who is very passionate about the choice that our country faces. >> the president can change his style, he can change his tactics, he can't change his record. >> and new polls show the candidates are neck and neck. remembering arlen specter. the former pennsylvania senator dies at age 82. we take a look at his incredible life. and a death-defying fall. few have faced so many. daredevil felix baumgartner four years later... breaks the sound barrier as he our enemies have been brought to justice. plunges 24 miles to the ground, our heroes are coming home. and lives. the incredible feat coming up. it's monday, october 15th, and assembly lines are humming again. "starting point" begins right now. there are still challenges to meet. children to educate. a middle class to rebuild. but the last thing we should do is turn back now. good morning, welcome everybody. president obama: i'm barack obama and... watching "starting point." we have a pocked show this i approve this message. morning. going to be talking with dare anne's tablet called my phone. devil nik wallenda. anne's tablet was chatting with a tablet in sydney... also former u.s. congressman joe a desktop in zurich... sestak will join us. and a telepresence room in brazil. kamau bell is our guest and the secure cloud helped us get some numbers former new york city mayor rudy from my assistant's pc in new york.

giuliani will be joining us this morning. and before i reached the top, "starting point" is, of course, the highly anticipated rematch, the board meeting became a congrats we sold the company party. the second presidential debate just a day away. wait til my wife's phone hears about this. the race is at tight as it gets. two brand-new polls to talk [ cellphone vibrating ] about this morning. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center, first from "the washington working together has never worked so well. post"/abc news. president has a slim three-point lead among likely voters. well within the margin of error. even closer in a politico/george [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center, ♪ washington university poll this morning, the president's lead among likely voters is just one percent which makes it a statistical dead heat. battleground states now. the poll has mitt romney ahead of the president by two points, ♪ essentially tied. while the abc/"washington post" we're lucky, poll shows the president with a five-point lead in the it's not every day you find a companion battleground states. as loyal as a subaru. both campaigns looking forward to the debate tomorrow night. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. tackling president obama's lucklaster performance, as well. listen. >> he knew when he walked up that stage, and he also knew as he's watched the tape of that debate that he's got to be more energetic. i think you'll see somebody who's very passionate about the

choice that our country faces. and putting that choice in front of voters. >> this is a big choice election, and the fact is what we saw is, even if he changes his style, and whatever political tactics the president settles on as being in his best interest for this debate, he can't change his record and he can't change his policies. >> coming up in just a few minutes we're going to dig into the poll numbers. talk about what's at stake tomorrow night with former mccain 2008 presidential campaign adviser mark mckinnon will be our guest. first john berman has the update on other stories making news. >> good morning. >> happy monday. >> happy monday. the 14-year-old pakistani girl shot in the head by the taliban is on her way to britain for treatment. malala jaw saf zi was airlifted out of pakistan overnight. her flight is expected to touchdown this morning. she'll be taken to queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham for treatment. the taliban, you'll remember, tried to murder her last week because malala is an outspoken promoter of education for

pakistani girls. something the taliban does not believe in. we're going to talk to reza sal lay in islamabad. he's been following the story from the very beginning. senator arlen specter will he had an amazing interview with be laid to rest tomorrow. the former senator died malala last year. yesterday from nonhodgkin's former pennsylvania senator lymphoma which is cancer of the arlen specter is being remembered for long political white blood cells. he was 82 years old. service. he died at the age of 82 after a he came into prominence in the long battle with cancer. he spent 30 years in the senate, mid-'60s with his involvement in the warren commission while he most as a moderate republican was investigating the until switching to the assassination of president democratic party in 2009. kennedy. after his election in 1980 he in a statement, president obama was involved in contentious supreme court hearings. said quote from his days stamping out corruption as a famously switched from the republican party to the prosecutor in philadelphia, to democratic party in 2009. his three decades of service in brings us to senator bob casey, the senate, arlen was fiercely democrat from pennsylvania. independent, never putting party chairman of the joint economic or ideology ahead of the people committee. served with arlen specter he was chosen to serve. between 2007 and 2010. nice to see you, sir. thank you for talking with us. >> thanks, soledad. pretrial hearings are under way >> why don't you start by in italy for the captain of the telling us a little bit about the arlen specter you knew costa concardia. the cruise ship ran aground in personally as opposed to that we january killing 30 people. knew sort of by watching what the canton faces manslaughter was happening in the senate. charges. he is also accused of abandoning ship. >> he was great to work with. at one point the italian coast i came in in 2007, january of guard ordered him to get back on

board. black box data from the ship's bridge is expected to be 2007 as a democrat. revealed for the first time one of the first things he said during this week's hearings. to me in the transition right the detroit tigers are after the election was that it feeling pretty good about their was important for us to try to world series chances. they are halfway there after work together where we could. and he also said, and this is beating the yankees 3-0 in the bronx to go 2-0 in the american interesting. he said, it's important for league championship series. people to see us working game three is tomorrow night in detroit. together. at the time it didn't mean that much. with the tigers ace justin i thought it was just something he was saying by way of verlander on the mound. the st. louis cardinals jumped introduction. but all these years later with on top with a 6-4 win in game one of tat series against the all the partisanship, it has much greater meaning today. giants. game two is tonight in san >> is it possible to go back to francisco. the cardinals are white hot that kind of a collaborative, right now. meanwhile, while the world working across party lines awaits tomorrow night's second approach in the senate? presidential debate, "saturday or is american politics just night live" got in the last fundamentally changed and laugh on the biden ryan broken? >> no, i think we can. i think you can still establish face-off. >> you think you're talking to personal relationships so that me because you do the p-90x you can work together. but we've got a long way to go. workout? let me tell you something, we need a lot more of that buddy. there's jim strong and there's old man strong, okay? bipartisanship. but he worked at it his whole you want to know my workout? life. >> senator -- when the amtrak breaks down at >> i was, when i served with my morning commute, i strip down him, was at the end of his life, to my tighty whities, i push of course.

that [ bleep ] all the way to but he was -- he was a washington. remarkable figure. so capable, but also so willing to work with others in the best >> almost as good as the real debate. interest of our commonwealth and almost as funny. our country. >> all right, john, thank you. >> senator, i was just going to back to our top story this ask you, he really struggled, morning. round two of the presidential right, with changing parties and debates. what that meant, and he had a we showed you two polls lot of friends in both parties? indicating the race is very much >> he did. he had established friendships a topic at this point. in both. this time around even the i think he was particularly president's own campaign aides are admitting he needs a much frustrated with the -- the stronger showing against mitt partisanship of washington. and he felt he could better romney. let's get to mark mckinnon, the serve the state by changing former mccain 2008 presidential parties. but that was a tough decision. campaign adviser, contributor for the daily beast as well, i knew he was doing it because he was thinking how he could co-founder -- your intro is best serve pennsylvania. getting longer and longer every >> not -- not many senators at single time we have you on the the end of their life become show. nice to see you mark. so we've heard from -- stand-up comics. >> thanks, soledad. >> i was going to ask that same >> we've heard from aides that exact thing. >> stand-up comic. the president will be more pretty remarkable. energetic and more passionate. what other anecdotes can you does that mean to you he's going tell us about arlen specter? to come out swinging in this >> well, he had a great sense of debate? >> well, you know, the bar is humor. sometimes someone who's that capable and that serious and really low for the president now, given the first that determined, you can forget performance. i think all he has to do is have the fact that they're -- that they have a sense of humor. a couple cups of coffee and show and he did. not only as he exhibited as a

up with a smile and look like he wants to be there and that will be a win. stand-up comic, but also just in i think the thing he has to be the interactions we would have. careful about is that he's not he would tell stories about overcoached to be overenergetic. you remember in the gore/bush campaigns and politics, and he debates, he had the one that was was -- he was a delight to be really too hot and then too around, especially on the floor when you could get him a couple cold. of minutes to have him tell a so, the caution that i would recommend for the president that war story or two. he not be too overheated, and >> senator bob casey joining us that's where the caution lies. this morning remembering arlen >> all right so then what is the right path to take if you were specter. nice to see you, sir. thank you for talking with us and sharing your stories. advising the president as you have done for john mccain back we appreciate it. still ahead on "starting in 2008. what would your advice be? point" are the policies of the what does the middle ground look federal reserve hurting other like? nations? >> well, it's a format that chairman ben bernanke on the suits the president. defensive this morning. the former chair of the fdic it's a town hall so there are going to be real people sheila bair is going to be our involved, asking questions that guest. that's coming up next. questions? aren't typical from a moderator, that can be a little offbeat. which i think is good for the president. he just has to be the happy warrior. he has to look like he wants to be there. he has to engage. he has to be empathetic with the audience which i think is a natural instinct for him. anyone have occasional constipation, that's a little tougher for mitt diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. romney. so the challenge for romney is one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day going to be he's gotten very helps defend against these digestive issues good at the formal debates. can he step up his game in an with three strains of good bacteria. approved! informal setting where he can [ female announcer ] live the regular life.

