i have an update on hurricane isaac. plenty of dry air coming from the northern northeast tier. it doesn't have that organization right now sitting with winds about 70 miles per hour. get up to 74. we have ourselves hurricane isaac and the forecast model does have it getting up to at least a category 1 storm. the concern now, going to be storm surge and heavy rainfall. once the storm makes landfall. sometime tomorrow night into early wednesday morning, it really slows down. look at this. by thursday morning, still hanging out around jackson north of new orleans. that's the concern. six to 12 inches of rainfall in the forecast.

of course, with plenty of storm surge to go with that. we're looking at some areas getting jump wards of 20 inches of rainfall before it is all said and done. the latest track is like. this 75-mile-an-hour winds as we head into the morning hours of wednesday. again, landfall. a little after midnight expected just east of new orleans around gulfport. perhaps into biloxi as this makes landfall. hopefully only as a category one. with a deep awareness of the responsibility with your trust, i accept your nomination for the presidency of the united states. >> this is america, a brilliant diversity, spread like stars like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. >> i call on every american to rise above all the men who divide us. >> they have their chance. they have not led. we will. >> fight with me. fight with me. fight for what's right for our country.

>> the republican national convention is officially open for business and mitt romney arrives here in tampa on tuesday. >> new orleans is hunkering down. a big storm is heading our way. >> the gulf coast on alert for a new hurricane disaster. alabama and mississippi. >> we all understand how important preparation is. >> threatening the same spots where katrina hit seven years ago. >> we have seen the results of people thinking they somehow are stronger than storms. >> in florida. >> republican national convention in session and called to order. >> republicans officially open their convention, but delay the speakers and festivities for 24 hours. >> they stand in recess. >> even though tampa dodged the

worst of the storm. >> they made the same division i made and the most important thing we can do is keep everyone safe. >> tonight cnn is live in new orleans and at the convention site. we are tracking the power and preparations in the danger zone and any political fallout. >> our people are with the people in the storm's path. >> will this storm overshadow mitt romney's crowning moment now that voters are shifting focus to isaac? plus, the private side of romney as he prepares for the most important speech of his life. his sons open up about their dad. now our republican convention coverage, the players, the issues, the stakes and the storm. the road to the white house leads through tampa right now.

>> welcome to tampa, florida, the site of the republican national convention. about 16 hours from now, the thousands of delegates will reconvene to begin the process of making mitt romney president of the united states. final preparations are now being made for the first of three star-studded nights. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer in tampa with erin burnett. we have a lot of politics to cover. >> we sure do. the convention is formally convened today, but for a few moments. the party chairman reince priebus was in charge and you saw him bringing it to order and the republicaned starts a second. they have one up there.

the $16 trillion debt and another 1 to count how much is racked up in the gop convention. the real action will start tomorrow. chris christie is going to be delivering the key note address and all eyes will be on that. whether it is bombastic or calm or a combination of the two. another highlight will be the speech by his wife, ann. while all that is going on, they could be facing the wrath of hurricane isaac hitting just at that moment. anderson cooper was there back in 2005. >> they are joining with the latest waiting for isaac along the gulf coast. >> wolf and erin, i am at the 17th street canal. the water is held back by one of the levies that broke when hurricane katrina hit the city, since then, $10 billion has been spent on repairing and strengthening new orleans levies. you can see when the floodgates that are behind me and been rebuilt, seven years ago, they are going to be tested possibly.

mears the latest to tell you about. forecasters say it will be a hurricane and a hurricane very soon. new orleans could be feeling tropical storm force winds tonight. the wind is blowing more than it was two hours ago. the storm is moving slowly and not expected to make landfall until wednesday. mandatory evacuations are ordered for mississippi and louisiana along low-lying areas and thousands are heading inland. a lot more will be hunkering down for the storm. bobby jindal will be on the republican party's rising stars. he is staying home and not going to the convention. >> i will not be speaking or attending the convention in florida. party conventions are intesting, but no time for politics here in louisiana along our coast. >> our meteorologists chad meyers is joining us in the severe weather center. what is the latest on where isaac is heading. give us the most up to date info.

>> right to the west of new orleans and west of new orleans proper. about three hours ago, it tried to get an eye and an eyewall. this will not have rapid intensification. it failed to make that eye. great news. right now it would be a significantly bigger storm with an eye already. because it failed once, it's trying again right now trying to make another eye. 70 miles per hour, it never did make it to the hurricane. although it sure did try during that first eye wall try. right there, the storm is moving up the mississippi river. about a 100 mile per hour storm, not that far from new orleans. about 100 miles in error, left and right of new orleans by 2:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. this is about 30 hours away right now. anderson? >> also stay with us because i want to bring in rob marciano. he is not ordering an evacuation with a network of levies. he got a bird's-eye view of the

levies. a different system than seven years ago. >> incredible. when you see it up close, it's awe-inspiring, but to get a look at the project is impressive. you want to share that with the viewers. >> shortly after taking off is the biggest pumping station in the world part of a $14 billion plan to protect new orleans from hurricane floodwaters. gates to keep the seawater from coming in and pumps to let the rain water out. there is 73 pumping stations across five parishes and some are able to move water at 150,000 gallons per second. they are miles and miles. >> if this storm strengthens to a category two storm tonight, will you sleep well? >> this is the best system that

the greater new orleans area has seen. >> dug deeper, built stronger and standing higher than seven years ago, there 133 miles of levee wall around the city. new orleans's most exposed is here on the eastern side. this sea wall nearly two miles long, according to the army core of engineers, this is ready. >> sitting in the rescue aircraft reminds me that if the walls don't hold, the men providing this may be the same guys that are saving lives down below. >> we train every day.

>> we are ready. we have crews ready and available to respond. >> during and after hurricane katrina 2005, he was credited with restoring order here and it was a welcome sight when he arrived here. he is retired here. what concerns you most over the next 24 hours? >> people in flood-prone areas that will try to stick it out. and stay home. parts of the gulf coast will flood. all outside of the levee system. >> where we are which is 17th street canal is outside the protection. they are over there protecting that side. >> the lower parishes have a significant amount of villages and towns that will flood.

>> are they ready? they are ready for the perspective and i hope the people are ready, mentally prepared and have done the preparation we have been preaching about at home and prepared to live three or four days without electricity. the storm even though it's a category one has the capacity to turn the lights out. be prepared. to spend some time without electricity. >> the leadership at the state and local level is a different story. >> different story. infrastructure is different. the whole levee system is better. on any given day mother nature can beat us. you know that. >> it is a slow-moving storm, people may say this is a low cat 2, we are looking at a lot of storm surge and rain over a 24-hour period. >> if you were in this area, new orleans, st. bernard parish, you cannot live a few days without electricity meaning air conditioning and all the amenities, you need to leave.

i know they tried to paint this, but if you have problems, you need to leave. >> if you have a severe medical condition. >> right. you need to leave. if you know anyone with special needs, you can't live without the air conditioning, they need to leave and leave now. >> we're going to continue to check in with you throughout this storm. appreciate that. a lot to cover. we'll be with you throughout this hour. >> all five of ann and mitt romney's grown kids stopped by and you will hear part of that conversation. piers tried to get them to reveal a few family secrets. take a look. >> i want to find a chink in the armor. >> about my dad? >> yeah. >> nobody wants mr. perfect. >> he does have chinks in the armor but i won't tell them to you. ntgomery and abigail higgins had...

