Page 17 - John Heilmann News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Do nothing about the wealthiest and take it out on the backs of people who make a median income of $19,000 a year? it's unconscionable and silly. and i don't think it's going to have the political support that he wants. >> well, how do they get away with it politically? you know, congresswoman, as much as it may be in the rhetoric of the democratic party, most republicans are not rich. the rich may benefit -- john, you take this on. most republicans are average income, some above average, but the very rich may benefit the most from their progress. most of the voters are not rich and they need ...

Check get written to pay for medicare, it goes to a doctor or a nurse or somebody who works at a hospital. and, by the way, i think they're good people. jan schakowsky and john heilemann, keep up that rodney dangerfield thing. i love it. it speaks millions. i love it. when you express -- what's the right word, disdain? >> i don't disdain anyone, chris. no one. >> okay, thank you. just impure thoughts. up next, newt gingrich does it again. now he's trying to criminalize president obama's election. he's calling on al capone, chicago gangster. not enough to call him a mall mall guy from kenya. ...

Thank you joan walsh and thank you john heilemann. up next, the white house has a couple big wins to brag about lately. they are winning on wall street reform. they will get unemployment extensions and we'll get to see all the playing on main street with pennsylvania governor ed rendell. this is "hardball" only on msnbc.

Party takes over and the mad hatters it start writing the platform, joan, it's going to be kind of odd. i'm older than you. i can remember when the republican senators basically passed the civil rights bill back in '64. led by everitt dirksen. they were all moderates. all reasonable people and they believed in civil rights. can you imagine this crowd meeting and passing a civil rights bill? >> no. they would not do that. they would not. you know, john is right about this. there's going to be an empirical test. it's not going to be perfect. there will be, you know, eccentricities to it, but the...

>> welcome back to "hardball." that's, of course, u.s. congresswoman michele bachmann announcing the formation of the tea party caucus today. then she went on to say the tea party, what they will and will not stand for. here she is laying down its principles. let's listen. >> i am not the head of the tea party nor are any of the members of congress the head of the tea party movement. the people are the head of the tea party movement in all of their forms. we are also not here to vouch for the tea party or to vouch for any tea party organizations or to vouch for any individual people or actions...