It’s probably better left out of the spotlight in these hard times, yet Mitt’s made a couple mentions of his finances in the past few hours—revealing that he’s taxed at about 15 percent, a far lower rate than people making far less, and saying that almost $400,000 in speaking fees is “not very much.” This won’t play well with a cash-strapped American public. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank and USA Today’s Susan Page join us tonight to talk about Mitt’s money and his rocky debate performance last night.
Up next: Cheers and Jeers. Once again, the audience took center stage in last night’s debate when they cheered Rick Perry’s notion that South Carolina is at war with the federal government, and jeered moderator Juan Williams’s question about Newt Gingrich’s possibly racially insensitive remarks. Republican Strategist Ron Christie and Politico Chief Political Columnist Roger Simon are here to discuss.
The recall petition against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker reportedly reached one million signatures today. We’ve got the story, plus a look ahead at this crucial swing state. msnbc’s Ed Schultz, host of “The Ed Show” and Wisconsin State Democratic Chair Mike Tate join us tonight.
Plus: They say that a captain stays fast with his ship… but not in the case of the Italian cruise liner that sank earlier this week. “Rock Center with Brian Williams” Special Correspondent Harry Smith covered the story for Rock Center last night, and he joins us today with the latest.