GOP continues ‘soul searching’ journey

>>> say they're in the process of soul searching . they may want to search a little deeper actually to listen to tea party republicans about immigration, social programs, and impeaching president obama . you would think they haven't learned anything from 2012 in some cases. for example, take a look at what virginia attorney general ken cuccinelli writes in his upcoming book. it strikes a similar note to mitt romney 's old problem about that 47%. remember? here is a new version. quote, one of their favorite ways to increase their power, he's talking about the democrats here, is by creating programs that dispense subsidized government benefits such as medicare , social security , and outright welfare. these programs make people dependent on government and once people are dependent they feel they can't afford to have the programs taken away no matter how infish lent, poorly run, or costly to the rest of society. does the republican party have a chance with folks like cuccinelli around? bob shrum is a democratic strategist and michael steele is a former rnc chairman and msnbc political analyst. bob, i want you to talk about this because it's fairly familiar talk. whether it has any logic to it or not there is something of a ratchet effect. people have been paying into the social security program. or medicare same deal. who is 70 years old today who will say i don't want medicare . i only paid into it for the last 50 years. there's an argument these programs become popular. where are the republicans wrong in that they're saying now and cuccinelli 's version of the truth?

>> well, first of all, people, as you just said, pay into those programs. they pay in all their working lives. secondly, the idea of a social safety net in this country that helps the elderly, that helps people when they're over 65 deal with their health care expenses, that helps the unemployed who, by the way, pay unemployment insurance and before they got unemployed paid the taxes that support food stamps , has been widely accepted in this society, including by ron neld reagan. i have no idea why this guy cuccinelli would want to borrow one of the wornst lines ever uttered in american presidential politics and put it out there as he's starting to run for governor of virginia . he needs to get support in northern virginia . this is going to hurt him there. it's going to have a very tough race against terry mcauliffe and he may actually break the streak that's been going on for decades that whoever wins the presidency, their party loses the governorship of virginia the next time. michael steele months ago i think on this program with me said the 47% line was a disaster. i don't know why anybody would repeat it.

>> let me ask you this, it comes down to numbers. everybody knows there's some people are who cheating, some who aren't looking for a job. do you build a whole philosophy about maybe 5% of the people on welfare are just taking it easy or the republican notion 90% of the people on welfare cheat and just grab the check. that is the way tough look at it. which way is it?

>> and that is not reflective of rank and file republicans , by the way, that 90% of the people on welfare are cheating and shouldn't be there. i think to ken cuccinelli 's point, and to what job just said, i think the reality is he's going to have to square that with the people in the state as he runs for virginia , number one. number two, i don't think that's -- that sentiment or that idea is reflective of the party as a whole. but there is a legitimate point to be made about i think underneath that argument is how these programs function. i have been paying into the system since i was 14 years old and got my first job. i don't expect to reap the benefit of all the dollars that i have put into the system --

>> which programs are you talking about you won't benefit from?

>> the social security program for example. i have been paying since my first job at age 14 years old.

>> you tot.

>> i know.

>> you don't think you're going to get anything out of social security ?

>> i'm not going to get that money back. but this is the broader point. i get it. but the question we have to look at is for future generations, that 20-something-year-old, that 30-year-old in the next 20 to 30-year-old --

>> let's get back to the argument your party has been making, not all of you. this argument it's basically all a trick. get the people to buy into these social programs so they'll become dependent people. that's the old romney line.

>> and that to me is just a cynical view of the american spirit and it shouldn't have any --

>> bob, respond to this editorial in the national review . it's called amnesty pointless saying take away the spanish surname and latino voters look a great deal like many other democratic constituencies. low income households headed by single mothers and dependent upon some form of welfare are not looking for an excuse or action to join forces with paul ryan and poot toomey. in other words, they'll never be republicans . there's lou bar let that, here is what he said about the immigrants that would be affected by the senator's plan. quote, they will be democrats. i hope politics is not at the root of why we're rushing to pass a bill. anyone who believes that they're going to win over the latino vote is grossly mistaken. the majority that are here illegally are low skilled or may not even have a high school diploma . the republican party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. they will become democrats because of the social programs they will depend on. in other words, latinos are democrats endemically. they will vote -- my belief, by the way, this is a case of the republicans , i think as more latinos make it into the middle class , more become upper middle class , more become entrepreneurs as inevitably is happening already, more will become republicans . that's the bottom line .

>> sure, absolutely.

>> they come from countries have that lousy governments. they're not government lovers. they want to have their own stakes.

>> that's going to happen if they're not insulted, insulted, and insulted. the people you just cited prove louisiana governor bobby jindal 's comment that the republicans need to stop being the stupid party. you can't go out during this immigration debate and insult these people over and over again in a kind of semi racist way, in a way that looks down on them. you know, george bush , and i know this all too well, got about 44% of the hispanic vote in 2004 . that's how he narrowly beat john kerry . in a close election that hispanic vote is critical. if republicans are stuck at 27% --

>> you kissed off the hispanic vote. it was your fault.

>> it was rove and bush did a good job of reaching out to hispanics.

>> i'm kidding. it was good for george w. i give him a lot of tribute the fact that he and his family have been very positive on the hispanic relations. there's no problem i got with those people on that one.

>> the party needs to listen more to that george bush approach.

>> that and aids in africa, the two good things the bushes were for. thank you, bob shrum . we found a good republican argument through all the mess here. thank you michael steele .

>>> coming up, a real treat here. all the women and men come out. we have bradley cooper coming here. the mu movie "silver linings" one of the best philadelphia movies of all time and the star of the film bradley cooper is coming to sit right where michael steele is