@brianstelter on twitter or look up my name on facebook. we're out of time on tv but i'll see you on twitter and facebook and check out the media news of the newly relaunched cnnmoney.com/media. and stay tuned because "state of the union" starts right now. harleys, a pig roast and politics. republican white house hopefuls swarm iowa as a crowded gop field gets even bigger. this is a special "state of the union." good morning. i'm dana bash live from iowa where several of the republican presidential candidates turned out this weekend for senator joanie ernst's inaugural roast and ride. this hour my interviews with newly announced presidential candidates rick perry and lindsey graham and some colorful moments with scott walker ben carson and mike huckabee. for years joni ernst's predecessor, former iowa senator tom harkin hosted his famous steak fry. it was one of the state's

biggest political events a must-attend for democrats considering a presidential run. now senator ernst's roast and ride looks to be just as important for republican white house hopefuls. in fact it was one of gop presidential candidate rick perry's first campaign stops after making his second white house bid official this week. perry rode into the event on a motorcycle with his own group raising money for a foundation that provides service dogs to wounded veterans. i spoke to rick perry just as the raucous roast and ride was coming to an end and i asked the former texas governor about hillary clinton's claim that he and other republicans were trying to curb voting rights. >> well i think it's way outside the norm of ridiculous if you want to know the truth of the matter to call out the people of the state of texas because that's what she did. i just happened the governor who signed that legislation. i support it. but the vast majority of the people of the state of texas support that.

so you know what secretary clinton did was basically say that the people of the state of texas don't know what they -- >> but it was the politicians. the legislature. >> but we get elected by the people. and you go poll the people of the state of texas, they are far having a voter i.d. >> specifically the argument that she and other democrats are making is why would you say that it's okay to have a gun registration a gun license, and not a college i.d. >> well why would you say that you need a photo i.d. to get a library book or to get on an airplane? this is a state issue. and this is an issue that the people of the state of texas overwhelmingly support. and so i don't know who she's playing to but she's not playing to the people of texas and i don't think she's playing to the americans that believe that the sanctity of the vote is really important and you need to have a photo i.d. to go vote. it's that simple. the people of texas wanted it.

and you know whichever state hillary clinton considers to be her home state -- >> what about her -- >> -- she goes home and argues there. >> what about her argument, which is true that a federal judge said it was not just discriminatory but with discriminatory intent. >> i can probably find a federal judge to say just about anything. the supreme court is -- i think if this goes to the supreme court clearly the people of the state of texas in this case will be right. >> what about just generally the idea of voting rights and the idea that she proposed which is to have only voting at least 20 days ahead of time to have election day a national holiday, just make it easier for people to vote? >> i think we make it pretty easy in the state of texas for people to vote. you know i don't -- again, i don't know what her beef is with the people of the state of texas about voter i.d. but i think she's on the wrong side of the issue. >> let's talk about the economy. in your announcement speechl

this week you sounded like a populist. you said capitalism is not corporatism. you said it's not a guarantee of reward without risk. it is not about wall street at the expense of main street. you sounded more like elizabeth warren than members of your party. >> i think i sounded like a boy who grew up on a dry land cotton farm in a house that didn't have running water. i grew up in a place where my mom and dad both had to work really hard. and i don't think it's right for wall street to be able to walk away from bad mistakes and the people on main street have to pay for it. you know if that's populism then i'm proud to be a populist on that issue. but the bottom line is we need to be putting policies into place where main street folks, dodd frank's a great example of it right here in iowa. these bankers and small community banks are being strangled by regulations and they can't loan money to their farmers or their small businesses. that's just not right. >> so what would you do about wall street? would you try to break up the big banks? how -- >> listen if a bank makes bad decisions they ought to fail.

