little bit lighter note tonight. don't get me wrong. i love the war room. but there is somewhere else that i would rather be tonight. well, i don't really want to get dressed up. i don't want to compete with the professional red-carpeters but i would love to be a fly on the wall at george clooney's shouldersoldout fundraiser for president obama. it is held at his los angeles home. tickets were selling for as much as $40,000 a pop. and there are estimates that the bash is going to add nearly $15 million to president obama's campaign coffers this evening fundraiser went from event of the month to event of the year thanks to president obama's announcement in support of gay marriage yesterday. now, republicans of course have a very different reaction to the president's statement. they call this monumental moment to the issue of our times a distraction. they tried to shift the focus to a topic that they are more comfortable talking about. take a license. >> aren't there issues of significance you would like to talk about? the economy? he the economy. >> they don't want us talking being what this will president has done to jobs and the economy and our country as a whole. >> this is a distraction. president obama does not have a record that he can stand on. >> every single week whether it's the student loan issue this week or now this gay marriage issue. next week, it will be spellings. every single week, they will strut out another issue to avoid having to talk about the economy. >> president and democrats who talk about this all they want. the fact is the american people are focused on our economy. >> well, i think you are going to find throughout this campaign season that the president's team will be doing everything in their power to try and hold up various shiney objects designed to take people's eye off of the ball. >> okay, mitt, you think gay marriage is a distraction and you want to talk about the economy? i will take the bait. let's talk about the economy. just the facts. so let's just start with your experience in the private sector. when you were running bain capital, your objective, of course, was always roi, return on investment. it was not jobs. the wall street general actually examined 77 businesses that bain invested in while you led bain. 22% of those businesses either filed for bankruptcy, reorganization, or closed their doors with major job losses. but, bain did produce stellar returns for its investors. you are a fix-it guy all right. you know how to buy companies and strip them and flip them. the next was in for profits, but not for jobs. and that is the economic experience that you are running on to be president of the united states. do you still want to talk about the economy? so let me talk to the viewers. if i ask you whether democratic presidents or republican presidents created more jobs i wonder what you would say. well, just this week bloomberg news, which is far from a liberal mouthpiece provided a clearance. here it is. over the last 50 years, private-sector jobs increased much much more under democratic administrations than republican ones. are you surprised? there were 42 million jobs added in 23 years of democratic presidents versus only 24 million jobs added in 28 years of republican rule. you get that? democratic presidents created almost twice as many jobs in less amount of time. now, what about the market? surely under republicans, the market presidents, the stockmarket, fared better than under those anti-business democrats? well lo and behold stocks invested under democrats produced nine times the return than during republican control of the white house. but wait. there is more. bloomberg also reported today that the united states posted a budget surplus of $60 million in one month, april, and the stock market has rebounded past its pre-collapsed high and dallas says that daily consumer spending in april was at one of the highest levels in recent years. and "the wall street journal" and the financial times have reported that over $500,000,000,000 in state budget gaps and job openings have been rising, a sign of employer confidence. now, we all know that jobs aren't being added as fast as we would like. but what is mitt romney offering? the same old, same old policies tried under republican presidents for the last 50 years. it was painful to here mitt romney apologize today for a bullying incident when in high school. perhaps you heard it but i was wondering if we want mit rom ney to have to apologize in 20 years for the dumb prank that he played on america, that silly time he carelessly ruined our economy doing what the other boys were doing, just doing what george bush was doing. so, sure mitt i am happy to talk about the economy. but i am going to guess that you won't like that very much either. now for a peek behind the curtain of what's going on in the senate races. the senate races -- because we want to make sure that the senate races have reacted to the president's announcement in a way that we can understand here to explain how the president's stance on gay marriage could impact key races in the fall is guy seful, the executive director of the democratic senate campaign. guy, thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> you bet. so my question is: could this gay marriage debate actually further poll arrest eyes congress?ize congress? flaming tensions within the moderates and extremes within both parties? >> let me say that i am percentage proud of our president for making the decision that he did. my partner and i celebrated yesterday and last night and are thankful for his decision. we are also proud of the fact that in the united states senate, it's senate democrats that have led the way on issues like don't ask don't tell on employment non-disdescription and a majority of our caucus has already come out in favor of marriage equality. we are also, as you know, jennifer, a party that is a big tent, with all types of opinions and points of view. and i think it's a sharp contrast to what the republicans are offering. i agree with you. we are happy to talk about the economy. but we think that this president and this senate can walk and chew gum at the same time. and that is important that we talk about issues that are important to all americans. >> well i congratlation you too. i think it's a terrific bit of news as well. >> yes. >> the question is in addition to the presidential race, which we have looked at, how does this play out across the country in terms of these key senate races? and the debate is really putting pressure, i think, on democrats maybe