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>> i'm here with piers morgan and he had a chance to sit down with all five romney sons. it was a beautiful sight. >> to put it into perspective, this is the vip box in the gop convention.

when ann romney speaks, the five boys will be sitting here cheering on mom and dad. it's a fascinating interview. >> a great interview. >> it was full of stuff about their love and faith and dad's tax plans. it was all there. the most important challenge is and you would understand this doing live broadcasting, how the hell do you remember five brothers's names when they all look pretty much alike. that was the first test. watch what follows. >> ben, craig, tag, josh, matt. >> very good. >> can you do it without the earpiece? >> no, no, no one was giving me information. we are at the crucial stage of the campaign. your father is within breathing distance of the white house. big pressure. how are you coping as his sons with the negativity that begins to pour down on your dad's head?

>> you don't worry about the negativity. it comes with the territory. you kn about it before we came in. you try to get your own message out there. a positive vision for what my dad believes america can get back to. trying to get the 23 million people out of work back to work. that's his message. he and paul ryan will do everything they can to breakthrough the stuff out there and deliver that message in their people. >> josh, when you see an attack ad like the obama super pac ad accusing your father for being responsible for a woman's death. how do you feel? >> some of these go too far clearly. the ones that are untruthful are hard to watch it. they're hard to watch. they're not fun. but at the end of the day when people who know my dad best, the people who spent their lives with him and people who support him and the ones know him the least have the worst things to say. at the end of the day, my pros and my mom, we can who he is.

we let it roll off our backs. >> your dad seems a very laid back individual. what is the biggest anger moment you have seen throughout this whole campaign. what's the moment when he really got upset? >> he seems laid back? is that what you said? he can be very intense. he can also be laid back when the time is right. we were talking earlier and he was a ceo and a governor. that's really part of who he is, but also a grandfather. when we see him in those moments, he is really laid back. he is a terrific grandfather. we have seen him intense as well on the campaign trail. you encounter a lot of scenarios and hecklers and different things. i think he handled it all very well. when he needs to be intense, we have all seen it. >> what is the biggest misconception about your father? you keep reading and you say you know what, he's not like that.

>> i will not get into the media misconceptions, but what i think my father is and he's a great dad and grandfather. he's a phenomenal leader and he's a turn around guy who has come into situations and turned around difficult situations. he is caring and doing it in the right situation. >> you make him out to be a saint. when you are criticizing him, where would you be critica come on. >> he cares too much. >> his hair is too perfect. >> he cares too much? >> exactly. >> you are going to make me cry. seriously. you are the youngest. the youngest always tells the truth. i have three sons and my youngest would give it to me straight. i want to find a chink in the armor. >> about my dad? >> yeah. >> nobody wants mr. perfect. >> he does have chinks in the armor, but i won't tell them to

you. he is a role model to all of us and you we have tremendous respect for him and it's a great privilege to travel the country on his behalf and hear about the issues important to them. >> let's turn to the documentary and a fascinating series of interviews. your mother got very emotional and your father got emotional too. two pivotal moments. in both their lives. one died in a car crash and second when your mother was ill with ms. when you watched that, were you surprised by the fact that they were so emotional on camera? >> no. that's my mom and dad that we know. my dad is a very emotional guy and cares deeply for his family and for those that he loves around him. the people that he comes across in his life. he cares very deeply. when he is in front of the camera and on the stage, he has his guard up because when he

doesn't, he gets assailed for saying the wrong phrase. >> ims stu he metaphorically ripped his jacket off. >> all the time. >> this is what i'm really like. >> all the time. people who see him at work as governor running the olympics tell you a man that cares deeply and is passionate and runs through brick walls to make things happen. he's flawed. all of us are flawed. >> what are those flaws? >> the democrats are doing their best to say we'll tell the other side of the story. >> let me give you allegations. one is that he is boring. >> i wouldn't say that. he is a pretty interesting guy. i can't imagine anything i would rather spend an hour talking to about you name the subject. he's a lot of fun to listen to and talk to and argue with. >> the other is a flip flopper. doesn't stand for anything.

one minute he believes this, is and is he a man of principal? >> if you look at his career in the public sector, he has the same goals and he loves to help people. if you look at what he did as governor, he was doing things to help people. he is running for president. this is not an ego thing. he doesn't need this to make him feel better about who he is as a person. but he is in a position to help people and turn the economy around. the thing about my dad in my opinion is principals and what he stands for and what he wants to do for the country. >> when you take an issue like abortion when he goes from one extreme to the opposite, people say that's where he is not principled. what would you say? >> there is evolutions everybody has in life. i don't think you can find a person who has not changed positions on something in a lifetime. circumstances change. i think that's a good thing. someone was able to do that and open to learning good things. i think someone has an open mind

and willing to look at things is a good thing in a leader. >> lots of issues around the republican race. especially the nominee race. the conservative issues came to the fore. you guys are all mormons obviously and we know about that faith. when you meet young people, they say the problem with the republican party is they don't like the apparent intolerance over gay rights. over abortion and these kinds of issues. you are young guys. how do you feel? are you completely wedded and signed up to the positions the party takes? >> we are not running for president so our positions don't matter but our dad is. the one thing i can tell you about him and us, our faith teaches us to love everybody regardless of their situation and orientation is. that's first and foremost. you love everybody. as far as policies are concerned, we all believe that family is important. my dad does as well. that is worth fighting for.

how that shakes out, that's up to him to decide. we all believe the same things. >> i suppose what i'm getting at is some of the language used by some of the republicans. some of the language can be very almost bordering on bigoted. as the younger guys, it is generational. do you wish sometimes the language used by the republicans was less emotive? >> my dad is very compassionate in his views and he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but he is also very understanding that people have other opinions. i think he has been respectful of both sides. this race i don't think is going to come down to social issues. we have 23 million americans out of work and economy that is stalling. we've add $5 trillion in debt in the last few years. $7 trillion of debt.

this is going to come down to who can turn the economy prnd and people trust my dad on that a lot more than barack obama. >> the mormon faith, we touched on that and there was a documentary last night with parents expanded more on this. we heard the negatives about mormonism. what are the positives. from your point of view. what are the great assets are being a mormon that you would advocate? >> in a few brief sentences, i guess, for me it's great values and how to live my life. how to treat other people. just like a lot of faiths that are out there, there a lot of great thing about mormonism. how to live your life and treat your neighbor and love others. >> you don't drink or smoke or take drugs or womanize. >> these are all things -- >> you are strapping young guys. don't you ever wish you were not mormons? >> these are blessings in my life. living by that sort of code has been wonderful for me. >> do you think it's really important? do you think it's a great asset? >> i hope so.

it's something that is important to us and the values we have been taught from a young age. they are core principles of our faith and we are very proud of that. >> stay with us. so many women are tuning in to watch these six handsome guys, we will come back after the break. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. so how much do we owe you? that'll be $973.42. ya know, your rates and fees aren't exactly competitive.