engage and be empathetic with the audience. phillips'. >> back on september 19th, my birthday by the way, you wrote this in the daily beast, you were talking, you wrote this, the debates may be mitt romney's last chance to dig out. further deterioration in attitudes about security in the middle east and a good first debate could prove critical and shift the lfr lost narrative for romney to it's still a race. back then i'll remind folks it was mitt romney who was six points behind in wisconsin, and four points behind in virginia, in colorado it was kind of neck and neck. but, but that's really different than what we're seeing right now. do you ee essentially that what you wrote back then has pretty much come true? >> well, you know, i said that he dug a pretty deep hole but we could still see his shovel. and the reason i said that is because i remember in 2000, when the bush campaign was down three to five points before the debates, and yet the debates offered an opportunity for us to scrape our way back up, and i think what's happening now is the debates are more important than ever, because voters have

become so cynical about what they see in advertising, and all the white noise out there, so the debates i think create an authentic opportunity for voters to really see the candidates unscripted. you know, out of the coaching. on their own. which i think is -- has become something that's really important for voters to see and hence that's why we're seeing the large movement in numbers. so tomorrow night is more important than ever. >> the topic of the tax cuts, was a focus in those vp debate. martha rad zat pushed very hard on that. when ed gillespie was on fox news on sunday, chris wallace was pushing him as well on that. i want to play a little bit of what he said to chris wallace. >> because there are a lot of questions from independent people, how do you pay for it, and he refused to say how you're going to pay for it. >> what we have said is that we're going to pay for it with these by eliminating deductions. six different studies have said this is -- >> those are very questionable. some of them are blogs.

some of them are from the adi, which is an independent group. >> these are very credible sources. >> have a problem do you think that that topic's going to be if there are no specific answers, and if the campaign continues to go with six credible sources, which they said a lot, and you know, if, if, if fox news is saying listen, i think that's going to be a challenge for them. >> actually i think it's an opportunity. i think ryan missed a huge opportunity because the romney campaign rolled out about two weeks ago, what i think is a terrific idea on this, which is the notion of capping the basket of deductions so that -- so that you as a -- as i -- as a citizen get to decide which deductions you're going to take. in other words you get like a 17% capped number about what deductions you can take. so you decide whether or not it's charitable or home mortgage or some combination of both. but i think that's a terrific idea. and i don't understand why paul ryan didn't mention that, or even ed mention it on sunday. welcome back, everybody. because i think that's actually federal reserve chairman ben a very specific idea, and you bernanke is firing back at

say if that doesn't cover the critics who say u.s. monetary number, then you -- then you policy is hurting. increase the number. emerging nations like brazil. or lower the number. in a speech yesterday in tokyo so i think that's a very bernanke directly addressed specific idea that addresses how detractors. we're going to pay for it. and he said this. this policy not only helps >> forgive me. you've lost me. when you say that doesn't cover the number, what do you mean? strengthen the u.s. economic recovery but by boosting u.s. what number? >> so let's say it's 17% and spending and growth it has the effect of helping support the that doesn't pay for the tax global economy as well. cuts. then you lower -- then you lower on friday brazil's minister of finance called the fed's policy the -- the deduction number to 14%. of buying bonds to lower interest rates selfish. so you just -- in other words, joining us this morning to talk about that is former chair of the number is movable to make sure that you cover the cost. the fdic and author of a new >> right. book calmed "bull by the horns" and so -- >> or you raise it. >> but ultimately then there are sheila bair. nice to have you with us. some people who are not going to walk us through. when he made his response, get certain deductions right? bernanke didn't actually name names. he didn't say brazil. because you could lower that he didn't say china. number in theory enough that he didn't say russia. your homeowners deduction or but those are really those child care credit deduction emerging countries -- becomes irrelevant, right? >> emerging countries that are i mean isn't that essentially the problem that's in the details that are missing in having some issues with this. this? look, i've said it before. >> well, like i said, i think i think ben is heroic in trying that it's a -- it's -- it's a tough choice that people will to help our economic recovery have to make. but romney's laid it out. through monetary policy, but i don't think it works. said you've got to make a choice this whole debate underscores

about which deduction you're the problem. going to take and we're going to the money doesn't stay here. cap it at a certain level. it doesn't go into domestic and whatever that level is is lending that helps the economy. going to pay for whatever the it goes overseas where it can tax cut is that's recommended. get higher returns in these and if it doesn't cover it, then developing countries. that creates problems for them. you either lower or raise the deduction or you lower or raise i wish i could say that i agree the tax cut. i think that makes great sense. with him, that by another round of quantitytive easing is going >> it will be interesting to see to help the economy here and if that's laid out in tomorrow's we're going to buy more of their debate. of course mark mckinnon, thank you as always. goods. there's just no evidence it's nice to see you. we appreciate it. working anymore. and candy crowley from cnn is >> what about his point th going to be moderating that some of these countries, china presidential town hall debate in particular, he didn't say live tomorrow night. our special coverage begins at china, everyone is assuming he 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. and cnn.com. still ahead this morning on meant china. >> look, i would love to see our "starting point," a death defying record breaking what export market increase. more superlatives could i throw into this, a jump, a new video theoretically if we can depreciate our currency against showing incredible feat with theirs it should help our export angle that is pretty awesome. market. they control the value of our we'll tell you what felix currency through their own central bank activities. baumgartner felt like during the i would prefer congress deal dive. with this problem. fellow daredevil nik wallenda is make the tax cut, for one. going to walk us through all get corporate tax rates down. those sensations coming up next. clean up the tax code. there are things on the fiscal policy side that will help our and a ball hits -- a ball comes

manufacturing sector and export capacity to build more jobs and have a more export driven market that are going to be a lot more hurtling to an nfl reporter while he's live on the air. ouch. effective than monetary policy. by continuing to do this i think he's letting congress off the his reaction, pretty cool. hook. it's really their job. we're going to talk about that. >> do you think the fed has >> and both of those pictures are pretty much how i feel about the stock market these days. overplayed its hands? we're watching stocks, they're >> i do. up, futures up a little bit this they created an expectation. morning. new housing information, look, it's really -- income including when we can see home prices back at peak levels. inequality has gotten worse here. details next. you're watching "starting point." you've been busy for a dead man. quantitative eating ineasing a of the day helps people who own financial assets. helping the real economy, creating jobs, the evidence isn't there anymore. >> is there another alternative? >> fiscal policy, yes. >> they're not doing anything. >> that's why he's doing this. after you jumped ship in bangkok, the risks of what he's doing are i thought i'd lost you. much greater than the small surfing is my life now. benefit. >> what are the risks? >> inflation for one thing. but who's going to .... tell the world that priceline has even faster, easier ways to save you money. . . driving asset bubbles in on hotels, flights & cars? developing countries is another. at some point he's going to have you still have it. to get out of this. the longer they keep interest i'll always have it. rates near zero, the more those so this is it? low yielding assets build on we'll see where the waves take me. bank balance sheets. when interest rates do start to