nobody ought to be too big to fail. and all these regulations did was codify it into law. and i'd certainly get rid of those. you make a mistake and you make bad choices you need to pay a price in this country. i don't care who you are whether you're a big wall street firm or a big bank. that's what our bankruptcy laws are for. i wasn't for gm getting restructured. they should have been -- gone through bankruptcy just like everybody on main street would have been. this is pretty simple from my perspective. treat everybody the same. >> this is iowa. and you're doing pretty well here considering how many people are in the race. but you're still only at 5%. what is your plan to reintroduce yourself to the people of iowa after your not so wonderful race in 2012 even you admit? >> we'll be here a lot. in 2011 the first time i even came to iowa was on the day right after the straw poll. so being in this state, introducing yourself to people in a very spernls way, i don't care whether it's two people or 2,000 people. if i get invited to come to iowa

i'm going to be here. there may be someone who comes to iowa more than i do but if they do they better pack their lunch. >> so wra wa's a place you've got to do well. you're putting a lot of eggs in this basket. >> we're putting eggs in new hampshire's basket and south carolina's basket as well but we intend to do very well here. we'll do whatever we need to do to do as well as we can in the caucuses. >> last question i have to ask you about the rick perry country rap. ♪ rick perry supporter ♪ ♪ let's protect our border ♪ >> where did that come from? >> colt ford -- colt's actually a golfer but he turned into quite a very good country rapper. so pete scobell, who's a dear friend navy s.e.a.l. and close friend of marcus latrell's, he's who came to me and said listen, i've got an idea for a song for your campaign. anyway, that's what it turned out. matter of fact it's on itunes

today, first day, so go to itunes and buy it and get a little country rap going. >> one day i'll have you do your rick perry rap for me. not today. >> not today. >> thanks, governor. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> rick perry wasn't the only candidate to join the growing republican presidential field this past week. south carolina senator lindsey graham also launched his white house bid. >> the next time you pick a commander in chief make sure they know what the hell they are doing. >> my interview with him up next. and we are live on this special edition of "state of the union" from des moines, iowa.

we got the new tempur-flex and it's got the spring and bounce of a traditional mattress. you sink into it but you can still move around. now that i have a tempur-flex, i can finally get a good night's sleep. (vo) change your sleep. change your life. change to tempur-pedic. attention. did you or anyone in your household work around asbestos-containing gaskets and packing?

the garlock bankruptcy may affect your rights even if you do not presently have an asbestos-related disease. garlock's products were used in industrial and maritime settings, where steam, hot liquid or acid moved in pipes. certain personal injury claims must be filed by october 6, 2015. you may have a right to vote on garlock's plan to reorganize and pay claims. call 844-garlock or go to garlocknotice.com

south carolina senator lindsey graham made his candidacy for president official this week in his hometown of central south carolina and he did so sounding alarm bells. i sat down with the senator after yesterday's roast and ride here and asked about his unorthodox approach to this campaign. >> well thank you for sitting down with me in very windy iowa. >> thank you. this is why they have windmills here. >> it is. >> now i know. >> the last time this country

elected a new president it was on hope and change. you seem to be running on doom and gloom. >> not at all. i'm running on what i think to be honest assessment of where we're at. too much debt too many terrorists. so here is the pitch. if you think we can protect america without some troops having to go back overseas and fight for a very long time most likely then i'm not your guy. radical islam is not going to be defeated just by armies over there. we have to be part of those armies. it's going to be a generational struggle. it's not just about killing terrorists. building a schoolhouse for a poor girl in a remote region of afghanistan will do more damage to the taliban than to the region over 30 times. i understand how hard it's going to be. but the good news is most people in that region don't want to buy what isil's selling. but there's no way we're going to defend this country under the current construct. >> but in all seriousness you are basically promising that troops are going to go into that region. >> absolutely. >> and you even said if you as a

voter don't want war don't vote for me. >> i didn't say -- nobody wants war. if you don't want to defend the nation from radical islam, don't vote for me. i don't know how you defend a nation without some of our forces going back to iraq to help the iraqi army. this is our war too. i'm not going to outsource our national security to a bunch of armies that don't know how to fight. how do you deal with syria without forming an army in the region and how do they win without us? >> let's talk about something at the top of the news which is the cyber attacks that we saw this past week again on the government supposedly from the chinese. we know you're calling for more money to try to combat cyberterrorism and you said it could lead to a cyber pearl harbor. >> that's what i've been told by our experts. people in the intelligence community are more worried about this than anything else. a cyber attack on our country to knock the grid off to get into the financial systems and basically shut down the financial systems. >> what would you do as president? >> number one, you've got to have more money. you've got to set aside these budget cuts for defense and