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you can give in with dreyer's slow churned light ice cream. we churn it slowly for all the rich and creamy taste with just half the fat. so now you can have your ice cream and it eat it, too. i'm live in the cnn grill with the romney five as i've dubbed them. josh, let's talk taxation. i know you have been champing at the bit to get to this. a lot of people say come on, the old man should release more of his financial records to clear up once and for all how much taxes he's paid. >> he's paid his taxes and this is a gimmick by the obama

campaign to take the message off the economy and on his taxes. at the end of the day, we have $16 trillion of debt and 23 million americans out of work and obama talks about my dad's personal taxes. these are not things that matter. they want to use it as a gimmick to hit him over the next few weeks to focus on my dad's taxes. really the big issue is the economy. it's faltering and sputtering along. obama had 3 1/2 years and he hasn't done it. that's the real issue. >> matt, how hard is it to be the son of a man that think you are very, very rich people. whichever way you dress it up. you get people attacking him for his success and wealth. >> as tagg pointed out, this is a game of politics. we are prepared. it's tough to see. we know that he did a great job of making that money. he worked very, very hard to do that. we don't take anything for granted.

a lot of people are struggling. >> i think that's one of the ironies. president obama is trying to make it a disqualifier to be successful. if you had a successful career, in the private sector, that somehow disqualifies you from being a good president. and obviously president obama has not that opportunity. but wants to point to my dad as being disqualifying. >> knowing your father as you do, you can guarantee to the american people he has nothing to hide about his finances? >> yeah. i know my dad and what he stands for and his value system. he is the most honest guy i know and complete integrity. nothing to hide and he wants to focus on the economy. let's not distract ourselves with the peripheral issues. let's get down to the issues. you look at the pick and this is a guy who spend his time tackling the issues. whether or not you agree or disagree, he is trying to make a difference and my dad is doing the same thing. he wants to make a difference and talk about the issues.

>> were you concerned when your dad picked a running mate who lock looks like his sons. >> he picked the person he thought would do the best job to tackle the debt and get the economy moving and to pick it up when he is out of office. he didn't pick paul ryan for political reasons, but he was the right person to pick. that says a lot about how my dad will govern. he will pay less attention -- >> what a bold move. it was quite audacious. >> you look at what he will do in office. he won't worry about the day to day back and forth and what is that person going to think? he does what he thinks will be the right thing to do. and bring the american people along and have them get behind him and weave forward and fix the problems that we're facing right now. your dad has a huge speech on thursday. what do you want him to say? you talk privately and say dad,

come out a do this. have the they will how great his sons are. >> i think it's a great opportunity for people to see him and hear him in an unfiltered way. to hear his story and vision for the country. i think in large parts he has been defined by the opposition up until this point. it's a chance for the voters to know what kind of candidate he really is. >> what's funny is we keep getting e-mailed speech from friends who say this is exactly what he needs to say. >> do you want him to be passionate and emotional? >> since he picked paul ryan. >> he has it there. he has been a bit like a caged lion. i wonder if you say dad, this is the moment. this speech could win you the election. do you say that too?

>> i haven't said it to him. i trust him. i really, really do. >> he's very, very capable. if i had half the intelligence he has, i would be thrilled. i really trust him. he knows what he's doing and he is capable and will give a great speech. it will be a lot of great inside and how to fix the economy. you are a doctor and your mother is making a huge speech tomorrow. she's been through an extraordinary ordeal with her health and yet when i've been with her, you would never imagine it for a moment. she brought you five guys up and she had all this back-up and that wasn't true. >> she has been really a role model for me as well. she faced a difficult situation and attacked head on. she said, okay. what are we going to do and how am i going to get better? she and my dad worked together

and said let's tackle this. we can overcome this. she worked really hard to get to where she is right now. i just have nothing but pride and admiration for that. >> i want all of you to give me one word which is a great description for your dad and you cannot use the same word. >> frugal. >> qualified. >> generous. >> father. >> integrity earlier, but i will say loving as well. >> father first. >> father can be the one thing. it's a pleasure to meet you. great to see you. craig, ben, i got you all right again. that was a fascinating interview with the romney sons. i will turn back to wolf and erin. >> it's amazing. whatever you want to say about mitt and ann romney, they have a great family. those five boys are impressive. >> really, really impressive. i like a lot of things, but the

words to describe, i like how the first word was frugal. one of the things we've heard very positive about. >> funny they didn't say was cheap. >> the flip side is cheap. >> but he's frugal. we heard in a story from gloria borger, he goes to costco and buys kirkland shirts. three for $15. >> those are good shirts. >> whatever it costs. >> we have the latest on tropical storm isaac as we track it. >> and we're only moments away from an updated projection on the powerful storm's path. stay with us. everyone has goals. take the steps to reach yours, with us with real advice, for real goals. the us bank wealth management advisor can help you. every step of the way. from big steps, to little steps. since 1863 we've helped guide our clients, so they can take the steps to help grow, preserve, and pass along their wealth.

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the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. here's the latest on isaac. forecasters expect it to be a hurricane soon and could have 100 mile an hour sustained winds. bethe time it makes landfall on wednesday. it is moving around 10 miles per hour and forecasters expect a decrease in the forward speed. the slow movement could produce long laughing rainfall. 15 to 20 inches are possible in southern mississippi and alabama as well as the extreme western florida panhandle. also forecasters are warning the combination of a storm surge will cause the dry areas to be flooded and the major threat

from isaac will not be wind, but flooding. that's the most important thing to remember. let's check in with chad meyers. he has the latest on the storm track. chad? >> you about summed it up. not much more to say than that. we had some rainfall across parts of florida today. in some spots, 13 inches of rain. it is trying to increase, trying to find a new eye. forecast to go right near new orleans. 100 miles per hour as you said. it will continue to move on up here and then into new orleans and enter louisiana and it is going to stop. we have all these to keep the seawater out of new orleans. we have to hope that the 20 inches of rainfall can be pumped out. we have rain coming in and rain coming out and wind speeds will be coming up. we'll have updates for you as

the 11:00 advisory comes in on my tweet deck. >> if it's moving at 10 miles an hour, when it goes over land moving slower than that, how long are folks going to be feeling the effects? >> we could have 45 to 55 mile per hour winds for no less than 48 hours. that will shut down airports and put power lines down and people without power, sometimes they will have a hard time keeping up. with the rainfall rates we'll have with this storm. >> we will continue to check in with you. let's go back to wolf in tampa. wolf? thank you very much. i'm worried about the power shortages, the elderly, the hospitals, if they lose power, that could be a big deal. >> last time with katrina and the elderly in new orleans. tomorrow on tuesday, mitt romney will be arriving and his five sons are here and his wife will be here.

the speeches are getting under way in the afternoon. it is a day short so they start early. >> a roll call as well. that includes the wife of the nominee. she is speaking tomorrow night and candy crowley near the podium. what can you tell us about tomorrow? >> well, two big speakers actually tomorrow night. ann romney will kick off the high profile speeches to try to refrain, if you will, the mitt romney that voters have gotten to know through various ads and they have seen on the air as well as mistakes that romney made along the way. she will play what has become a traditional wife role or spouse role not in the sense of sitting by and not saying anything, but in the sense that wives can not only humanize their husbands, but wives are something that a lot of folk can relate to.

ann romney is a likeable person and comes across that way and plays the camera well and the fact is that they are banking on people warming up to ann romney. you do that, gee, she's married to him and therefore he must be a good guy kind of connection. a really interesting kind of contrast in that 10:00 p.m. eastern hour. you will also hear from the new jersey governor chris christie who is delivering the key note speech. as you know this is a guy who doesn't pull many punches. it will be an exciting hour tomorrow night. >> i'm looking forward to it. she does have an inspiring story. i'm sure it will be a terrific speech. thanks. other correspondents have been gathering information about the action tomorrow. they will be on duty for us. let's begin with details on the key note speaker. what do you hear?