in tight senate races like, you know, senator casey and claire mccaskill of missouri and bill nelson who haven't endorsed gay marriage. i am wondering have those senators sort of lost their cover now that the president has come out in favor of gay marriage? and how will that impact those key races? >> i don't think so. look, the bottom line is that even though members of our caucus and can dates that are running around the country who haven't expressed firm support for marriage equality are very clear and on the record that they believe that rights like hospital visiontation, being able to visit your partner or a loved one when they are in the hospital, that these types of rights should be protected. and i would also note that it's the democrats that have a candidate that has the opportunity to become the first openly gay or lesbian senator in our current tree's history. i will let senator casey and mccask ill speak for themselves. senator mccaskill spoke out strongly on this issue. i am confident we have a lot to be proud of in our party and in the senate and we, too, are eager to talk about this and to talk about the economy. the the other senate race i would mention, jennifer which this race provides a sharp contrast is the senate race in massachusetts where senator brown has referred to gay and lesbian issues as a side show as things that aren't important. he continually points out it's well-settled law in massachusetts. he is right. what he doesn't tell you is that he opposes marriage equality around the country. it's one of many issues where elizabeth warren is on the side of the people in massachusetts and scott brown is in opposition. >> so democratic congressional campaign committee chairman steve israel said today that obama's stanchion on gay marriage is not that relevant to the house races and he encouraged candidates to let people know how you feel and move on. i am assuming you would agree that we have got, you know, to make sure that people are clearly in favor, i think, of equality. but then move on. >> yeah. look. i think there are a range of issues that our country cares about. they are a struggle. and they are concerned about republican attempts to flash cover. every single one oft may not be -- our candidate and the republican candidate in nevada paul ryan, the most important thing he has ever done in the united states congress or the united states senate. so we are eager to clearly confidently draw the contrast between republicans and democrats on issues around jobs on making sure that the middle class can survive, that they can deal with the squeeze they are facing by lowering incomes and rising costs. again, i would go back to massachusetts, at the primary example. scott brown will do anything and everything he can to run away from his record of supporting higher taxes for the middle class and lower taxes for the very wealthiest americans. and we want to draw that contrast. we want to talk about those issues. but we won't run from our position like women's health gay issues, or any others that we feel are important to other people around the country. >> yeah. so tonight, on the war room we are sort of looking at this we are looking at the fallout of the decision. could the senate moving to repeal doma on the flip side energize the base? could that help progressive democrats? >> as you probably know, the judiciary committee has had hearings on that issue. many of our candidates are in favor, including bob geary in nebraska of the reversal. we are eager to have that conversation. as i mentioned before, we don't see it as an either/or. we believe we can do multiple things at one time. and while we are committed to causes around equality we also want to make sure that we are not walking away. and that we are holding mitt romney and republicans around the country accountable for their drafterous record. you know unlike 2010, jennifer, this election is going to be a choice between the two parties and their vision for our country. whether it's women's health, whether it's how theo get our economy moving again. whether it's how we take care of the middle class. and we are confident when voters see that choice clearly that they are going to vote for democrats around the country. >> so we saw dick lugar get primaried out earlier this week. are we seeing a resurgence of the extreme wing of the republican party and that could bode well for democrats? >> i think it's a great question. the indiana race is obviously one that's gotten a lot of attention. and i would point out that the republican in that race, richard muordoch is probably one of the few can dates running okay a campaign of more partnershipisanship and i don't know how it's possible to have more in washington, d.c. but i am confident voters in indiana and around the country believe we need two parties that actually work together in washington. and it's in sharp contrast to congressman joe donnelly in that state. jennifer, it's not just about establishment republicans running against tea party republicans. it's about republicans around the country reversing decades old positions because they think they have to in order to win the republican primaries. a grated example is geoff blake in arizona. he has supported comprehensive immigration reform his entire career. and then he announced for the united states senate and then within 48 hours he refersed his position. i don't think it was a change of heart. i think it was a change of politics. and what we are finding in races across the country is the republican party that's moving to the tea party extreme and alienating themselves from independent voters in all of our senate races. >> i hope citizens wake up and realize if they want to get something done in washington they have to send people who are willing to compromise and move forward. >> that's guys. thank you for joining us inside the war room the executive director of the democratic senate campaign committee. up next, what's more important in a presidential campaign? minutae or the moment? we are going to get one answer to that from the man of the moment. >> that's next, and it's only in the war room. ideas can bring us together. >>(narrator) the gavin newsom show. premiers friday may 18th. i look at her, and i just want to give her everything. yeah you -- you know, everything can cost upwards of...