non-defense. do simpson bowles. that's where the money's at. $70 trillion of unfunded liability from the retirement of the baby boomers. but with some means testing and age adjuchlths we get through. replenish our military. up our game on the intel side. work with a guy like sheldon whitehouse who's a liberal democrat from rhode island who knows as much about cyber security as anybody. incentivize the private sector to harden their infrastructure against a cyber attack. give them liability protection that's they do. the chinese and the russians are a symptom of a greater problem. china's building islands over resource-rich waters that other nations claim because they think we're weak. they're intimidating their neighbors. and the only way we're going to reset world order is to get back in the game. >> you mentioned russia. vladimir putin said this weekend everything we do is just a response to threats emerging against us. there is no need to fear rush russia. tell people to the people who oppose him inside of russia.

it's hard to buy a life insurance policy if you're an o'potent of putin inside russia. it is a totalitarian dictatorship. tell that to the ukrainian people. who are being invaded by russian proxies. nobody believes that. russia is trampling over ukraine in violation of international law. here's the concern i have. we signed an agreement with the ukrainians in the '90s. give up your nuclear weapons we'll guarantee your sovereignty. well they did. and russia has basically dismembered the ukraine. >> let's bring it back home and specifically to your party. part of the reason why you're running you say is to challenge your own party and to make them understand what it means to be an electable republican. particularly on the environment. >> what would you do differently than many of your republican opponents? >> here's a question you need to ask everybody running as a republican. what is the environmental policy of the republican policy? when asked that question i get a blank stare. we don't have an environmental policy. we have an energy policy. if i'm president of the united

states we're going to address climate change. we're going to find oil and gas we own because we're going to use fossil fuels fire long time to come but it's okay to set lower carbon targets. i do believe that climate change is real. i want a business solution to that problem. >> manmade climate change. >> yes, i do. absolutely. when 90% of the doctors tell you you've got a problem do you listen to the one? >> at the end of the day i do believe that the co2 admission problem all over the world is hurting our environment but the solution is a pro-business solution to lower carbon economy. >> let me ask you also about a sort of cultural touchstone this week and that is caitlin, formerly bruce jenner a very popular iowa -- actually syndicated but radio host here steve dee said if we're not going to defend as a party, meaning the republican party basic principles of male and female that life is sacred because it comes from god, then you're going to lose the vast majority of people who've joined that party.

>> if caitlyn jenner wants to be safe and have a prosperous economy, vote for me. i'm into addition. i haven't walked in her shoes. i don't have all the answers to the mysteries of life. i can only imagine the torment that bruce jenner went through. i hope he -- i hope she has found peace. i'm a pro-life traditional marriage kind of guy, but i'm running to be president of the united states. if caitlyn jenner wants to be a republican she is welcome in my party. >> so the republicans should reach out to people like her, to transgender americans and not -- >> understanding what you're getting with lindsey graham. i'm pro life. i believe in traditional marriage without animosity. the courts are going to rule probably in june about traditional marriage. i will accept the court decision. i will proudly defend the unborn. but if we can't agree on abortion let's talk about taxes. we're literally all in this

together. we're going to rise and fall as a nation as to whether or not we deal with the retirement of the baby boolers. it's going wipe out social security and medicare and take the whole economy down with it. we need to do what ronald reagan and tip o'neill did when it came to compromise onts the entitlement programs and we need to fight radical islam together. here's what i would say to the talk show hosts. in the eyes of the radical islamist they hate you as much as they hate caitlyn jenner. they hate us all because we don't agree to their view of religion. so america, we are all in this together. >> one last thing i want to just talk to you about, and that is i was in your home town of central south carolina this week for your announcement and spoke to your sister and was in the one room that you mentioned here where you grew up. and she talked about the fact you were not just a brother but a father figure and a care giver. and i want to let everybody know my uncle helped me raise my sister. my family and friends helped me a lot. i borrowed money from friends