>> it's interesting. candy was talking about the fact that new jersey governor chris christie doesn't pull any punches, but sources who know well that he is the same in private with governor mitt romney. the two of them met officially when the governor came to new jersey to ask for his endorsement which he got. they became close enough that governor christi can say in private that a lot of people say to mitt romney. they established a bond between the two. unclear if that's one of the reasons. the other is likely as candy was talking about that he doesn't pull any punches. our understanding is that he is

going to talk positively about the republican party and his vision for it. i want to push it over to jim who will talk about who what he is hearing and what they think will happen tomorrow. >> that's right. one thing we should point out, they put out new guidance. that is that they will be having another briefing tomorrow morning. officials have been saying they will be doing this quite often. frankly they have to stay on top of the storm and they have to change in light of what happens with that storm. they want to avoid anything that will step on what is the big priority in tampa, telling the story of mitt romney. i had a chance to catch one a long time friend of mitt romney and why this is. why do they have to tell the story of mitt romney? why don't the american people already know who he is? he drew a parallel that had to do with a sales job of his own. that was back in 1980. ronald reagan.

>> it's kind of like 1980. when people were tired of carter and his policies. still liked him, but there is this old guy, ronald reagan from california and weren't sure about him. they took the convention and i think it's the exact same situation. >> and earlier today, i had a chance to catch up with the gop chairman. reince priebus. we talked about this earlier. wolf, he said here in tampa, they have to be nimble. i heard that he him in named him. that he had the nickname reince be nimble. >> he has a tough job. i don't envy him at all. thanks very much. we will take a quick break. some of the louisiana delegates are suffering about deja vu like in 2008. they are at a party convention as a big storm is headed towards their home state and we'll hear from some of them.

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our dana bash is with two louisiana delegates and she is spending the day talking to concerned members of the delegation about isaac. let's send it now down to you. >> they were kind enough to come here to talk about what's going through your head and what's going on with the delegation. lynn, this has to be tough. you're from new orleans. you lived through katrina. >> we did and we are hoping that the city fares better than it did during katrina. katrina devastated the city of new orleans with the levee breakage. we're expecting that there will be 20 to 30 hours of rain in the city of new orleans. so it doesn't -- it is a serious situation for us. >> we talked about the show must go on. >> it's important. the delegates have a job to do here. we have an election coming up in november. it's an important decision on where americans will go and they

have an opportunity to make their case of american public. >> for both of you it must be incredibly difficult. it's fair to say you got emotional believing that is an important business. knowing what's happening back home. >> if we could do something about it, it would be great. there is nothing to do about it. the hurricane will go in where it chooses. it's just hideous that it comes on the anniversary of katrina with new orleans. it was just seven years ago with katrina. >> neither of you considered going back home. >> we would have had to evacuate it anyway. we are hoping that the levees are strong and the people in st. bernard parish say they are confident. >> hopefully they will hold. >> we're don't know it will happen. hopefully everything will be okay.

do we hope that the fellow republicans talk things down? >> no and i think we are here to do the business of his country and to elect mitt romney. new orleans is part of this great country, but it's a part of it. everyone is concern and we need to go on with our convention. that's what's important. >> thank you very much for coming in. >> everybody wishes you all the best with your family back home. >> thanks very much. >> back to you, wolf. >> thank you. >> let's talk about isaac and the politics of the storm. let me start with you first of all. this is an awkward moment for the convention. if it is likely to be a hurricane by tomorrow night at this time and they are still speaking, that races a lot of problems. >> sure. and i think there was a lot of grousing that there was not a convention today but it's always easy to make that call in hindsight. what the delegates feel like

they need is say good speech from mitt romney and ann romney and chris christie and if they need to truncate events, they will do it. >> do they have that powerful speech that can give them the boost out of this? >> i think so. a lot of his speeches have fallen short of what they might have been and the president is obviously a better speaker. but i saw a lot of growth in the primaries. the big issue is there is an issue. this is approaching and there is a sense they will be under siege. it's hard to see how you go on the attack. >> how do they do that? how automatic war would that be? >> i'm not sure it's that awkward. a lot of people watching and more than we would otherwise. this is not something to serve republicans.

this is an event for the people of the united states. we're picking a nominee. this is a responsibility that republicans have this week and democrats have next week to pick a nominee and introduce him to the american people. this is not a self-serving that republicans do for their own benefit just like next week won't be for the democrats. they need to meet that responsible but they can change the tone. they can be respectful. >> you're forgetting something here. >> you have republican governors florida, alabama, mississippi, louisiana, texas. chris christie, governor of new jersey. you have an opportunity for leadership. november 2008 senator john mccain suspends his campaign. then senator obama does not. when you become president, things change. things happen. i think how they handle it is saying this is simply a microcosm of what will happen when you become president. you have to handle the natural disaster and things changing and

you have to change course. >> how do you get the full been if it as a result of what's happening with isaac? >> we don't know the answer, but i think to alex's point, more people will be watching in the daytime so they'll see more of gloria's documentary. more of the daytime proceedings. people will tune in to watch the storm's developments. the biggest frustration is they don't know if they have to tell them you can't say this. you can't do this part. you can't do a full frontal assault on the president. they don't know if they have to -- what do they do with wednesday and thursday if there is a crisis. they have to be nimble which is one of the reasons governor romney is coming in tomorrow. he will get more on the front end. >> we are getting a new update in on isaac right now. let's take a break and go and update ow what's going on after this. what's with you?

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>> we have a new advisory with tropical storm isaac and checked in with chad meyers. what have we learned?