sayonara, brah! rise, banks fund with deposits. his morning starts with arthritis pain. the longer he keeps this up, the and two pills. more low yielding assets on a afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. bank balance sheet. interest rates are going to go triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. up. you're going to have the problem almost done, when... hang on. they had during the -- the stan's doctor recommended aleve. interest rates they have to pay it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. to keep the deposits i going to be less favorable to low this is rudy. who switched to aleve. yielding assets on the books. >> i want to go back to the and two pills for a day free of pain. inflation point. i can see sort of mathematically ♪ how maybe we should be worried about it. but realistically with the u.s. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. economy so weak, europe even two. weaker, emerging markets not three. really go go right now, is my credit card rewards are easy to remember. inflation today's problem? with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, >> in the near term, no. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, but in the longer term we're still pumping all this liquidity every time. [ both ] 2% back on groceries. [ all ] 3% on gas! in the system. it's sitting there on the sidelines there. no hoops to jump through. once it's unleashed we could i earn more cash back on the things i buy most. have an inflation problem. [ woman in pet store ] it's as easy as... if it's just sitting there while keep piling more and more money [ all ] one! -two. -[ all ] three! into a system that's awash with [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. cash already. when it is unleashed you are

apply online or at a bank of america near you. going to have a problem. the typical tool is to raise interest rates. they're going to have a problem with the banking sector when they do that. >> do you think overall things are headed in the right direction? are things getting better? >> housing market, for example? >> the housing market, delinquencies and defaults are still at elevated levels. there was a bump in delinquency a short word that's a tall order. up your game. rates in the mortgage bankers up the ante. report. everything's marginally and if you stumble, you get back up. improving. there's still so many unknowns. there's a lot of shadow up isn't easy, and we ought to know. inventory that hasn't come on to we're in the business of up. the market yet. we don't know. everyday delta flies a quarter of million people the fed is certainly helping the while investing billions improving everything refinancing activity. that's giving them fees. from booking to baggage claim. that helps -- that was the main we're raising the bar on flying driver for both chase and wells fargo. that's helping. and tomorrow we will up it yet again. it's helping homeowners a bit. because they can free up some cash by getting lower interest rates. as a lot of media outlets have reported, they're not getting the full benefit of the lower rates. banks are pocketing, too. that is helping. i will give the fed that.

again, that's not sustainable. you can only take interest rates so low, only so much refinancing activity. these aren't originations for new home purchases. these are refis. >> can i ask you a question about jack welch? i'm dying to get your insight on this. you know after the numbers came out the tweet was this. october -- 5th of october. unbelievable jobs numbers. these chicago guys will do anything. can't debate so change numbers. >> no. well, i think, you know, the bls, bureau of labor statistics, is directed by a pure staff. they're religious about keeping welcome back to "starting point." this stuff insullated from you've heard me say for months now it looks like we're turning a corner in housing. the reason, rebounding home prices in construction declines political influence. you're going to see that number going -- changing a lot. in foreclosures. over time they align. a recent report from barclays >> i'm asking about jack welch, capital forecast home prices which fell by more than a third though. >> sorry. after the housing bubble burst i think the broader point, he in 2007 could be back to peak

kind of cleaned it up in the levels as soon as 2015. "wall street journal." there are flaws in the way this prices could rise 5% or more information is reported. annually. one of the more bullish of the >> which is not a surprise. >> it could be misleading. housing reports. we'll look at more housing data there wasn't any intentional manipulation. this week. stock futures up this morning >> the president does not know those numbers until the morning after a tough week. the dow coming off the worst week in more than four months. of still up about 7% this year. of. i worked at the labor department for a while. nobody knows those numbers. helped by monetary stimulus from the federal reserve. >> it's so sad. and speaking of the fed, the fed people are so scynical about chief ben bernanke, defending the fed against international government. you can trust the bls. critics who say fed policies are >> the last people you can trust hindering economic growth in absolutely, right? the bureau of labor and developing countries. critics say the fed is trying to statistics! >> that's it. stimulate the economy by nice to have you with us this ingesting money into it which is morning. >> i want to plug the book. distorting currency markets and >> it's a great book as well. the flow of capital among the harshest critics brazil and >> "bull by the horns" is the china. name of the book. end point is up next. stay with us. the fed chief himself soledad two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. saying don't undervalue your currency. thatnly makes things worse. >> we're going to talk a little later this morning about all of this and see exactly what, he didn't name china. he didn't name brazil. and bernanke was he didn't name russia but clearly what he was talking about. >> most sharply worded i've

heard him on this in some time. it was one of the boldest stunts of a generation. now the scientist from nasa, the european space agency countless other groups are studying all the data from felix baumgartner's death-defying leap bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars from the edge of space. here's the 43-year-old austrian to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. daredevil speaking right before he took the plunge. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. >> sometimes you have to get up and bp's also committed to america. really high to see how small you we support nearly 250,000 jobs are. i'm going home now. and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. >> oh. our commitment has never been stronger. that's awesome. you're seeing the same view that he saw as he was falling, and despite those humble words that kicked off the jump, the jump let's say you want to get ahead how do you get from here... was anything but small. shattered 52-year-old records to here? for the highest free-fall. makes him the first human being at university of phoenix we're moving career planning forward so you to ever break the sound barrier outside of an aircraft. can start figuring that out sooner. ln fact, by thinking about where amazingly, he ended up landing on his feet in an absolute want your education to lead, while you're still in school, you might find perfect landing.

he says this will be his last the best route... jump as a professional risk leads somewhere you weren't even looking. taker. he hopes to mentor the next let's get to work. generation of daredevils. i don't believe him on that. with us this morning another two. world renowned stuntman, veteran three. my credit card rewards are easy to remember. tight rope walker nik wallenda. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, nice to have you back with us. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, you were watching this at the airport. >> i was, that's right. every time. >> so describe for me the most [ both ] 2% back on groceries. terrifying moment for you. [ all ] 3% on gas! >> you know, i was sitting in no hoops to jump through. that seat with him and i know earn more cash back on the things i buy most. those feelings leading up to an [ woman in pet store ] it's as easy as... [ all ] one! event like this and the amount -two. -[ all ] three! of emotion and anxiety that goes into it. [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. i felt for him for the last week apply online or at a bank of america near you. as it kept becoming postponed longer and longer. because there's so much adrenaline in your body leading up to these events. so much anticipation and excitement leading up to it that it's so physically and emotionally draining, it's more than people would imagine. and the fact that it kept getting postponed mentally is just extremely draining. so i really felt for him. and then to finally be there had to be extremely exciting. but of course there's a lot of nerves involved. you don't know the outcome. but to see the event was just

absolutely amazing. i was glad that i was able to catch it. i was supposed to be on a flight and it got delayed. who could ask for anything better. i wanted to watch it live. it was absolutely amazing, astonishing. what a great move. >> there are lots of things that didn't go completely well. the balloon went higher than they thought it was supposed to go. there was a spin. we're showing pictures of when he was spinning in that free-fall. his mask had fogged up as they were going up in the balloon so he was thinking about doing the jump completely blind. as a daredevil yourself, do you sort of plan for these specific problems, or is it just, at some point you have to kind of wing it? >> you know there is a little bit of winging it. you can only trust science and technology to take you so far. at that point they didn't know what to expect. there are a lot of unknowns obviously. and you kind of just have to wing it. that's where that adrenaline and all that training really and experience kicks in. he'd done over 2500 jumps leading up to that. his military background helped one person killed, seven hurt in a hostage situation that him a lot, i'm sure. took place at a mobile home in and as you saw, as soon as he greer, south carolina. hit the right altitude he did two of the injured are sheriff's

regain control. all that comes with experience. >> he says he's done. deputies. we're told their injuries are that this is his last stunt ever. he's going to focus on the next generation. not life threatening. the suspect is in custody. do you believe him? i don't believe him. he has not been hurt. but you know, i'm not a police have not identified the victim at this point. daredevil. >> i was sad to hear that. we have just enough time to -- i read that yesterday, too. obviously we'll continue to it kind of made me sad like update you on this story as the you're done? you just did an amazing feat. day moves forward. we'll have more information. you got to do something bigger, we have just enough time to get bolder. but i respect that, as well. to one final end point. that he wants to spend time with who wants to take it. his family and i respect that very much. >> plutocrats, do it. i'm not one to give up, not at my age anyways. >> my book is published today. but i'm only 33 so i plan on going for at least another 15 to rising income inequality in the 20 more years. >> okay good. world, in the united states. we're glad to hear it. >> who's to blame for -- i don't believe him. >> globalization a nik wallenda, nice to have you with us this morning. thanks for being with us. >> thanks so much. >> you bet. still ahead this morning on "starting point," it's called mix it up day. mix it up at lunch day. it's intended to promote tolerance. but nearly 200 schools are backing out of mix it up day. we'll tell you why. our get real starting point team headed in to talk about that. we're back in just a moment. hi, guys. good morning. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth.