because we really were pretty well wiped out when my mom got sick. what i'm trying to tell people is i know what it's like to be knocked down. and you get back up because people help you. most people are one car wreck away from needing some help including the government's help. so what i've learned as a young man is life is fragile and you never know what's coming your way. there may be a lot of self-made people running for president. i'm not one of them. i love mike huckabee but when he says you don't have to deal with entitlement reform i don't agree with him. scott walker's a great guy. he says he's not into open-ended conflicts. here's what i'm telling the american people. the war against radical islam is a generational struggle. some of us have to go back over there to keep our country safe. and this war's going to go on a long time long after i'm gone. but here's the good news. most people over there are not buying what these guys are selling. there's no easy way ahead when it comes to our financial problems at home and defeating radical islam. but we can win and we can be successful. and growing up in a small town

in south carolina in the back of a liquor store from parents who never graduated high school and being able to become a united states senator i think has been an experience that would make me a good president. >> senator, thank you very much for your time. appreciate it. and up next, i'll give you an inside look at this weekend's colorful presidential event here in iowa and my one on one with joni ernst, the woman behind it. see how she throws hillary clinton's own words about being a female candidate right back at her. we're live from iowa just outside the state capitol. stay with us. leave early go roam sleep in sleep out star gaze dream big wander more care less beat sunrise chase sunset do it all. on us.

get your first month's payment plus five years wear and tear coverage. make the most of summer... with volvo. big day? ah, the usual.

moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern.

for decades iowa democratic senator tom harkin held a steak fry that was a must attend for would-be democratic presidential candidates. when harkin retired, republican joni ernst won his seat and then this weekend she started her own tradition. >> reporter: when hundreds gather on their motorcycles at a local harley barn you know it's not your typical political event. but on those bikes under those helmets wisconsin governor and likely presidential candidate scott walker and the host of the event, freshman iowa republican senator joni ernst. this is the first annual roast

and ride. a new take on the classic iowa presidential cattle call and the gop place to be this weekend. >> great meeting you today. >> seven republican presidential hopefuls showed up to try to wow the crowd with eight-minute speeches. >> there isn't a country in the world that i would trade places with. >> so you want proof that this is not your typical political event? check this out. you can't count the number of harleys in this parking lot. the people who rode here from des moines to boone where we are, 38 miles, just to come for a chance to ride but also listen to some candidates speak. >> i learned that in iowa if you fall behind your float you can hitch a ride with a nice gentleman on his john deere tractor. >> good afternoon. i'm from southern iowa. >> reporter: it's not just about the speeches. it's also trying to sign up voters get people who could potentially come to the iowa caucuses for each candidate. this is mike huckabee's booth. and check this out. over here ben carson's booth.

and guess who just showed up. it's ben carson himself. it's certainly not your typical crowd with harley riders right? >> well it's wonderful to know that people want your autograph and want your picture and just want to shake your hand and talk to you. >> mike huckabee is the only one here who has actually won the iowa caucuses back in 2008. >> the last time i was in iowa with you you had a big victory. >> we did have a big victory. and we're hoping for another one. i don't take anything for granted. and i've often said that when you see a turtle on a fence post there's one thing you can be certain, he didn't get there by himself. >> let's see what they've got at scott walker's booth. okay. well first of all, we've got a book and a beer holder. i mean what's more important than this right? look who's coming. right there. beer holders. i mean what's more important than that? >> beer and cheese right? beer and cheese. >> how was the ride? >> it was a lot of fun. it was a lot of fun.

a lot of people were out with flags and kids along the route. it was a lot of fun to go with joni. although with all the cameras joni and i were laughing afterwards i'm glad we didn't pick our nose or anything like that because everybody's very intense. >> walker was the only 2016-er to actually ride with joni ernst. rick perry had his own ride with veterans. >> it's good to be out on the road. >> and florida's marco rubio told a voter he's used to a different kind of riding miami style. >> if we can get a jet-ski ride going i could take her. yeah? >> even freshman arkansas senator tom cotton showed up. >> you're not running for president, right? >> i'm not. >> just want to make sure. so what brings you to the roast and ride or the rightde and roast? >> my in-laws live up the road and my wife and i just had our baby so they're visiting grandma and grandpa and i was in the area for the weekend and joni invited me to come down and say a few words o'about our veterans. >> what's that enticed a lot of iowans too. >> what drew you out stayed? >> joni ernst and the motorcycles. and i believe in what she stands

