Highlights from 9/23 MEET THE PRESS WITH DAVID GREGORY

Yesterday's MEET THE PRESS WITH David Gregory featured a debate between Obama backer Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) and key Romney supporter Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH); a roundtable conversation with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D), senior Romney adviser Bay Buchanan, "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough, New York Times columnist David Brooks, and Democratic strategist Dee Dee Myers; and a look at the latest battleground map numbers with NBC's Chuck Todd.

Below are highlights, video, and a rush transcript of today's program:

Patrick on Romney's tax returns: "the more important issue is what is it he plans to do with my taxes and yours"
VIDEO: http://nbcnews.to/QwX9rL

GOVERNOR Deval Patrick: Well, I understand people's interest and in fact curiosity about Mitt Romney's tax returns. I think it was his dad who said that tax returns for presidential candidates should be produced way back many years. And I think he produced 20 years' worth of tax returns or more when he was being considered for vice president. But the more important issue is what is it he plans to do with my taxes and yours and everybody else's. He has a tax plan out there where he's talking about $5 trillion in tax cuts, adding to the deficit. No way to pay for that. And no idea about what the impact is on the middle class.

Ayotte on "47%" comments: "that certainly was a political analysis at a fundraiser, but it's not a governing philosophy"
VIDEO: http://nbcnews.to/Q9J5ra

SENATOR KELLY AYOTTE: You know, David, that certainly was a political analysis at a fundraiser, but it's not a governing philosophy. He absolutely has a vision for 100% of America. And that is really different from this president. Really getting our economy moving. We have to look back at the policies of this president and where we are as an economy right now.

Patrick on the notion of "common cause and common destiny"
VIDEO: http://nbcnews.to/UtLSxG

GOVERNOR Deval Patrick: I really believe in this notion, just as a president does, of common cause and common destiny. That we all have a stake in educating our kids. We all have a stake in assuring that this country is well defended. We all have a stake in investing in the infrastructure that creates a platform for economic growth and opportunity. And indeed we all have a stake in the American dream. And we used to come together around that. The kind of sharp, poisonous political discourse that characterizes so much of what goes on in the Congress today … I think that the country is hungry for kind of a conviction-based leadership.

Ayotte: Obama ran as a uniter but is now "trying to divide us"

SENATOR KELLY AYOTTE: The irony of this, of course, the president ran as someone who was going to unite people, but when you listen to the way that he's trying to divide us. Whether it's rich versus poor, have versus have not. … I agree with the Governor. We do need leadership that unites. … if you look at what the president has said and what he has done, of where we are, his leadership on his policies have failed and he has not been the uniting force that we need to get things done.

Patrick addresses 14% unemployment rate among black people: "Nobody is prepared to declare victory."
VIDEO: http://nbcnews.to/SMR75G

GOVERNOR Deval Patrick: Well, I respect the chairman of the Black Caucus and the fact that there is 14%, if that's the right number, unemployment among black people. I can tell you that among young people the unemployment rate is higher than the national average as well. Nobody is prepared to declare victory. We've had the worst economic environment in a generation or two, since the Great Depression. … This president has turned that around. This president has shown that he is able to swim against the current and make some change. … Are we done? Of course not. Of course not. But we're certainly on a better course and pointed in the right direction.

Ayotte dismisses Obama "needs more time" argument: "he tried, but his policies failed"

SENATOR KELLY AYOTTE: David, I guess what I heard was that this president needs more time. But where we are, if you think about it, this is the worst economic recovery since World War II. And it's been an anemic recovery because when they had full charge of the Congress they pushed forward a healthcare bill where people are paying for premiums. … Make it a better tax climate for everyone. For everyone. And make sure that we get people to work. A regulatory climate where small businesses want to thrive and grow. It's been the opposite with this president. I would say he tried, but his policies failed.

Patrick on education and teachers unions: unions were "right there with us" on reform
VIDEO: http://nbcnews.to/Q9JrOs

David Gregory: Governor, have we moved beyond this pro-union, anti-union debate in this political discourse?

GOVERNOR Deval Patrick: We better. In Massachusetts our students are number one in the nation in student achievement and have been for each of the last few years. We're in the top three in the world in math and science and we have the most unionized education system, I think, in the country. The unions have been at the table with us on reform for more than a decade. And, indeed, we moved a bill just a couple of years ago to try to close that achievement gap. And they were right there with us.

Ayotte on education: "Governor Romney believes kids first, unions last."

SENATOR KELLY AYOTTE: Governor Romney believes kids first, unions last. But most importantly I think Condoleezza Rice really hit it at our convention. That giving parents, empowering parents with school choice in underperforming schools, minority students, poor students, that is the civil rights issue of this time. And I think that, unfortunately, the president in the areas like the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship turned his back on that. That's really where we need to go and Governor Romney supports that.

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