>> still reading it, anderson. not much has changed. hurricane hunters haven't found any significant wind increase. the pressure has gone down down, down to 975 millibars. that's significant when you talk about the pressure getting lower. that means the storm is technically getting stronger. category one is the forecast. not a category two anymore. a 90 mile per hour storm as it rolls up the mississippi river close to new orleans. notice the cone is getting smaller. as the storm gets closer, the storm's error is smaller. so the cone and the error difference is getting smaller as well. this will be a rainmaker. this will be a flood maker. i have maps earlier that i showed you. we could get 20 inches of rainfall from the storm in new orleans proper. right in the city. because new orleans is lower than the ocean level, all that water has to get pumped out. let's hope it goes flawlessly. >> we will continue to watch it

and check in with chad meyers on twitter. also tomorrow throughout the day. stay with us for the latest on the storm and the republican convention. i'm anderson cooper in new orleans. for wolff blitzer as well. ande orleans. coming up next, romney revealed. take a look. i'm at cnn's hurricane headquarters with the latest on tropical storm isaac. we thought it would be category one hurricane, but still so much organization with this. dry air on the northeastern side of the storm system, but not the circulation and simp tri we're looking for and also the eyewall that enables it to become stronger and that's excellent news for the portions of the northern gulf coast states. not necessarily going to be a wind event, but heavy rain and storm surge along new orleans,

working to biloxi, towards pensacola. six-12-foot storms around st. louis. top of the food chain rain drops upwards of ten-plus hinchs. some models indicating as high as 12 to 18 inches and the track, 90 mile an hour winds. landfall sometime early wednesday morning just east of new orleans in and around st. gulf port and biloxi. >> a man born to wealth, privilege and politics. >> i'm mitt romney and i'm running for president of the united states. >> i think my dad has always felt like he wanted to be true to his dad's name and legacy. >> a savvy businessman who made a fortune at bain capital and turned around the 2002 olympics.

>> he has two speeds, asleep or wide awake and fixing things. he is a mr. fix-it. >> a man driven by faith in himself, his family and his mormon religion. >> you try your very best to know what god might say and, of course, you look to get direction from the church as well. >> a warm caring man. >> he was going to do anything he could to just say, i'm here, just stay right there. and we'll be okay. >> or a cold calculating politician. >> he's made decisions knowing that they could resurface 30 years hence under the glare of a political campaign. >> mitt romney isn't pro-choice, not anti-choice, he's multiple choice. >> a political opportunist. >> he changes position on a broad range of issues for a simple reason. he wanted to run for president of the united states. >> or true believer. >> i know his core, honesty, integrity, decency, intelligence, conviction to doing the right thing. >> we will bring back america! thank you so much. >> now, romney revealed, "family, faith, and the road to power."

♪ >> ann and mitt romney's summer home sits on lake winnipesaukee in new hampshire, a private, large and lived in family retreat for the entire clan, all 28 of them. >> they all just left. a lot of them left last night. i ran through 12 loads this morning. a lot of towels, a lot of sheets. it's a joyous thing, a joyous thing to have them all here. >> even in the midst of a presidential campaign. >> tell me a little bit about the mitt romney that's here at the lake. >> nonstop. nonstop. he is going every minute, loving it. pops out of bed the first thing in the morning and he's just going. >> here inside the lakehouse, romney is more camp counselor than candidate. >> fun loving, warm, spontaneous, get him out of the

public eye, put him in here, he is as loose and funny and spontaneous as you'd ever want to see and just so much fun to be with. >> what happens when you get in the public eye? >> you have to be more circumspect, more careful with your words and you have to be very very careful. it's unfortunate, i think, that even, you know, people, i think, probably only think of mitt maybe through his business lens. for me, you know, that is just one percent of who he is. >> who is he really, first and foremost, a romney. ♪ the romney name has been in the public eye the last half century, a family of great wealth and business achievement. political success as well as failures. ♪ mitt was the fourth and last child for george and lenore romney, born march 12th, 1947. some recall him as the favorite.

♪ george wrote to the family in september, 1956, mitt is growing like a weed, is full of ideas and energy as ever. tom mccaffrey grew up with romney. >> mitt as a child was extremely energetic, a kid that could never sit down. his mind was going 100 miles an hour. >> george was much the same way. he's just -- he's got that energy. >> phillip maxwell lived down the street from the romneys in a wealthy detroit suburb. >> george would go out on the golf course. he had fluorescent golf balls and he would hit the ball and he would run after the ball jogging, hit the ball again, and that was his exercise. >> you mitt not only had his father's energy -- >> there seems to be a special bond between george and mitt. >> michael kranish and scott

helman co-wrote the book, "the real romney." >> mitt romney idolized his father in a way he's drawn out his life, following the same footsteps in the career. >> george romney was a ceo who saved american motors by betting on smaller cars and gave his son a first look at business. >> george was a turnaround artist at american motors, taking a company that had lost focus for whatever reason and fixing it. >> once george made his mark in the auto world he switched gears, to politics. he was the republican governor of michigan for three terms and young mitt was a fixture on the campaign trail, schooled early in issues, strategies and the possibility of losing. and dad's pollster said, george, you can't possibly win. i was a kid in high school. i thought, oh, no, we're going to lose, i'm going to be embarrassed at school, these little things that a kid thinks.

my dad said -- it was clear, i'm not in this because i worry about winning or losing, i'm here to make a difference. he's not defined by elections, he's been defined as a man of character throughout his life. >> then there was mitt's mother, lenore. >> my mom had a softer side. she used to read to me when i was a boy and gave me a love of culture and literature. >> once a screen actress, lenore met george in 1924. their courtship became an often told part of the family story. >> he left what he was doing and traveled to hollywood to convince her to marry him opposed to going into the movie business. he knew what he wanted and was not going to stop until he got it. >> mitt's courtship of ann was in its own way no less intense. they were just teenagers at neighboring elite private schools in detroit. it was mitt's senior year when

he spotted the 16-year-old ann davies at a dance. >> i did fall madly in love with him very quickly actually. i was very aloof, very cool. >> she was very smart. she set the hook deep. i'd call and say, let's get together, she was too busy. she went on a date with someone else while i was pursuing her. made me crazy. >> he was so much fun. captivating, fun fun fun to be with him. >> there are lots of stories of good-natured practical jokes. >> he was swimming around trying to find his place. one of the consequences was that he would get involved in these pranks which were really attention-getting devices. >> but maxwell remembers one incident he says crossed the line. a younger classmate returned from break with long bleached blond hair and a group of guys, including romney, confronted him. >> he was taken down and mitt

had scissors and he cut his hair. it was an ugly scene and it was a long time ago. but i'll never forget it because of the look on this boy's face. he was absolutely terrified when they took him down. >> others, as you know, who went to school with you remember stories they said were over the top and maybe even cruel to some students. do you remember it that way? >> no, i don't. i know that comes up during the campaign season, but it's the first time i've heard that. >> the haircutting story. >> i think that's the only story i've heard of that nature. the pranks that we pulled were designed to be funny and to have fun. i can imagine now and then things i did in high school are not things i'd want to become part of a presidential campaign.

>> that was decades ago. one incident when romney was a teenager without focus and direction, something he would find later in a very surprising place. ♪ at usaa, we believe honor is not exclusive to the military, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath.

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♪ it was fall 1965. stanford university. the counter culture movement was growing. a different world for freshman mitt romney, straight from boarding school and his conservative roots. >> he has this exposure, i think, to all these new ideas, these new people, these new experiences. >> but all romney could think about at first was ann, back in michigan. mark marcus was romney's girlfriend. -- roommate. a lot of guys came from college and had high school girlfriends. but you could tell it was different with mitt. he could not stop talking about ann. >> we were so much in love. i went off to college and got a job there to earn a little money so i could pay for an airplane ticket to go home and see her.