for and the veterans and everything. i'm here to support her causes. the veterans. >> so this is going to be a chance for these presidential candidates to talk to some new voters right? >> exactly. >> are you leaning either way? >> not generally, no. i'm just here to find out what they had to say, and i'll make up my mind when it gets closer. >> we told you a lot about the riding part of the roast and ride. so what about the roast? here it is. not nearly as exciting as the riding. >> joni ernst became a national figure during one of last year's toughest senate races thanks to her famous tv ad talking about castrating hogs as a kid on her farm here in iowa. during that campaign pretty much every potential republican presidential candidate campaigned with her. all that help she got is one reason ernst says she's not endorsing any of the republican knlt presidential candidates but she does have some advice. >> how do you think this roast

and ride has gone? zblts >> it's phenomenal. look at the crowd. we had over 300 bikes that rode on our motorcycle ride honoring patriots and veterans. we have a phenomenal group of activists and just everyday iowans that want to hear from their presidential candidates. >> it is a pretty big crowd. look you won a very tough republican primary here in iowa. you know what it's like to try to appeal to the republican electorate in iowa. what would your advice be to the, what 15 potential candidates who are running for president now? >> i would say that they need to show that they are a leader. they need to show with that leadership that there is a direction that our country needs to go in. whether that is as a world leader or whether it's a world leader here in the united states with our economy, our education system. whatever it is, they just need to show that they're willing to take on that mantle and just go forward, take our country forward. >> should it be economic issues?

should it be social issues? i know the republican electorate is quite diverse but you may have to pick one rather than the other. >> fairly diverse. but i tell you, most of what i hear from iowans is that jobs and economy is extremely important. of course we have a wonderful agricultural economy. manufacturing base here in iowa. so we've done very well. we have good leadership in the state that allows businesses to thrive. but we just need someone that will understand these issues. jobs and economy. second they need to understand what's going on around the world and that we need to be a safe nation. so they need to be strong on national defense. >> this state now has two republican senators a republican governor but it has actually gone for the democrat in the presidential elections, barack obama twice and many times before that. do you think it is really possible to win iowa? never mind the caucuses. but when you're talking about the actual race for the white house. >> i do think it is possible.

my election shows that. when you have troubled times people look for a strong leader that will move the nation in the right direction. that's what we're seeing. that's what we're saying. we're in troubled times right now. around the world we need a leader that will keep us safe and move america forward. >> one last question. i was here with hillary clinton when she was campaigning for your opponent bruce braley in the senate race. she was very clear, and she said it's not enough to be a woman. >> i would say hillary, it's not enough to be a woman. you have to care about women's issues. and women's issues here in iowa are that we have a strong economy. we have jobs that our sons and daughters can go off to someday. we have a great educational system. and women want strong national defense. we want to know that our families are going to be -- >> so you're throwing her words against you back at her now, aren't you? >> i am. i am.

because i do believe you have to be a leader with a vision and you have to show iowans that you want it. >> and not just a woman. >> and not just a woman. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations on this event. >> thank you. and in a very crowded presidential field who can break out of the pack here in iowa? >> we need a leader in the white house who isn't afraid to challenge the status quo. >> we need people in washington who are going to fight so that every american can live their piece of the american dream. >> and ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, that's why i'm running to be your president, because america's freedoms are the greatest in the world and we need to fight for them every day. >> i'm running for president on the promise of what we together can do for america. >> if the rest of the country had been as smart as iowa back in 2008 we would not be in the trouble we are in right now. >> our panel weighs in on all of that and more next.

[ male announcer ] after john huntsman was diagnosed with cancer, he founded huntsman cancer institute. to fight cancer in new and different ways like combining 300 years of family histories with health records to treat, predict and in many cases, prevent, cancer. with the vital understanding that cancer moves fast. and we have to move faster. to learn more or support the cause, go to huntsmancancer.org.