[ whistles ] i did not want to think about that. relax, relax, relax. look at me, look at me. three words, dad -- e-trade financial consultants. so i can just go talk to 'em? just walk right in and talk to 'em. dude those guys are pros. they'll hook you up with a solid plan. they'll -- wa-- wa-- wait a minute. bobby? bobby! what are you doing, man? i'm speed dating! [ male announcer ] get investing advice for your family at e-trade. it's go time. >>every weeknight cenk uygur calls out the mainstream media. >>the guys in the middle class the guys in the lower end got screwed again. >>i think you know which one we're talking about. the overwhelming majority of the country says"tax the rich, don't go to war." >>just wanted to clarify that. is ♪♪ >> big breaking news in the from the white house. >> at a certain point, i just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> well for insight and perspective on how important yesterday's quote moment will be in the twelve campaign, from new york, we are joined by university of california political science professor samuel hopkins. he knows a thing or two about presidential campaigning for his time advising cartin clinton and gore. and his new book "the candidate," what it takes to win, hold the white house came out last week. hot off of the press, professor, welcome inside the war room. >> it's a pleasure to be here governor. >> great to have you. he specially in light of the significant event. and so from your perspective as now sort of the presidential historian of these things, how significant of a moment was the announcement on gay marriage for the president's re-election? >> well i think it was absolutely essential given what i have seen in other campaigns in looking back the president had to do this before his convention. and he had to -- and it was probably a very good idea given the past to do it before he got lots of negative publicity when he visited hollywood. whether he might have wished now that the convention was in north carolina there's now another question. i don't think they thought when they picked north carolina for the site of the convention that they expected this issue to be decided for it to change so fast. >> that's one of the problems when you are president. >> well, you certainly have to take on and take advantage of things that arise. right? you have to turn them to your advantage. one might say that the convention being in north carolina is another opportunity to address the issue. but just getting to the point you were almost -- you were just verging on making i am wondering tonight at this big fundraiser at george clooney's house, i am wondering whether you think it presents an image problem, less connected to average voters or somehow, you know, the celebrity in chief. >> we have already seen in past campaigns the attack that he is a celebrity and the obvious line of the campaign has been used by governor romney, former governor romney over and over that he is european, that he spends too much time in the faculty lounge which are polite ways of saying he is different from us, that he is not one of us. and the celebrity problem is likely to be much smaller now that he is president than it was last time, but still, it does suggest he is not really connected to the roots of the tun employed or the hard-working people that he needs to keep him in office. >> well, if you look back, you dial back how has presidents used celebrities or their own celebrity in the past as they campaigned for re-election? >> i was tickled to see in the research for the book when harry truman was make or break in the state of california he stood up there for the pledge of allegiance with lauren bacall and ronald reagan next to him as the two most important symbols of his liberalism in hollywood. there hasn't been -- the picture, i love that it was in the "l.a. times." that was still the case. it makes it cool to be with a candidate if you see people you think are cool support supporting him. nothing that the actors say about policy is going to matter to people. but the fact that they will wear the tee shirts can help a lot. >> that's exactly right. i mean it's sort of interesting that the republicans have sort of a b list group of celebrities and the a lists are all flocking now around the president. >> that's true. i think, you know, other than like kidd rock, a lot of the rock stars they are hopefully on the democratic side. it's those little things, you wonder if that has a greater impact, as you say, than policy. >> well, i don't think so, but i think it tells you something about where they fit in. i am not going to be very interested to see nascar drivers and what tee shirts they wear but many, many americans in every state will. i don't particularly care to see what hulk hogan is wearing on his chirality but i would be very upset if george clooney and i were on other sides or meryl streep and i were on other sides. >> george cleanooney, in your book you talk about how incumbent campaigns aren't as nimble as challengers and it took the obama camp three days from when biden spoke out to when president obama sat down with robin roberts. do you think that was a quick response for an incumbent? >> that's about as fast as an incumbent can do anything. i should note that when a gay act have theivist in the romney camp foreign policy camp was criticized, you will excuse the expression, put him in a closet. but when vice president biden went further perhaps than some people might have wanted the secretary -- other cabinet members chimed in and showed agreement than people at the whitehouse did. the president can't muzzle and speak with one voice from a war room. the war room of a campaign of an incumbent is a satellite. the mothership is the white house. it's the opposite in the challenger's campaign. >> challengers got certainly a bigger hurdle in terms of being able to have a media foot printing that's free. i am wondering from your perspective. >> that's right. >> last question. what does a simple slogan of hope versus forward say about the message of reelection? >>? >> hope and change as w. said when senator obama became the president elect, he said it's a good slogan. i ran on change too. he said -- and he could have said, it's just a slogan, because it's something that shows we are going to do things and we have hope and we have change but once you are president, you are more of the same, whether you like it or not. and he has to emphasize that little by little brick by brick, step by step. he is getting something done. you talked about that earlier when you talk about the jobs growth. >> well, i am glad you heard that. thank you, professor hopkins for jumping inside the war room. you've obviously got some great insight into this election and reelection. >> that's samuel popkin author of