Gov. Patrick: We need a robust, independent private sector

>>> as you may know a cyclists have been spending time getting to know each other and helping you get to know us. today let's map out the story that is steve kornacki. steve is a former photographer and before he was discovered and became a national heart throb he hosted a regional political show in new jersey. take my word for it, let's go to the video type. tape.

>> we're back on power and politics.

>> i love that.

>> i love the hair. long before he was a tv star he did a brief stint as a politician, president of the tenth grade class until he botched prom planning and was swiftly voted out. politics ain't for the feint of heart. it is not all politics with steve . it is 99.9% politics. he is not amused by one specific part of amusement park , one in particular, the coney island ferris wheel . roller coasters , good. slow moving, non-descript rides, no, no, no. not to say he isn't an internal man of mystery and danger. he once broke a girl's wrist. not as bad as is sounds. it was an unfortunate skiing incident during a magical date or something. hopefully he is easier on patrick.

>> there is a good explanation for the ferris wheel . the massachusetts governor that i talked to made it out of our one-on-one unscathed and we got into tough issues. we started off with election year politics.

>> i am enthusiastic about president obama 's re-election and i feel that it is bigger than the candidates or any one campaign or policy and as important as passionate as people feel about policy, i think the american dream is at stake.

>> that's the theme of the book have you written.

>> that's right.

>> really is sort of a defense of not just the role of government but the concept of government and i wonder if that's an area you think not just related to this campaign but going forward, is this something democrats dropped the ball in explaining to people and getting them to understand?

>> i heard a great line from a prominent democrat in washington that the first ones to believe the republican talking points are democrats. maybe most especially democratic senators said this one person. i think that this notion that we can look to the private sector to solve all of our problems is naive and never been reality in this country. we need a robust independent private sector . that's where most people will find their way. we need government to do the things that we do together.

>> seems though and i am trying to think ahead to next year because really not going to resolve anything in congress before the end of the election and probably in the lame duck session .

>> isn't it amazing we accept that?

>> i wonder about that. we do. should we not? is there anything that we can do right now that would spur congress to do anything?

>> i would tell you i think that the notion that the behavior of a congress which has in the midst of the worst economic crisis in a generation or two, been permitted in effect to place the undoing of this presidency at the top of their agenda is an outrage, and there ought to be consequences for that at the polls.

>> looks like a not likely scenario that democrats will take back the house. how do you break through that?

>> i actually think that the dynamic in the congress changes even if the personnel doesn't if the president wins re-election.

>> if he does get re-elected, what would you like to see in a second term? what are the things you want addressed?

>> i want a bold agenda and i want it to come out fast and strong from the beginning. i want it to be first and foremost an economic agenda. the deficit and investment strategy , the balanced approach that the president has put on the table in various forms over the last couple of years, i think we have to have action on that, and i think that clarity about where we're going is helpful in a whole lot of lulls including settling down this sense of uncertainty in the market right now. i want an emphasis on education and innovation and on infrastructure which is precisely what we're doing here in massachusetts . it is an absolutely critical series of investments for the here and now.

>> i want to ask you about you're doing something very interesting on health care . you have obviously the universal health care law in your state. the issue has been cost control so you are now -- you now have a plan that is supposed to save $200 billion in costs over 15 years. can you tell us what specifically you'll be doing?

>> i think we'll save even more. we have been on a path of universal care now for five years, five and a half years, a bill that governor romney signed when he was in this office before me. i am very proud of the fact we have extended coverage to over 98% of our residents, 99.8% of children. more businesses are offering insurance to their employees today than before health care reform went into place. we are healthier by a host of measures. we are the model here in massachusetts for the affordable care act . our own health care reform polls consistently in the 60, 70% approval. the affordable care act in massachusetts about 50/50 and the same thing. i think it has a whole lot to do with how much better understood and how much better marketed our own local health care reform has been than what's happened at the national level.

>> you have said you're not going to run for re-election in 2014 and you want to return to the private sector .

>> yeah. i miss the private sector on pay day . you can stay involved from the private sector as well. there may be another time in life when i feel like i have some contribution to make in public life , but that won't be at the tail end of my time as governor.

>> all right. you can catch more of my interview with governor patrick by going to the cycle.msnbc.com and check out my web extra on another legend paul tsongas . the man whose career is a large part of the reason i am sitting here today if you like lull and stongas, you will love that segment. if not, check it out