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welcome back, everyone. a quick look at some top stories. contaminated pain injections have sickened some 203 people. 15 have died of that fungal meningitis outbreak. 14 states now reporting meningitis cases. tennessee, michigan and virginia the hardest-hit so far. the shuttle "endeavour" has reached its final destination. "endeavour" arrived yesterday at the california science center. it took more than two days to tow "endeavour" from los angeles international airport over to the science center. a 12-mile journey. it was moving at a whopping 2 miles per hour. mitt romney ruffled feathers when he mentioned big bird by name during the first presidential debate saying he wants to cut federal funding for pbs.

now some sesame street fans are fighting back with plans for a million muppet march. that's november 3rd at the national mall in washington. i don't know if muppets are likely voters. >> how does he make that happen? >> so many questions. >> i don't think they're sock puppet muppets is what they're talking about. >> 74. wonder if that's going to come off. thank you, john. christa freeland is with us, a digital editor at thompson reuters. and the author of the new global superrich and the fall of everyone else. they're like, turn it around. you owe her $5. also joining us this morning, margaret hooper whose whisper you heard. former employee of the bush administration. richard sock rid des is with us, as well. writer at new yorker dotcom. nice to have you all with us. our get real.

this is really interesting controversy surrounding school program designed to combat bullying. it's called mix it up at lunch day. october 30th is the date. it encourages kids to sit with classmates that they normally wouldn't talk to. started 11 years ago by the southern poverty law center. this year the program is being targeted by the american family association, conservative evangelical group. the group says the project is this, a quote nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools. the fplc says it's about breaking up cliques and having kids talk to somebody they normally wouldn't talk to. see, mix it up. 200 schools have withdrawn this year so far from the project after the american family association sent out an e-mail. but it's not exactly clear why they've withdrawn. >> we were talking about it. there must be a reason, right? there must be a reason. you have a great idea. mix it up day, you're in the

cafeteria. you want to sit by people -- you don't want to encourage bullying. we sit by people we don't agree with necessarily. so why would they try to say it's promoting homosexuality? as it turns out that the flpc has decided that the american family group is a hate group and they put it on a list, so they clearly can't stand each other, these two groups. >> they should mix it up. >> sit down at the table. >> so now the important thing here, right, is that bullying in school is a big problem. most kids who are bullied in school are not gay. they are just targeted because they're different. and they're often targeted with anti-gay remarks but that's just because it's the nastiest thing kids can say about other kids, or so they think. so this program is really important and it has nothing to do with whether you're gay or straight or you know it is just promoting tolerance. >> it's basics. >> what we do here every day. promote tolerance and understanding. >> understanding.

although i don't understand you most of the time. >> and you know, bullying -- bullying for kids, as a mother, that's the most scary thing if your kid comes home and says other kids were mean to them. and it does happen because you really do have to hold yourself back from going in and finding that child. >> from being a bully yourself. >> i agree. they are wrong. american family association, and obviously the southern poverty law center should get together, clear the air, mix it up together and then go ahead and mix it up in the schools. still ahead on "starting point" this morning. new developments for the 14-year-old pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the taliban. could help keep her safe. cnn's reza saleh has been following the story from the beginning. he's going to join us from is m islamabad next. plus a rookie reporter, dangerous. the nfl sideline job can be. we're back in a moment. wanna see me get some great deals?

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good morning, welcome back. you're watching "starting point." we begin with john berman who's got an update on the day's top stories. >> this story has shocked people around the world. 14-year-old pakistani girl shot in the head by the taliban. as we speak malala yousafzai is being flown to a hospital in england for treatment. the taliban tried to kill her because she publicly defied them. malala is an outspoken promoter for education for girls in pakistan and pakistanis, many of them, outraged by the attack and are calling for a crackdown on the taliban.

reza is in pakistan with more on the story. what's the latest? >> yeah, john. this move came suddenly this morning. i don't think too many people expected it. but indeed malala yousafzai being airlifted to england at this hour. we're not quite sure exactly what facility she's going to. but we do know it's in birmingham, and we do know that she left around 9:00 a.m. this morning. about 7 1/2 hours ago. she did make a stop in abu dhabi. there pakistan's ambassador to the uae said he briefly saw her. he described her as unconscious. this is about a nine, eleven-hour trip with a stopover in abu dhabi. my guess is she'll be touching down in the uk in the next two to four hours. the military here had been overseeing her medical care. and they said this was a window of opportunity to get her to a specialized facility. mom, dad, little brother, they're with her, according to

family members. in fact, here in pakistan, a lot of people still praying for her. >> all right reza sayah in pakistan this morning. we do hope this is a positive development in her treatment. thank you very much. the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in libya has both campaigns on the attack. disagreements on the level of security, and who is responsible. on sunday's "state of the union" with candy crowley. >> vice president biden directly contradicted the sworn testimony of the state department, in the debate the other night. >> the administration is responsible. countries that provide us consulates and missions are responsible, also, for keeping us -- keeping those people safe and secure. and an investigation is what the president and the secretary of state have asked for, so that we can understand directly all the things that happened. >> the house has already held a hearing on the attack. the senate also planning an investigation. the pentagon has launched an investigation into a collision at sea between a nuclear submarine and another navy vessel. the submarine "montpelier" and

the cruiser "san jacinto" came into contact saturday morning during a training exercise off the east coast. no one was hurt but no word yet on what caused this crash. this just in this morning the nobel prize in economics has been rewarded -- awarded to albert e. roth of harvard university and lloyd schaaply of ucla. margaret knows who these people are. maybe she can tell us a little bit. >> no, i don't. >> we'll look into that and find out what they did. they just won a big prize. a record setting night for aaron rodgers. he threw a career high six touchdown passes last night as green bay handed the houston texans their first loss of the season 42-24. only one team left, the atlanta falcons. the falcons are now a perfect 6-0. the only undid you feeted team. talk about having a nose for the football. check out nfl network reporter ian rapport, a new reporter

doing a live sideline report this weekend. you can say he took one for the team. >> all of a sudden there really have been questions about this defense which is ranked 21st. i had an interesting talk with offensive coordinator -- with -- did you guys just see that football? >> i saw it. >> anyway. anyway. >> that's live tv, folks. keeps right on going. hit by a football in the face and delivers the rest of the report. we're on your side, sir. well done. >> that was well done. all right, john, thank you. former senator arlen specter is going to be laid to rest tomorrow. he died yesterday from non-hodgkin's lymphoma which is cancer of the white blood cells. he was 82 years old. specter was known as a true political wild card. he rose to prominence in the mid 1960s when he got involved in the warren commission. investigating the assassination of president kennedy. 2009 he famously switched from the republican party to the democratic party. admiral joe sestak was the highest ranking military