>> this was at stanford. >> while i was at stanford. we didn't tell my parents about this. >> you snuck home? >> i flew home, snuck home, would take her on a date. her parents knew about it. they were on the inside. my parents, i knew they'd never go along with it so i didn't tell them. >> did they catch you? >> oh, no. they never caught us. >> as the year wore on, the politics on campus became inescapable. ♪ >> he's very affected by this world he sees an anti-establishment strain growing. >> as the protest at stanford grew, romney stood with the establishment and r the war. >> his father at that time was for the vietnam war. he was finding his political footing, really, the first time we see mitt romney emerge as his own man in the political sense is when he does lead this protest against the anti-war protesters on the campus of stanford. he's standing up with a sign saying speak out, don't sit in. ♪ >> but romney never went to

vietm himself, exempt as a student and with a high draft lottery number. >> he's protesting the anti-war protesters, but he does not volunteer to go serve in vietnam. he would have been eligible to serve, certainly. >> at the end of his freshman year, romney would be called to serve, not his country but his faith. as a mormon missionary in france. it was a tradition he considered breaking. >> he was concerned, according to his friends, that he might lose ann. he talked to ann about this and she told him, you know, if you don't go, you'll always regret it. i'll be here. >> when he left, i had a very brave face, went to the airport with his entire family. we all said goodbye. i was driven home by his family, i walked into my home, opened the door, my mother was there, i fell flat on the ground and just dissolved in tears and she could not console me. ♪

>> for 2 1/2 years in the turbulent '60s, romney was living abroad, working every day to convert the skeptical french to his mormon faith. >> so this is the kind of neighborhood that you used to knock on doors in, all day? >> this -- yes, 45 years ago. this is fairly typical. >> mike bush took us back to the streets of bordeaux, where he and romney spent 60 hours a week spreading their faith in french. >> did you have a specific message? >> we talk about our beliefs and jesus christ and the book of mormon. >> you're out talking to people day in and day out about your faith and religion and differences between it and others. >> getting doors slammed in your face? >> most of the time. this was a time a lot of people were not happy about america in france. it was a time of a great deal of rejection. >> but romney kept at it. in a rare conversation about his

faith, he reveals how the constant rejection led to some surprising soul searching. >> but you say, okay, wait a second. what's important here? what do i believe? what's truth? is there a god? is jesus christ the son of god? these are questions that are no longer academic, they're critical because you're talking about that day in and day out. >> as mitt questioned everything he was raised to believe in, his father tried to get his son back on track. >> your father sent you this letter when you were in france. he quoted robert lewis stevenson to you to try to get you not to feel discouraged. he said, despair not but if you despair, work on in your despair. then he wrote, so persist. >> my dad, what a guy. what a guy. he's always been there for me.

look, i remember my dad's advice throughout my life. every time i had challenges of one kind or other he was there with counsel. an extraordinary man. >> who happened to be running for president while mitt was a world away, isolated, depending largely on newspaper accounts of his father's fight for the republican nomination. >> i have decided to fight for and win the republican nomination and elections of the presidency of the united states. >> the war in vietnam was issue number 1. george romney had been a hawk but turned against the war and said so. >> when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the general? >> when you go over to vietnam. not only by the generals but also by the diplomatic corps over there. >> months after george romney's now infamous brain-washing comment, his campaign collapsed. an early political lesson mitt romney would never forget.

>> mitt's sister, jane, has said for example this really deeply affected mitt. he's more careful what he says, more scripted in what he says because he saw how one phrase could torpedo a presidential campaign. >> thank you, governor romney. >> thank you very much. >> if george's failure turned romney into the cautious candidate he is today, he won't admit it. >> some people say you've learned from or overlearned from mistakes. >> i do that, too. i tell the truth, too. he used to say -- one of his favorite sayings was being right too early is devastating in politics. but, still, it's being right, and you tell people what you believe. >> what romney believes has become an issue throughout his political career. and while the message was clearer in france, his mission would almost cost him his life. >> i was at home and i had word that he was killed.

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♪ in 1968, france was a dangerous place to be for a 21-year-old american. but mitt romney was right in the middle of it. [ shouting and chaos ] >> there were protests and there were blockades and there were marches all over the country. >> the streets of france were in chaos. >> there was no train service, there were no buses, no newspapers. the electricity would go off from time to time. there were no letters from home. the money at the time came via check. that was our lifeline was getting letters from home. >> you were totally isolated? >> totally isolated. >> they were out of touch pretty much with 200 missionaries they were responsible for >> andy anderson's father was leading the mormon mission in france. by the time the riots end, romney had been promoted to

become president anderson's assistant and they had an urgent assignment. >> they had got word there was some little dispute in this southern city in this mormon congregation, so they decided to drive down to try to resolve it in person and mitt was driving. >> it was a warm summer day in june, when they began a six-hour drive between paris and the south of france. romney was driving anderson and his wife, leola. >> they, i believe, were in the town of beaulac. as they come north at the top of the hill and in their way is a mercedes. they had no time to react. the car was on the wrong side of the road. >> the mercedes driver, apparently drunk, slammed into them at full speed. both cars crushed and mangled. mitt romney and leola anderson, unconscious. >> george called me on the phone

and said we have bad news about mitt and didn't tell me what and he came and picked me up and took me to his home. i had word that he was killed. >> the policeman on the scene apparently thought i was in worse condition than i was and wrote in french, he is dead, on my passport. >> we waited for hours and hours. most of the night, to get word from france he was actually alive. >> i was knocked unconscious and only recall waking up for a brief moment in the ambulance, going to the hospital. >> it turns out romney had a severe concussion and broken bones, but leola, the mom away from home to 200 young missionaries was dead. >> this was a huge deal. this rocked the mormon community not just in france but all over the world and in salt lake city. >> it was a great time of challenge and soul searching for all of us. >> romney, anderson's assistant, was now left to lead a struggling mission. >> the person who had been leading our mission there, a

wonderful man, was so injured that he had to return to the united states for surgeries. and during that time, i and one other fellow took responsibility for overseeing the affairs of the 200 or so men and women -- or boys and girls that were serving there as missionaries. >> this was a critical moment. >> it was. >> morale must have been -- >> morale was low. by september, we were only halfway toward our yearly goals. >> romney kept the mission going and set an ambitious new goal. more than doubling the target for conversions. >> mitt said, we need to raise the bar, raise the expectation. if we want to really change behavior, we have to have people do things different from how they've been doing them. >> so they did just that. >> we were dressed up in vaudeville outfits we had found in the basement of the mission home there. it brought the house down and

lifted people's spirits and they were laughing again. >> spirits were high and so were the number of converts. >> we were at 80. >> you were at 80. >> doubling it in the last four months. come december 31st, we had 204 or 205 new converts that had happened. the goal was accomplished. >> by the end of his mission, romney had cemented his faith. >> these things drew me closer to the eternal and convinced me that in fact there is a god, that jesus christ is the son of god and my savior. these are features that continue to be important in my life. >> he was a young boy when he left, prankster and liked to play jokes and probably didn't take life too seriously. being in france and having to stand up for what you believe in taught him a lot about himself. he came back much more studious, much more serious. i think discovered a little bit about who he was and what was important to him. >> mitt romney was ready to return home, but an unexpected

letter sent him reeling. >> i was telling him, before he came home, i haven't seen you for 2 1/2 years, i don't -- i'm dating other people. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's largest 4g network. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. at&t. rethink possible.