now with the xfinity tv go app, you can watch live tv anytime. it's never been easier with

so many networks all in one place. get live tv whenever you want. the xfinity tv go app. now with live tv on the go. enjoy over wifi or on verizon wireless 4g lte. plus enjoy special savings when you purchase any new verizon wireless smartphone or tablet from comcast. visit comcast.com/wireless to learn more. and we're back live from the iowa judicial building in des moines. and you know in addition to harley rides and roasting pigs iowa holds the nation's first presidential contest. it's a special status that has allowed this state's voters to deliver some really big surprises over the years. joining me now to talk about

that and much more is maeve, reston cnn's political reporter. matt strong who is a former chairman of the iowa republican party. and jennifer jacobs chief political reporter for the "des moines register." thank you all for being here. the wind kicked up as soon as we started. let's just start by putting on the screen for our viewers just how many people we are actually talking about. ten declared republican candidates so far. and that doesn't include the actual governors, most of the governors, i should say. they're going to probably declare in the next couple of months. that will bring it to 15 total. so let me start with you, matt. you have been the republican chair here. you've been through a caucus in the past. how does somebody break through in a field like this when there are so many competitors? >> well i think we saw part of that secret to that success yesterday with joni ernst. if you look at the crowd that she had, you had ceos to the most hardened conservative county chair activist types, and

that's the coalition she was able to put together. not just to win a primary but to be successful in the general election here in iowa. so the secret is be authentic, be here be on the ground. so for those candidates that weren't there yesterday i would encourage them to make sure iowa's a frequent stop on their travel schedule. >> be here and be on the ground. let's actually talk about the event where we were when we were all there yesterday. it was certainly something to behold. especially for a freshman senator to put together an event like that. it was pretty remarkable. maeve, you started at the harley-davidson barn. i saw you there. and then went up to boone. you spoke to a lot of voters or potential voters. what did you hear from them? >> basically, it's interesting what matt has said. there are so many choices here in iowa that i feel like voters are very overwhelmed. and there's so much opportunity for the candidates who are on the second tier at this point to break through. obviously, scott walker has been leading in the polls. but there's a second tier that's just sort of working its way up.

and there are so many different voters there yesterday who said they were supporting carly or ben carson or rick perry, and it will just be really interesting to watch how that shakes out. >> we have the responsibility jennifer of covering a lot of different states. you have the benefit of being here on the ground. so you really have your ear to the ground. what are you seeing and hearing? >> well from yesterday it seems like the two that really made the most of that fund-raiser were scott walker and rick perry. >> why is that? >> well there was a security breach near the beginning of the event. so all the contenders were whisked away to an out building for about 45 minutes. but walker and perry, who it doesn't hurt that they look very good on motorcycles, had done events you know their own little events beforehand. so they both came in on motorcycles. but they spent a lot of time working with iowans and really chatting with them. it was an outdoor setting, a rural background. so it was good for rick perry. the motorcycles were good for scott walker. just hearing from a lot of republicans that those were the two that made the biggest

impression yesterday. >> while we're talking about that let's just look at the latest poll from your newspaper which all of us from around the country look at very closely, the "des moines register." it's kind of hard to get all of the people who were asked about on this screen but scott walker is way out ahead, 17%. rand paul is behind him. tied for second with ben carson. jeb bush actually went up in this poll. he's at 9%. then you kind of keep going all the way down. lindsey graham and bobby jindal struggling at 1%. george pataki isn't even registering. we all look at polls. and people say oh they don't matter now. but they do matter in terms of fund-raising right? >> exactly. they do. and there's a clear top tier in iowa. so you've got scott walker who in two polls in a row has been out ahead and this poll even put him further out ahead, and then you've got another kind of middle tier that's still up at the top and then you've got that lower tier who just is not breaking through in iowa yet. so it's going to be harder for them. >> and it was so interesting talking to motorcycle riders

yesterday. scott walker's from harley country. he showed up in his black leather. he's out there in his boots. but we were talking to a lot of the voters and asking whether he had a leg up with those voters and really people are still interest interested in all the different candidates. so i do think there's an opportunity for someone to break out and pass scott walker even though he's got that midwestern vibe. >> let's be honest we're at the speed dating phase of iowa caucuses when it comes to the political version of that. you know very few activists are getting married. so whether you're an economic conservative you have very credible options. if you're a christian conservative who's motivated by social issues you have many credible options. so i think republicans in iowa right now are sampling all the wares they have in front of them. we don't see some of the national hand wringing we hear about, this field is so unwieldy and we need to make sure it's more manageable. here in iowa we appreciate options. >> i want to ask about the idea