official ever elected to the u.s. congress. he served as a member of the u.s. house of representatives for two terms, then defeated arlen specter in specter's last primary race for senate. nice to see you, sir. thank you for talking with us. >> thanks for having me. >> you and arlen specter were rivals, and sometimes very, very tough rivals. what was he like as a competitor, and as a friend that he eventually became? >> he was great. i -- i thought i was a hard worker. but nobody outworks arlen specter. somebody came into the office one day, and we're getting in at 6:00 a.m. and going home after midnight, he says are you really enjoying this? i remember telling him that, boy, if you define enjoyment like john f. kennedy once did, applying all your faculties towards excellence, yes, i do. because that's what arlen specter makes me do. reach beyond my grasp. i love being the very best pennsylvania's ever produced. i really did. >> you know, admiral, it's so interesting, because he had a lot of tough challenges all during his life. but he really did not let them

deter him from the things that he thought were important. >> you know, you're absolutely right. he was a fighter. in his own personal life, and out here on the campaign. but he was never deterred from doing what his legacy really is. and in my mind, it's the fierce advocacy for the national institute of health that affected so many families across america, including mine. when my 4-year-old daughter, when i was in the military, was struck with malignant brain cancer, it was an nih study of chemotherapy with some stem cell effort in it that hadn't even been approved for the entire population yet that she underwent. she's now 11 years old going on 22 because of arlen specter. and if any public servant can have the legacy that he had about fighting but then doing something with your seat in the senate, boy he has it. there aren't going to be many like him. but i sure hope they look towards him as a pragmatist, a centrist, somebody who was

willing to do a compromise, but a principled compromise, stand up to his own party, to do what was needed -- >> you know, he had a very -- he was a funny guy. and he had -- and he loved comedy, and he loved stand-up. and i want to play a little chunk of what he said about ted kennedy. let's play that. >> the situation with ted kennedy, i was in the whirlpool, the hot tub, and in comes kennedy, 2 5 pounds, in his birthday suit, and he plops into the -- he plops into the hot tub, and you know the old theory about a rising tide lifts all -- my head -- my head hit the ceiling. >> you know, every year philadelphia there's a comedy routine done by all the politicians. and you know, it goes for a couple hours. but once they knew the time arlen specter would show up, everybody came and packed the

house. but i'll tell you something else, just before i -- >> arlen specter america came to know? >> no. you know, but they knew him as a fighter. and they knew him as an independent. i just, for example, was in the makeup here at cnn before i came on and the makeup artist who i was talking with, he said let me tell you about arlen. he would never put on makeup. he was who he was. and that, in my mind, is why pennsylvania's going to remember this standard that he has set. stood up to his party when he felt he needed to, in the economic stimulus bill. whether he agreed or disagreed with it because he felt it was needed for america. fierce independence. >> admiral joe sestak joining us this morning. nice to see you, sir. >> great to be with you. >> i appreciate it. so what separates the super rich from the -- the 1% of the 1%? right that's the super rich from everybody else who is not so super rich. chrysta's written a new book about exactly that topic. the rise of the wealthiest class in the world. we're going to talk about that

straight ahead.

welcome back, everybody. election is about three weeks away. if mitt romney wins, he will easily be the wealthiest president ever elected. his estimated personal wealth is more than 190 million. he falls squarely into the top 0.1% of the world's top earners. it's a small but hugely influential group that chrystia freeland has been writing about in her new book -- >> my book! >> over here! >> i went to grab my book. it's called "the rise of the new global super rich and the fall of everyone else." she writes the rise of the 1% of the global phenomenon and in a

globalized economy, the most international law both on how they live their lives and earn their fortunes. you're not writing specifically about mitt romney but it is this class of folks who have risen to the very tippy top. i thought it's interesting that you say that those super rich have more in common with each other than they have with whoever their compatriots are in the -- >> wow. >> scared me. >> compatriots. and they also have in common with the middle class in some ways. because what you say is they've built them? >> they actually have -- they're not inherited wealth. many of them have become super rich through their own labors and their own effort. and so -- >> yes, both of these things are true. i mean, on sort of the internationalization of this group and how they do increasingly have more in common with each other than with the middle class back home, you know, i think that this is a function of voter capital. you know increasingly these guys do business around the world. they are on planes, all the time. and they tend to meet each other.

you can be in the four seasons restaurant in manhattan, and you know, be having lunch with an english guy and he'll shout across the room to an american, hey, steve, the last time i saw you was six weeks ago in the four seasons in shanghai. that's how they live their lives. and it's a big difference. i speak in the book, i spoke to paul volcker about this. and he said to me, you know, it's such a different world from the one that i grew up in. and the one that existed when i was the head of the fed. he said these guys speaking about american ceos. they don't think of themselves as american anymore. >> what's the philosophy? walk us through some of the philosophies of the superrich? >> i don't want to make clear, this is a really important political and social phenomenon. but i don't think these people are bad. if you are learning an international -- >> -- actually. >> right. if you're running an international corporation it's not unpatriotic of you to think in global terms. you have to do it. but it does mean you clash, i

think, with the american middle class. and we see this in the election campaign, where you have sort of the paradigm of, are they the job creators, versus the democrats saying, actually, you know, bain capital did fantastically for bain but sometimes that was at the cost of laying off american workers. you had david rubenstein recently saying, you know, i'm a great private equity guy. none of my investors have ever said to me, are you going to create jobs for workers. and that, to me, is sort of the central narrative, and one of the big fights that's happening in america today. >> interesting. all right, thank you. everyone it's called "plutocrats" if i had my book anywhere near me. the rise of the super rich and the fall of everybody else. we appreciate that. still ahead on "starting point," who are the big winners in the debates leading up to election day? "snl" of course. listen. >> a bunch of malarkey? >> yes. >> what does that mean? >> it's irish. >> no, no, no, irish is i come over there and smack that dumb look off your face.

>> let's talk about that. also comedian host of fx's totally biased talks political satire with us. we're back in a moment. ♪ hi dad. many years from now, when the subaru is theirs... hey. you missed a spot. ...i'll look back on this day and laugh. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

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welcome back, everybody. you're watching "starting point." a quick check of the weather with meteorologist rob marciano. >> we start you off with the tropics. if you're traveling to the bahamas or northern caribbean, tropical storm rafael. some of the training storms to the east of there still affecting some of the islands. it will probably become a hurricane here today or tomorrow. and then skirt past bermuda, probably miss bermuda. but may be a little bit stormy there. also if you're traveling to the beaches late season, maybe some rip currents and some big waves along the east coast.

this front will push into some pretty tropical air across the easte eastern seaboard right now. temperatures lower 60s. showers and thunderstorms, some could be severe across the carolinas. middle of the country looking good. so cal looki ining toasty with a ana winds. 62, seattle. 60, chicago. 63 expected in new york. >> appreciate you watching that storm for us. second presidential debate just a day away. a chance for the american people to hear their candidates discuss the issues. of course, more material for s & l to skewer the candidates. >> he said by the end of his first term he would cut the deficit in half. yet he still has not put a single credible plan on the table on how to deal with the debt crisis. >> i'm sorry, martha, with all due respect this is a munch of malarkey. >> a bunch of malarkey? what does that mean?

