doesn't have to slow you down. with better car replacement, available only with liberty mutual auto insurance, if your car is totaled, we give you the money for a car one model year newer. to learn more, visit us today. responsibility. what's your policy? president obama is trying to recreate that mile-high magic on the final night of the democratic national convention in charlotte. president obama will deliver his acceptance speech at the bank of america stadium. the 74,000-seat home of the carolina panthers football team. four years ago, he gave his speech in denver. he hopes to mobilize voters. the same way his 2008 speech energized colorado voters. we'll be right back. mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover. i had[ designer ]eeling enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. 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[ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. we're back. incredible images from italy of the cruise ship, the costa "concordia." it ran aground near italy. five bodies were found on board bringing the death toll to 11. an american couple from minnesota still remains missing. the ship, carrying 4200 passengers, hit rock as it sailed off course, supposedly to show off the boat to the homeowner of a head waiter of the craft, a favor from the captain. after the impact, the captain turned it around and beached the vessel. transcripts between the italian coast guard and that captain, francesca schettino, tell the haunting story, a captain who left the ship, giving excuse after excuse why he won't go back on board while passengers struggle to survive. that captain was placed on house arrest today, charged with causing the wreck, abandoning ship and manslaughter. harry smith is an nbc news correspondent, just back from covering this story for italy for "rock center" and nbc news. harry, we are going to play some of that crazy conversation, horrible conversation. what's your report on this what looks to be just a human catastrophe, manmade horror? >> this guy has got to be the anti-sully. you think about people in charge and people doing the right thing. this guy couldn't have screwed up any more than he screwed up. we were on the water right next to that ship yesterday -- yesterday morning. and the enormity of the ship, all the technology in the world this never should have happened. this guy went miles off course to come close by that giglio island and the rocks he hit and the graphic you showed before, you can actually see the rocks from google maps. >> yeah. >> the rocks have a name, called the secaldella scola. this guy, if in fact everything that looks like happened happened, this guy is one of the biggest screw ups of all time. >> an italian coast guard officer repeatedly told the captain, schettino to get back on that ship as it was sinking once he realized he had left the costa "concordia", the captain gives several excuses why he can't get back aboard the ship. >> here is a portion of that transcript. let's listen to it in italian. okay. the coast guard. go. electrical power going on and off, it might have tripped the locks, so that just like in a hotel room, sometimes if the power goes out, that lock goes down, you can't swipe ao unlock the door. >> horrible. >> that may be one of the other scenarios. that is just a theory. so think about all of a sudden the door, your escape door is the ceiling and the other one is even if you could get to it, maybe it's locked and you can't get out. >> oh, god. they are in life jackets, they know what is going on. harry, thank you for that. i said tragic comedy, will end up tragic. when we return, we finish with newt gingrich, a social issue, called race. you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. uncer ] your mom, so proud. tells the neighbors all about her son, the lawyer. someday, but not today mr. intern. today, your boss needs her caffeine. the boss that calls you nick. your name is nate. but you'll do whatever it takes to impress. you'll bring her the all-natural sugar in the raw and the all natural, zero calorie sweetener stevia in the raw. now run along and learn lots. like how she doesn't drink coffee, just tea. it's only natural. by marie claire as one of the 25 beauty products that will change your life because it whitens by removing up to 80% of surface stains. see how it can change your life. crest 3d white. life opens up when you do. my high school science teacher made me what i am today. our science teacher helped us build it. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller. over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪ 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... 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[ male announcer ] sustainable solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. in world war let me finish with this. newt gingrich has called barack obama a food stamp president. food stamp president, got it? i thought we were past all this, didn't you? the talk about welfare queens and phrases like that. you either get the message or you don't. if you don't there is no point arguing about it. most people get the point, white and black get the point. speaker gingrich in the debate, he knew what he was doing. williams asked if gingrich was saying black americans should want jobs not food stamps was insulting. gingrich laid into him saying president obama put more americans on food stamps than any other president. he got a lot of applause for that. why would saying that get you a big hearty applause? because this whole conversation isn't about poverty but race. a candidate that knows how to make his point to appeal to a certain kind of voter, gingrich here. there is no point arguing this. you hear the code being used or you don't. someone talking about food stamps, bringing up food stamps calling the president a food stamp president no one else on the planet is talking about food stamps, knows what he's talking about. about a cartoon, a cartoon the people getting public assistance are lazy, don't want to work and are black. you talk about how low the campaign has gotten, looky here. next time you are knee washington or big urban area i have an educational trip. get up early, 6:00, 6:30 in the