Will a nominee fix the disarray of the GOP?

>> it hasn't so far. republican women voting has beenntuitive . they have liked santorum, apparently a group of traditional women who don't work outside the home who think romney , like santorum views, somewhere --

>> or not paying attention yet.

>> i wouldn't assume that i think that is a possibility of a sub set, very conservative.

>> thaddeus mccotter , thank you for being here, we feelhere.

>> rachel i don't know if i was dropped so much as pushed but that is nit-picking.

>> when you look at your candidate you have to be happy in arizona , in michigan , too close to call after he carried the state by 9 points. in 2008 , rick santorum campaign earlier tonight was saying they think they already won by making the romney campaign sweat over what ought to be a sure thing for him. that is too close to call characterization worry you?

>> i think lightning will strike me but i do agree with the panel it's too close to call at this point in time. and i think that in his heart of hearts, senator santorum wants to win the state, wants delegates. as you know and the panel know, michigan is proportional you get two per district you win. at the end of the day , two issues whoever faces out of michigan , the overall vote total and delegate count per the congressional proportional delegate allotment. so i think in the final analysis , we played a critical role, our responsibility will be to bind up the wounds of the party, unite behind whoever the nominee is and put forward a positive message for the voters on the economy so they can consider republicans in november.

>> congressman, compare the situation now as we go in march what it was like in november of last year. very, november of 2010 , it looked to me and i think most observers the whole rust belt was vulnerable to a big republican win in 2012 . now i look at it, i look at your state, something like the 17 to 18 point spread is back again for the president. i look atti the uaw reception, are you hopeful michigan could go republican, that states like wisconsin could go republican? the big states in doubt are in doubt?

>> well, chris, i'm as hopeful as an irishman can ever be but you're making a good point. i remember in 2008 when however loved they were by their own party the primary contest between now president obama and senator clinton was heartening to republicans who thought they would make hay in the general. they came back together. in the midwest, which we like to refer to as the manufacturing base, the issue of the economy and issue of the republican approach in an all candor, we have to say this is probable mat i cal if we look backwards as to what happened with the auto industry as opposed forward with what needs to happen to make it be globally competitive.

>> you're sticking to your guns, congressman?

>> i support the second amendment, yes.

>> i had to say that it's in the advertisement you and i keep doing it in these shows. i keep saying it over and over again.

>> where is my royalty check?

>> i deserve to give you one.

>> the republican position on the auto bail out that is not maybe as big a deal for michigan republican primary voters as those of us outside michigan would think looking in at the state? you look at the polling in michigan republicans aren't necessarily overwhelmingly in favor of the auto bail out but you were supportive of the bail out and i wonder when you see the president's speech to the uaw , his message based on the success of the auto bail out you know your candidate, mitt romney put out the let detroit go bankrupt op-ed, do you sometimes think it would be better if this nomination or if the general election fight was about god, guns and gays, if it was about social issues, maybe the economic issues might be trouble in states like michigan ?

>> i believe the economy will be the number one issue and that is what the attention of the voters will be on. i don't think we should mute our principles in any realm but focus on what is sal yent to the voters. in terms of the president of the united states , the speech to the uaw , they are a supportive group of him, also goes back to the fact that he picked up from the original bridge loan the president put forward. i think any candidate that goes forward has to talk about the economy, has to be able to put forward a message that will resonate with the voters and we can't take any vote for granted.

>> congressman, ed schultz here, the bottom line on the automobile loan is jobs were saved, the industry is thriving and mitt romney is parcelling method how it was done. who cares how it was done, a job is a job, an economic turn around is an economic turn around, a sale is a sale, look at what gm is doing now. how does mitt romney get around this? how does he turn to the american people and the wage earners in my ear ka if he's the nominee and say i can do the same thing? is it about method or jobs?

>> well, clearly going to be about jobs. i think when you look at the republican field as it currently is constitute and will remain to the namomination they will have the same position on the auto industry . it's about blue collar jobs, non-union, union jobs, the deindustrialization, if they went in bankruptcy, hard working men and women whose money went to the wall street bail out high and dry we would not northbound -- be in a position if we watch china rise past us as we kick away the manufacturing base that made us great in the country. i think some far-sighted republicans, like paul ryan supported it, it was not a dollars and cents issue, save the taxpayers money in social spending for the displaced workers, and the problem that would have arisen there but allows the economy to grow and try to get it moving at this point in time and we will have globally competitive auto companies that will lead the world and provide an economic engine.

>> what amazes me the republican party in unison was ready to say we don't care about making cars in america, we don't care what the ripple effect is when it comes to plastics, rubber, when it comes to glass, all of the things that go in in the trickle down effect in the suppliers how could they be so wrong and still try to come out and parcel words as to why they are against it to this day? how is that going to be a political winner?

>> i'll grant you the majority of the opposition to the auto bridge loan came from the republican party but there were democrats that were against it, too. i think when you look at the base republican voters throughout the country they do understand we need to make things, farm, manufacture, we need to have a healthy, vibrant economy. with the rank and file republicans, they understand it. when you look at what happened with the bridge loan , as we talked about at the time, president bush authorized that money to come out of already appropriated funds targeted to the wall street people who caused the problems in the first place. so to my fellow republicans i remind them if you were in congress at the point in time or president bush you could leave all $700 billion of taxpayer money with the wall street people could you take some back to main street to keep america balanced. to me there was no choice.

>> congressman mccotter of michigan , thank you for your time and again, as a romney supporter, even if you are one who disagrees with him, congratulations on the win tonight in arizona . appreciate your time, sir.

>> thanks for having me.

>> summarizing the top news, number one, mitt romney has won in arizona . that was the nbc news projection, when all the votes are counted he will be the winner. in michigan , too close to call between mitt romney and rick santorum . i would add the third big news, third item of big news for this hour is that we just spent ten minutes talking with one of mitt romney 's top surrogates in michigan about how wrong mitt romney was on the auto bail out. summarizing the ongoing problem among the people who are supposed to be at least pretending to be the most enthusiastic mitt romney supporters in the country.