>> it's irish. >> no, no, no. irish is i come over there and smack that dumb look off your face. >> the host of fx's "totally biased." a weekly program about news related topics. nice to have you with us. what makes great political comedy and satires? is it just the big, giant characters? is it the facial ticks joe biden had during the debate? what is it? >> the same thing that makes every great story. you need big personalities in awkward situations. i think that's what you get when you get a political race. big personalities in awkward situations trying to connect to people or debates which are totally awkward. mix that together, you get gold like joe biden last week. >> your show is called "totally biased." is it possible to have bipartisan political humor or do we laugh at the jokes that make fun of the guys we don't agree with? >> i'm a lefty. i thought that joe biden thing was awesome. it's great to make fun of joe biden. joe biden is perfect. he has two speeds. zero and 1,000. i think that's what great for

political comedy. when you get to see joe biden mix it up. >> what's funny now about mitt romney and barack obama? what are the funniest things about them. >> mitt romney, he's in this position where basically they're telling him to act like a human. it's great to see him be in this position where he's trying to connect with the everyday person. you guys were talking about the super rich. he really doesn't see everyday people probably that often. it's great to see him out there mixing it up with everyday people trying to act human. it's great to see barack have to choose which barack he wants to be. >> meaning what? >> barack's like a swiss army knife. there's rock star barack. there's professor barack. there's singing barack. there's sexy barack. there's a lot of different baracks you can choose from. at the debate last week he picked annoyed barack. >> didn't work out so well for him, did it? >> it seemed as he -- >> he brought the wrong tool. >> he's funny. >> i have my moments. hopefully thursdays on fx at

11:30. >> what's funny about john berman? >> you're asking too much. >> i have a serious question. not so serious. when a president came on to the national scene before he was president and then when he was elected president, it seems like there was difficulty for the community to really nail it and get a great impersonation of it. >> was it because he was the first black guy? nobody wanted to make fun of the black person. >> it was easy for me. maybe that's because i'm a black guy. i felt a lot of people hadn't seen that guy on the seat. wait a minute. when you say it like that. a lot of guy hadn't seen that guy on the scene before. i was like, that's my guy. >> how did you make fun of him? what's the most sort of humor point about the president. >> the thing i said. the fact i think he's one of the -- automatically when he was a black senator from illinois he was already in the top 100 black guys of all time. then he becomes the president. he's in this weird position of having to be perfect while at

the same time having to run against romney. it's just this funny disconnect. i could see him in the debates last week, like, who invited this dude? >> something a lot of people say about the president is that part of the reason that he comes across as so cool and aloof is because he's black and he's very conscious of not coming across as angry black man. do you think that's true? if it is true, is he right to be worried about that? >> yes. black people are especially cool. i agree with that part of your point. yes. i think that's true. if he gets angry, he's so angry, the angry black guy. like i said, he has the swiss army knife in the back pocket. doesn't know which one to go with. >> we'll see which one he comes with in the debate tomorrow night. 11:30 thursdays on fx. still ahead on "starting point," doing the countdown to obama/romney take two. we'll be joined by a man who knows what it's like to debate mitt romney. former new york major rudy

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welcome, everybody. our starting point this morning, ready for the rematch. mitt romney, president obama pair for their long island debate. i like to call it the strong land debate as the campaign turns up the heat. listen. >> i think you'll see somebody who's very passionate about the choice that our country faces. >> the president can change his style, he can change his tactics. he can't change his record. >> new polls this morning show the candidates are in a statistical dead heat. fighting for her life.

the pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by the taliban is headed out of the country for treatment. a live report on how she's doing right now. a death defying stunt. daredevil felix fareless baumgartner breaks the sound barrier as he plunges 24 miles to the ground and lives. the incredible new angles to show you this morning. joining us, former new york city mayor rudy giuliani is our guest. delaware governor jack markell. sheila bair. and senator bob casey will join us as well. monday, october 15th. monday, october 15th. starting point begins right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com morning. welcome, everybody. our team this morning, christa freeland. digital editor at thompson reuters. author of "plutocrats." margaret hoover is a former white house appointee in the bush administration. and richard, a writer at

bloomberg.com. >> and major giuliani introduced me to my husband. the reason my husband and i were married. >> it changes my entire line of questioning for this morning. we're talking about round two, of course, in the presidential debate. president barack obama, challenger mitt romney spending the weekend getting ready to face each other again. at this point it looks like it's anybody's race. new "washington post"/abc news poll has the president ahead by three points, well within the margin of error. new political poll shows that the president's ahead by one point which would make it a statistical dead heat. former major judy giuliani joins us this morning. romney campaign surrogate. debated romney himself in the 2008 campaign. nice to have you with us. >> nice to be with you. >> talk about how you think a version 2.0 is going to go? we've heard from the administration's side i think the word they've used is more engaged or aggressive. >> passionate. >> passionate was the word. >> it's a different debate. it's going to be very interesting to compare them. very, very different. mostly audience questions.

i don't know how -- how aggressive you can get in a debate like that. probably you're going to see a performance like joe biden. if that had been an audience thing they'd have wondered what he was laughing at. i think mitt romney will be very, very good. as you said, i debated mitt 11 times. i've watched him debate another 20 times. he's always good. sometimes he's great as he was last time. he's never bad. we know he's going to have a very steady to a very, very good performance. the president's more of a question. the last performance was really troubling. it's the reason i think these poms ha polls have gotten so close. his performance was a shock to me. i expected him to be much better. i thought biden's performance on reflection was very damaging to them. i think all that laughing created questions about what the heck's he laughing at? >> the campaign said to me when i asked about it the next morning, they said, listen. if all the republicans point out

is laughing, clearly they had nothing to criticize. >> there's plenty to criticize. the cover of benghazi. >> well -- >> can i finish? can i finish my statement before you get all upset? the reality is he said we didn't know they were asking for more security. where the heck was he? they were demanding more security. they were begging for more security. susan rice goes on television four days later. i was on cnn with her that morning. and says it was the spontaneous demonstration. i knew it wasn't. i knew it wasn't. i'm not part of the administration. i knew it wasn't the day after. she had to know it wasn't. they were saying it wasn't. the national security adviser said it was a terrorist plot. >> the white house now is basically saying the state department dropped the ball. the state department is looking and saying -- listen, i'm telling you how it goes. there's intel issues. >> who put susan rice on? the state department or political people? it was a political appearance. they're trying to run out the

clock. they can have the investigation. the investigation will be after the debate, after the election is over. what they're trying to do is cover up this scandal as much as possible. >> calling something a cover-up kind of takes it a further step, don't you think? >> no, it doesn't. wait a second. the statement was made including by the president of the united states that this was due to this terrible movie about mohammed. >> he actually didn't say that. the verbatim of what he said, he did not say it was something other than that. but it was mentioned, but he did not specifically say this was due to a movie. >> he mentioned -- >> why don't you pull all these transcripts for me. >> man, the defensive -- am i debating with the president's campaign? >> mr. major -- >> the defense of the president is overwhelming. >> i like to stick -- hold on a second. hold on a second. hold on a second. >> susan rice goes out there four days after. says this was a spontaneous demonstration. it clearly wasn't. there was information both in the state department and the white house that it wasn't.

there was no protest in advance. >> my question to you and what i'm debating -- >> this sounds like a cover-up. if this weren't a democratic president i think all you people would be going crazy. >> there are so many -- >> so much to this. it's so rich. >> the one thing i'm debating with you is just specifics. when you quote someone or you par phrase them the only thing i ask is that you get that accurate. that's all i ask. we're going to pull those. we're a little bit off. >> we're also entitled to interpret what the president is saying without this, like, massive defense of everything he says. >> just to sort of pivot us to the next subject, if i may, do you think foreign policy, including benghazi, is going to play a significant role in the election? because i would say my bias is to think actually it's really interesting for us to talk about. but i think people essentially are going to vote on the economy. >> you're right so far. i think it's moving a little. i think if, in fact, this becomes a question of the president's lack of leadership,

then it cuts into the economy as well. it's beginning to become like that. the white house -- the white house has been remarkably -- the white house has fumbled this -- whether it's a deliberate cover-up or they're making it look like a cover-up they have fumbled the ball four or five times here. several contradictions. excuse me if being the fact that i'm a republican, i don't give them as you do all the benefit of the doubt. >> mr. mayor, can i just ask you this, though? it seems to me that every time an american is killed in the line of duty, that it represents some kind of failure of intelligence. so what, though, do you think they're trying to cover up here? i think they've admitted that they didn't -- that intelligence originally was not correct. now to say that's an intentional cover-up i think is really stretching it. why would they try -- what would they be trying to cover-up? >> that's not accurate. the intelligence was correct. the next morning they had information this -- >> we do know that. they've essentially said -- >> you guys got the journal. we may never have found out