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♪ it might be called "the city of lights," but mitt romney's last months in paris felt pretty dark. he had gotten word from his girlfriend, ann davies, that she was dating another man. mitt had to wait until the end of his mission to see her. >> he walked off that airplane and we only had eyes for each other. >> christmas eve, 1968. >> he walked right by his mother, his father, right to me. it was as though time had stood still. it was an amazing moment where nothing -- just dissolved, those 2 1/2 years dissolved and we were right back to where he was exactly right back. >> he proposed. >> on the car ride home, my gosh, i've waited so long for you. let's just get married now.

i'm like, why not? let's do that. of course, that was not good news to either set of parents. >> ann was 19, mitt, 21. their parents wanted them to wait. but they wanted a valentine's day wedding. >> what did you guyso when you got this? >> yeah. all right! >> close friend, dane mcbride remembers the telegram he received with the news. >> boom, february 14, you knew exactly what he was talking about? >> absolutely. >> at lenore romney's request, they waited a month. >> it was beautiful. >> you were in the wedding? >> i was. there was the civil wedding that was performed by the bishop of our church in bloomfield hills, michigan, at the davies home, ann's parents' home. >> the next morning, they flew to utah for a second ceremony in salt lake city's mormon temple, where they were sealed for eternity, as the church calls it. ann's parents couldn't attend

because they weren't mormon. ann herself was a relatively new convert. romney biographer, scott helman and michael crannish. >> when ann davies meets mitt, she's searching a little bit for a religious home in the way a teenager does, what does this mean and what do i believe? this was a big hurdle they would have to get over if they were going to be serious. >> did mitt romney spend a lot of time talking to ann about faith or was it george? >> early on when mitt was going out with ann, he did give her lessons what the mormon faith was all about. >> ultimately, ann's conversion was overseen by george romney while mitt was in france. >> he would pick me up every sunday for church. the reason it was easy for me to talk to him, even on a spiritual level like that, is because he respected me as his complete equal.

>> ann and mitt settled in provo, utah in this $75 a month apartment starting a family and getting serious about school. the mission experience in france had clearly refocused romney. >> life was very different in america than life for the french. and i thought, boy, i've got to work hard in school, i need to be responsible, i need to get back and work. i began to long for the chance to go back to school and prepare for my life going forward. >> brigham young university was as far from stanford as romney could get. he seemed at home in this conservative environment, yet in the midst of his new life, mitt took off again on the campaign trail in 1970. >> she isn't sold a lie to a political ideology. >> this time, for his mother. >> lenore romney, candidate for the united states senate. >> lenore, the dutiful candidate's wife, was now the candidate, running for the u.s. senate seat in michigan. >> i became so concerned about

the direction our country has been going. >> her youngest son, mitt, was by her side. childhood friend, phillip maxwell. >> they visited every county in the state, i think, in the course of that campaign. and by that time, he was very engaged in politics. >> romney crossed the entire state with lenore. >> he was getting a high level education in politics. >> they thought there was a need for the moms and dads to have a community center. her style, a cautious elegant diplomat, distinctly different from her husband's bull in a china shop approach. >> she was a very gracious woman, but nuanced, careful. and i see that in mitt. >> i think he had a very advanced and mature understanding of politics at a pretty young age. lenore romney ended up getting

killed in that senate race. you know, you take away lessons from victories and from defeat. >> from both parents, george thrives on candor. >> there's a growing aimlessness and flabbiness in our american society. >> lenore, more cautious. their son looked for a path somewhere in between. but george romney steered his son away from politics and toward business first. and two graduate degrees in both business and law at harvard. >> by now, george romney had seen what it took to succeed and what kind of skills you needed and what kind of credentials you needed. he was encouraging his son to go beyond where he had been. >> so in 1972, mitt, ann and their two baby boys moved to massachusetts. but their move from utah would not be easy. >> it was destroyed by fire in august of 1984 and the fire department said it was mostly

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♪ patty cake, patty cake, baker's man, bake me a cake as fast as you can. >> it was a full house for the romneys throughout the '70s here in belmont, massachusetts. ♪ >> it was a lot of fun. i was the oldest of five boys so there was a lot of chaos. >> your mother once said that your father was kind of like

having another teenager in the house. >> yeah. we thought of him as a really big older brother for a long time. he was a lot of fun to be around. >> le was also busy. romney was starting a lucrative and intense financial consulting job in boston. ann was running things at home. >> people describe him as the energizer bunny. >> my kids joke and say, i'm the mitt stabilizer because whenever mitt might start winding up and getting really highly energetic, they know i have a very calming influence. >> in the '70s and '80s, romney was also spending a lot of time with his church, which saw him as a rising star. energetic, devoted, generous with both time and money. >> everybody was well aware of mitt romney. there was some star power even when he wasn't running for office. >> phil barlow first met mitt romney at church in 1979.

like most in the church, he already knew the romney name but not the romney work ethic. >> a person that busy and successful might tend to pull out their pocketbook rather than take their time and he did both. >> for more than a decade, romney was part of the leadership of the mormon church in his hometown. the church has no paid clergy, so at the age of 34, romney was asked to lead his congregation. >> talk about a growing up experience and a learning experience. >> it is a time he rarely talks about but was surprisingly open with us. >> i was like the pastor. that meant if someone was in the hospital, i needed to see them. if someone lost their job and couldn't afford to meet their rent payments, i was responsible for helping get them the financial aid they needed. if there was someone contemplating a divorce and they wanted counseling, they'd come to me. >> mitt romney was literally

hands-on. >> one woman in the ward might have storm damage and there might be leakage and he turned to us and said, i haven't got anything better to do that's more important than that after this meeting, how about you, brothers? >> one of the toughest times for the church came in 1984, led by romney, the congregation was building a new meeting house in belmont. for years, there was a good deal of local opposition. >> you got a call in the middle of the night? >> yes. this building was under construction. >> grant bennett, romney's right hand man in the church, remembers the call from the fire department. the building had burned to the ground. they suspected arson. >> the clergy in the town of belmont, the catholics, the

episcopalia episcopalians, the con congregationists, the jewish temple, came out in force and everyone offered for our congregation to meet in their building. >> instead of picking one congregation, romney picked all of them. >> he saw this as a bridge building opportunity to get to know our neighbors. ♪ >> romney was less successful bridging another divide. >> the mormon church is the arch enemy of women's rights in this country. >> the '70s was a decade the e.r.a. was being pushed and the mormon church came out in the early '70s and took a very active position against the e.r.a. >> judy was a member of romney's congregation and feminist fighting for women's rights in the mormon church like having more of leadership role or being able to delivery a sermon. >> there we were, suddenly faced with a church we all loved and grown up in. suddenly, it was taking this

unusual and we thought strange position. >> so what about when mitt romney became bishop? >> i expected a comforter, somebody who would protect women and have an inclusive attitude and equally interested in the peace of mind of all of us and i did not feel that in his congregation. >> i'm sure we all have different memories. >> romney recalls a meeting he led with more than 300 mormon women. >> i adopted many of the recommendations they offered. >> not all. >> there were some recommendations because the doctrine of my church is not something i'm in a position to change. >> i look at that as a time i saw mitt soften and change. it was a learning experience for all of us. but i saw a person that was respectful in listening and caring. >> but dushka didn't think he was sympathetic at all and believes he bears a grudge against her to this day. >> i think it's indicative of the way mitt sees the world. there are certain people who matter and certain people who he

approves of and other people he doesn't approve of. if he doesn't approve of them, he thinks they don't have the same kind of standing, they don't have the same kind of merit, they don't have the same kind of right to function and to hold opinions and to participate. >> something others around him at the time fiercely deny. >> i would call him open and welcome to new ideas. if there's a better way, absolutely, let's do it the better way. >> in business, romney would invent the bain way, something that would pay off in years to come. ♪ he speaks a weird language... [ gargling ] drinks green stuff. he says he's from albuquerque. i'm not buying it. i mean, just look at him. and one more thing -- he has a spaceship. [ whirring ] the evidence doesn't lie. my dad's an alien. [ male announcer ] the highly advanced audi a6.