unless you took the journal. the white house says -- excuse me. >> you don't know what -- >> you guys had to go get the journal. the white house kind of accused you of stealing the journal. you got the journal of the ambassador that showed the ambassador was very, very concerned about security. i'm not sure they ever would have put that fact out until after the election was over. you've had to squeeze these facts. you, cbs and fox had to squeeze these facts out. this is supposed to be the most transparent administration in history? come on. give me a break. something funny's going on here. something's rotten in the state of denmark. >> i would completely agree with you there's been lots of dancing around this issue. my question was when you say something's a cover-up, that's a next step forward. let's move on. i want to play something you said back in february on cbs "face the nation." you were talking about mitt romney. listen. >> he has changed his position on virtually everything. he was a traditional, moderate

republican. strong on fiscal matters. conservative. strong on foreign policy. but basically socially moderate. and he changed all that. i am a moderate republican. that's what i am. so i'd be inclined to support someone like -- like mitt romney. but all those changes in positions give me -- give me pause. >> still give you pause? >> no. i resolved it. >> what was the resolving? >> i looked at president obama. i said four more years of president obama a disaster for our economy. a confused foreign policy. the middle east is falling apart. my goodness, mitt romney will be a lot better at that. >> do you think he's been shifting positions? >> look, neither one of the two men, including me when i ran, none of us are perfect. pluses, minuses. you take romney's pluses and minuses against obama's pluses and minuses. we got a chance for an economy that can really recover. we got a chance for a middle east policy that will make some sense. maybe we won't be having this confusion of, you know, first -- first where we want to keep --

we want to keep mubarak in power. then we change our position on mubarak. now it turns out "new york times" in the we're arming some of the jihadists in syria. maybe that's what we did in libya. we got a confusing approach to foreign policy. i think president romney would be a lot more focused. >> go back to your sound bite. have you in your own mind come to a conclusion on who is the real mitt romney? the moderate guy or the more conservative guy? margaret, i love you but i want to hear from the mayor. >> let him answer the question. then you can have a follow-up. >> i'll answer the question. i've come to the conclusion that mitt romney is informed by ideology. he's center right. he's basically a practical business person. and maybe some of my judgment of him comes from my own background. i came into politics in a different way than he did. came into politics from government service. he came into politics from being a business person. i think this is a practical problem solver. i don't think we're going to see an extreme idealog in the white

house if he becomes president of the united states. look at his background. everything else suggests he's going to be a problem solver. >> you had a final point. >> i think the mayor said it very well. i agree with exactly how he portrayed mitt romney. >> nice to have you with us. >> always a pleasure. we got to take a short break. cnn's candy crowley i should mention is going to be moderates that presidential town hall style debate tomorrow night. special coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. john berman, a look at some of the other stories making news today. good morning. >> following this story all morning. the pakistani teen shot in the head by the taliban should be landing in britain soon. 14-year-old malala yousuifzai was air lifted out of pakistan last night. her wounds are severe. the ptaliban tried to silence hr for good because she defied them. coming up on "starting point," we'll hear from cnn's

reza siayah. authorities have s-- 29-year-old seth mazaglia, martial arts -- pretrial is under way for the ill fated costa concordia. italian authorities have charged the captain with manslaughter. he is also accused of abandoning ship. surviving passengers will be in the courtroom. black box data from the ship's bridge is expected to be introduced this week. fareless felix baumgartner is going out on top of the world. stunning video of the austrian daredevil who rose to the edge of space 24 miles up and jumped. he plotted 830-plus miles per

hour. faster than the speed of sound. that has never been done outside a jet or spacecraft because it's crazy. earlier on "starting point" nik wallenda said baumgartner was always prepared. >> there are a lot of unknowns. you kind of just have to wing it. that's where that adrenaline and training and experience kicked in. he'd done over 2,500 jumps leading up to that. his military background helped him a lot, i'm sure. as you saw as soon as he hit the right altitude he did regain control. all that comes with experience. >> baumgartner says this was his last jump. quick while he's ahead. ahead like the detroit tigers feeling pretty good right now about world series chanlss. they are halfway there after beating the yankees at the bronx 3-0 to go up two games to none in the american league championship series. an embarrassing loss for the bombers. game three tomorrow night in detroit with tiger ace justin verlander on the mound. man, he's fwood. in the nlcs defending world

series champ st. louis cardinals threw first blood against the giants in the 6-4 win in game one. game two tonight in san francisco. cardinals always so tough in the playoffs. right now prlaying so well. >> john, thank you. ahead on "starting point" this morning president obama in intense debate prep mode. only taking a half hour break yesterday apparently. these are all indications, at least if you listen to his staff, he's going to come out swinging tomorrow night. what can we expect? we'll talk about that with obama supporter delaware governor jack markell joining us next. the rewrite and illustration redo of "night before christmas." our tough call, coming up.

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welcome back, everybody. president obama left his golf clubs at home when we went to a posh resort in williamsburg this weekend. he was there for one reason. preparing for the second debate against mitt romney. he took a half hour break. there were cameras rolling. it's a photo op. >> kind of cute. soauthentic. anyway, all indications if you listen to the staff members is that he's going to come out swinging or at least come out more aggressively than he did after he admitted he had a bad night in the first debate. jack markell, obama campaign supporter. nice to have you with us this morning. thank you for being with us. i'm going to throw up on the screen -- >> good morning. >> -- good morning to you. this new poll comes to us from our friends at politico. george washington university as well. battleground states, of the ten

battleground states which are colorado, oregon, ohio, nevada, michigan, wisconsin, you have mitt romney leading at 50%. president obama at 48%. when you see a poll like that how much bad news is that for you? >> ve been in two of those states in the last ten days. i was in ohio about ten days ago. i was in florida yesterday. i can tell you the enthusiasm on the part of the obama people was incredible. and the ground game was just really, really impressive. in ohio i visited a couple college campuses. these young students doing an amazing job registering people to vote. getting people to vote early. yesterday in florida at a couple field offices, at a house party, people raring to go. literally dozens and dozens and dozens at these aucoffices maki phone calls, going on campus. >> what change do you see in this debate, the second version, 2.0? will the president be aggressive? >> i think the real question -- i'm sure he will be.

i think the real question is which mitt romney shows up? is he going to be the one who said he governed as a severe conservative in massachusetts or will he be the etch and sketch guy he was the last time? i think obviously part of what the president will do is drive that home. to the extent that he is the severe conservative, i'm sure the president will reveal exactly how that's not consistent with the mainstream american valu. to the extent he's the etch a sketch guy the president will show that's inconsistent with who mitt romney's been before. >> well, you know, i think we should discuss what we just heard from mayor giuliani who made some rather striking allegations this morning about an alleged cover-up. i, for one, think that the mayor stretched that. i'd like to hear what the governor has to say. did you hear mayor giuliani's comments about ben zambengbengh? >> i did. i also believe the

administration will do everything they can to get to the bottom of it. i also heard what mayor giuliani said back in february where he said mitt romney has changed his positions on everything. i think that's really the issue at hand here. again, you know, is it going to be the real conservative mitt romney that he says he is? or is it now going to be the guy who has moderated all of his positions? i think that will really be the issue here. >> governor, how can you convince the american people the administration really is doing everything it can to get to the bottom of what happened in benghazi when the story has changed so consistently from the very, very beginning? >> i think the american people understand that these are very complex situations. as you go on with the investigation day by day, additional information becomes available. as that information becomes available, they'll share it. i think, again, these are -- it's really complicated. people want to get at the bottom of it. nobody wants to get at the bottom of it more than the president and vice president. >> will we learn something new about benghazi from the president tomorrow?

does he have a prepared statement to clear things up? >> that, i don't know. i haven't had any conversations with him or his team as part of the debate preparation. i'm sure as information becomes available, they'll share it. i think the real point of the debate tomorrow, it's a town hall format, is make sure the president answers the questions. but also in addition to answering the questions that are posed to him, make sure that mitt romney answers the questions. let's figure out which mitt romney it actually is. >> andrew sullivan has written in the daily beast. he was so upset the other day in the last article we read. he really was completely over the top. here's what he wrote about what he needs to see from president obama personally. he said this. obama threw it all back in his supporters' faces, reacting to their enthusiasm and record denations with a performance so execrable? lazy? >> that's an andrew sullivan word. >> i was going to say. >> it's very british.