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♪ it was the heady '80s, big money, corporate buyouts and dramatic takeovers. mitt romney was knee-deep in it. ♪ a rising star at a boston consulting group, bain & company, which had a great pitch, help businesses make money by cutting costs. >> by all accounts, mitt romney was very successful in advising companies how to improve their business operations. >> but soon romney's boss had a better idea, instead of just advising companies, why not buy them with investor money to

generate huge profits. and bain capital was born. early partner, jeffrey rennart. >> it was a lot of long hours and a lot of late nights and a lot of learning, but a lot of success. >> so what kind of a leader was mitt romney during those early years? >> i would say in the early years, mitt was a lead by example kind of leader. he -- you know, he dug in, did, you know, did analysis side by side with us. >> and it paid off. bain capital invested in more than 100 companies, nearly doubling its returns for clients annually. >> how you doing? >> romney made a lot of money. he would later claim, created a lot of jobs. but a former bank colleague, who talked off-camera about whether the company's emphasis was on job creation told cnn quote we were in the business of creating value for investors.

>> was job creation or making money the goal? >> well, every business is organized to create a return for the people who invest in the business. and as businesses are successful and profitable, they're able to hire people. they can hire more people the more successful they are. businesses are created to provide a return to the owners or the investors. and it has a wonderful biproduct. it employs more and more people. that's the nature of american enterprise. >> if i'm elected your senator -- >> 10 years into bain capital, romney decided it was time to leave business for politics, just as his father had done. >> i will work very hard to make sure everybody gets a good job. >> how are you feeling? >> energized and enthusiastic. >> romney's target, senator ted kennedy. >> not exactly starting at the bottom of the ladder there. >> i told my colleagues at work, don't clean out my desk and

don't move into my office. i will be spending time away from work and it will be a leave of absence. i really believed someone needed to run against ted kennedy. >> kennedy was vulnerable. his personal life seemed out of control. as his son, patrick, remembers it, the contrast with romney was glaring. >> and opposite my dad was this really great looking guy who was a whiz at business, beautiful family, kind othe picture of self-discipline. next to my dad, he was like the perfect polar opposite. >> how are you? yes! >> except during that race on social issues -- >> let me ask you a question -- >> mitt romney sounded an awful lot like ted kennedy. >> i'm absolutely committed to achieving universal coverage and doing so for our children. >> were you a liberal? were you a moderate? >> you know, anyone can call me whatever they like, but people

can look at my policies and make their own determination. >> ted divine worked for the kennedy campaign. >> mitt romney ran as a strongly pro-choice candidate. he told the newspaper in boston, the gay newspaper in boston that he would better on gay rights than kennedy. >> are you saying romney is an opportunist? >> i think he looks at politics the way he does business deals. that doesn't represent an ideological path for him. anyone who looks at his position on issues has to come to that judgment. for romney, politics is a means of obtaining power to do things that he wants to do. >> by the fall of 1994, it was a dead heat. the kennedy campaign was looking for a silver bullet. they found it in bain capital. >> i don't like romney's creating jobs because he took every one of them away. >> the ad featured workers for a paper company in indiana. after a bain-owned company took it over, many of its workers lost their jobs. romney says he wasn't at bain at the time.

his opponent said his actions led to the job cuts. >> if you think you'd make such a good senator, come out here to marion, indiana and see what your company has done to these people. >> it worked so well the obama campaign is using the same indiana company, even the same people again. >> he doesn't care anything about the middle class or the lower class people. >> if we are successful -- >> romney's religious beliefs played a part as well. senator kennedy's nephew, joe, at one point, attacked the mormon church for not allowing blacks to join any priesthood, a policy that had changed 16 years earlier. >> the president of our church -- >> romney went on the offensive citing the speech john f. kennedy gave addressing his roman catholic faith. >> in my view, the victory that john kennedy won was not just for 40 million americans who are born catholics, it was for all americans of all faiths. and i am sad to see that ted

kennedy is trying to take away his brother's victory. >> my son's position is the same as jack kennedy's position. >> even romney's father, george, entered the fray. >> i think it's absolutely wrong to keep hammering on the religious issue. >> mr. romney -- >> then in october, a critical debate. >> senator kennedy and his family have a multiple real estate empire across this country. >> romney accused the kennedy family of financially benefitting from real estate deals. >> senator, 15 seconds. >> mr. romney, the kennedys are not in public service to make money. we have paid too high a price in our commitment to the public service. >> ted kennedy began pulling away and mitt romney lost. >> he was back at work the next day. the election was tuesday night. wednesday morning, he was back at his desk. >> we kind of expected it. it's interesting, ann was more

upset by it than i was. losing put me back into business and i was more successful than i had been before. >> not long after, something that would make political defeat seem trivial. >> i think my diagnosis was probably the roughest thing we had to go through as a couple. ws and sounds vying for your attention. so we invented a warning you can feel. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with a patented safety alert seat. when there's danger you might not see, you're warned by a pulse in the seat. it's technology you won't find in a mercedes e-class. the all-new cadillac xts has arrived, and it's bringing the future forward. those surprising little still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow.

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larger. she was having more difficulty getting upstairs. we went to a neurologist. romney's life was about to take an unexpected and unhappy turn. >> we went into his office. he performed an examination and it was very clear that she was flunking the examination. she couldn't stand on her right foot without falling over. he stepped out and she began to cry. i welled up tears as well. we hugged each other and she said, something is terribly wrong. >> at age 49, ann romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. an incurable disease that can shut down the central nervous system. you don't know how much is it going to chew me up and st me out and where and when is it going to spit me out? how sick will i get? is it progressive? it's a frightening place to be. >> ann was really distraught and

distressed with the diagnosis, particularly as time went on because she was really ill for quite a while. >> i really just was having a very, very hard time and was very depressed. and had kind of given up a little bit. >> it was a tough moment for both of them. it was interesting to see the way he treated her as they went through that, very caring, very loving, very frustrating for him not to be able to step in and fix it. and -- but it was -- they drew even closer. >> even when i was as sick as that, he would curl up on the bed with me. >> take a minute. >> so you just knew that that's where he was. it was like he was going to do anything he could to just say, i'm here, you're okay, just stay right there, and we'll be okay. >> as the romneys were struggling