>> excuse me. we'll move on from that word. lazy, feckless, so vain it was almost a dare not to vote for him. what he has to do now is so nail these next two debates, so obliterate romney in both that he can claw his way back to victory. is the format of this debate even possible to do that? a town hall? how do you obliterate somebody in a town hall? >> look, i'm not sure obliteration is the key goal here. people make up their minds based on a whole set of observations during the campaign. this debate is certainly important. it's a great opportunity not only for the president, but for the president to focus the american people in on mitt romney. and, again, you know, how are -- what is it that mitt romney is saying today? how does that compare to what mitt romney said during the primary? these are two entirely different candidates. i think whether it's a town hall format, whether it's just a moderator format, it's a great opportunity for the president to dive into that.

>> governor, margaret hoover here. is it the president's strategy only to keep the focus on mitt romney and mitt romney's history or does he have plans to actually be specific about his own second agenda, second term agenda plans and to talk like my colleague john berman said about benghazi to give the american people confidence that there is something new and something different coming from what would be a second obama term? >> the president, to his credit, throughout this campaign has been specific. and for people who wonder what those plans might be, if you haven't had a chance to hear him talk about, they can go to barackobama.com/plans. he has laid it all out there. i really hope -- i think it's a good question. it's one of the things that i hope he has the chance to do. because i think the more the people dig in to his plans to promote more exports, to make sure there's more foreign direct investment here, to focus on the jobs act, he has been focused as focused can be on putting more people back to work. you started to see some of tha with 31 straight months of job

growth. 5 million jobs. so on and so forth. but he's the first to know that we've got more to do. he's laid out specific plans for us to get there. i'm excited to hear more about that during the debate as well. >> governor jack markell joining us this morning. nice to see u, sir. thank you for talking with us. >> thanks a lot. got to take a short break. back in a moment. es, posters copies of my acceptance speech. great! it's always good to have a backup plan, in case i get hit by a meteor. wow, your hair looks great. didn't realize they did photoshop here. hey, good call on those mugs. can't let 'em see what you're drinking. you know, i'm glad we're both running a nice, clean race. no need to get nasty. here's your "honk if you had an affair with taylor" yard sign. looks good. [ male announcer ] fedex office. now save 50% on banners. we're not in london, are we? no. why? apparently my debit card is. what? i know. don't worry, we have cancelled your old card. great. thank you. in addition to us monitoring your accounts

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there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪ welcome back to "starting point." i'm christine romans. taxamageddon is what will happen. parents, working people, students, these could revert back to previous smaller levels. for parents the child tax credit. lower income parents claim as much as $1,000 for each kid

under 17. the child and dependent care tax credit. there's the earned income tax credit. the government estimates it lifts millions of americans out of poverty each year. there's a college tax credit for lower income families that can claim up to $3,500 in college expenses each year for four years. these tax hikes like this will hit 88% of americans according to the tax policy center, raising their taxes on average $3,500. senators have begun to talk about beginning to talk about a framework for fixing this. deficit negotiators expect a frenzy in the lame duck session of congress. >> they've begun to talk about beginning to talk about it? >> about the framework. >> the principles they would agree on before they came to talk about it. interesting. >> we'll hope all of that talking will eventually lead to something actually being done. when you look at all of those tax credits you can see it's a lot of people. 88% of americans would be

affected by what happens on january 1st. >> the cbo says it would throw the country back into recession affirmatively. >> it would certainly help our deficit and debt position. >> it certainly would if you pay it off. at the cost of paying it off. what cost? >> good news, bad point. still ahead on "starting point," more than 200 people now affected with that deadly meningitis outbreak. also, "saturday night live" feasting on the fodder from the vp debate. listen. >> a bunch of malarkey? what does that mean? >> it's irish. >> no, no, no. irish is i come over there and smack that dumb look off your face. >> more highlights of that coming up. also, a new version of the iconic story "twas the night before christmas." it's been rewritten. in this one santa's not smoking. hmm. we're going to talk about whether or not you can even do that. back in a moment. me mother of three. it was soccer, and ballet, and cheerleading, and baseball. those years were crazy.

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morning. welcome. you're watching "starting point." let's get right to john berman for a look at some of the stories making news. this is a story we've been following all morning. the 14-year-old pakistani girl shot in e head by the taliban should be landing in britain soon. malala yousafzai's wounds are severe. the taliban tried to kill her because she publicly defied them by promoting education for girls. kistanis, many of them outraged by the attack. cnn's reza sayah has been covering this story from the beginning. good morning, reza. >> good morning, john. when an air ambulance landed here in islamabad last night we thought there would be a possibility for malala to be air lifted out of here.

i don't think a lot of people expected it to happen this weekend. it did this morning, 9:00 a.m. malala yousafzai took off from islamabad. make a quick stop in abudabi, there pakistan's ambassador to the uae briefly saw her. described her as still unconscious. this is a roughly 11, 12-hour trip. i think with that stopover in abudabi you can expect her to land in england, birmingham, england, sometime in the next two or four hours. the military was overseeing her care here while she was in pakistan. they described this as a window of opportunity to get her to this facility that specializes in treating children with severe injuries. of course, she's got damage to her skull. possible neurological damage. her mother is with her. her father and little brother and many, many people at this hour praying for her all over the world, john. >> thank you, reza. reza sayah in islamabad. we hope this means good things for her treatment. 35 minutes after the hour.

contaminated pain injections have now made 205 people sick. 203 of them infected with fungal meningit meningitis. the other two have peripheral joint infection. it's killed 15 people. 14 states reporting cases with tennessee, michigan and virginia the hardest hit. it has been 50 years since the cuban missile crisis when the u.s. was on the brink of nuclear war with the soviet union. to mark tan ver sar hundreds of private and confidential documents held at the jfk presidential library are going online. they include memos between president kennedy and his brother then attorney general robert f. kennedy during the height of the crisis. the pack is back. green bay quarterback aaron rodgers tossing a career high six touchdown passes last night. 42-24. the houstons' very first loss of the season. only one unbeaten team remains. it is the atlanta falcons.

55-yard field goal by matt bryant. the falcons now 6-0. prident obama and mitt romney will be center stage again tomorrow night. "saturday night live" getting the last laugh from the biden/romney debate. >> first of all, i want to thank senator college for hosting us this eve zblninevening. >> oh, boy, here we go. >> four years ago president obama made a promise. [ laughing ]. >> that he would bring down unemployment below 6%. >> all right, let's go. >> all right. that's funny. this you may not find so funny. a new smoke-free version of "twas the night before christmas" is getting some holiday jeers. a visit from st. nicolas, the jolly old elf, kicks his pipe habit cold turkey. author and anti-smoking author edited out two versions about smoking. some critics say the rewrite is too pc including the president of a bearded santa group. he responded by saying, quote,

leave my story alone. this change is not officially sanctioned by the north pole. what are those verses? the famous verses. >> the stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth. and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath. a rather beautiful image which i think our children should get to hear. >> are you allowed to -- >> i don't think they equate it to nicotine and lung cancer. >> there was a controversy over santa's weight. was santa too fat? does a fat santa send a bad message? >> is it christmas already? >> but it is a thing that exists that someone wrote. it's called "twas the night before christmas." how do you edit around it? >> "the new york post" did this article about it sort of tongue in cheek. here's what they'll do next. a moratorium on elf made toys. it's child labor. vertically challenged drummer person. and melty, the global warming

slash -- still ahead on "starting point," he was a political wild card. decades as a republican and switching to the democratic party. the life and impact of senator arlen specter. that's up next. anncr: every president inherits challenges.