of peaking too early. scott walker people don't realize he's from wisconsin which is obviously a midwestern state. but he was born here. do you think his support is real and enduring or do you think it could be a flash in the pan like we saw, you know, the last time around? >> sure. poor iowa. i think governor walker has a few things going for him right now and one is that relatability. never forgets an opportunity to bring up that he shops at kohl's like iowa does a midwest discounting retailer. he served cheese curds and miller lite at his reception a few months ago. we love that in iowa. but also he's drawing support across a broad section of the party. social conservatives like the fact he's motivated by faith and his governing philosophies and economic conservatives like the fact he took the fight to the unions in wisconsin and can win in a tough state for republicans. now, the key is how do you balance that electoral calculus on the head of a pin all the way through the caucus process? because those are two groups that don't normally support the same candidate in the caucuses. >> and that's for anybody who's going to win the republican nomination. let's turn to the democrats.

i wanted to play for our viewers something that hillary clinton said this past week. for the first time really going hard by name against republicans. listen. >> today republicans are systematically and deliberately trying to stop millions of american citizens from voting. what part of democracy are they afraid of? >> maeve, i'll start with you. is that effective? >> we'll have to see. the thing that's been fascinating here is obviously like the roulette wheel is on the republican side. right? but you are hearing a lot of democratic voters here in iowa talking about the fact they want another option. so you're seeing people like bernie sanders get some attention over the last couple weeks. and obviously hillary clinton has been here a lot over the years. she's got the bill clinton thing going for her. >> but she didn't win. >> she didn't win.

>> she came in second. >> yeah exactly. we'll have to see whether she can pull that off this time. >> she's going at it pretty hard though. field offices in iowa plus her headquarters in des moines. field organizing staff of 27 who are going out there hard. she had a big coup yesterday, an obama backer one of our leading democratic activists publicly supported her. so i mean, she's got all the signs of momentum. bernie sanders, who's her top challenger is still way down at the bottom. he tripled his support in our last poll but he's just nowhere near her. >> what did you call it? >> sandersmentum. you look at an iowan has a better opportunity to win the powerball than they do to get one of these golden ticket invites to the events hillary clinton is staging around the state. for those iowa democrats i talked to they're waiting by the phone on a saturday night by the phone for that call. you saw the republicans yesterday, the energy the enthusiasm we had in 2014 has carried over. i opened my door this morning and expected to see a candidate there with flowers and

chocolates and tickets to the theater. i mean we're being courted right and left and i think iowa democrats are feeling a little lonely right now and bernie sanders is the one that's showing up on their doorstep. >> it will be interesting to see whether carly fiorina can rise. she has obviously been really working it on the ground level here in iowa and really saying that she can take it to hillary clinton in a way that the male candidates cannot. she got a really good reception yesterday. so we'll see whether she sthaekzneaks up from 1%. >> and she rode a john deere tractor when she got lost in the parade. >> exactly. >> a nice touch. maeve, matt, and jennifer thank you for your insight. good to see you. and up next hillary clinton is getting yet another challenger from the left. former rhode island governor lincoln chafee. he's going to talk about taking on the democratic front-runner and that surprising proposal he made in his presidential announcement. when we come back. >> here's a bold embrace of internationalism. let's join the rest of the world and go metric.

we got the new tempur-flex and it's got the spring and bounce of a traditional mattress. you sink into it but you can still move around. now that i have a tempur-flex, i can finally get a good night's sleep. (vo) change your sleep. change your life. change to tempur-pedic. george johnson can not fly. he can not see through doors. his speed, anything but superhuman. but when it comes to health care options, george found helpful information and resources at aarphealth.com this makes him feel unstoppable. well, almost unstoppable. discover real possibilities at aarphealth.com today and tomorrow take on the world.

is

hillary clinton remains the clear front-runner in the democratic presidential race despite challengers from the left. one of them, former rhode island governor and governor lincoln chafee. is joining me now. governor, thank you so much for joining me. i appreciate it. let's start with what everybody is talking about out of your announcement this week and that is your pledge to turn this country to the metric system like europe and most of the rest of the world is using. it seems like an unusual thing in today's day and age for that to be the thing that people are taking away and perhaps unusual for that to be the thing that you're pushing so hard as your platform.

why is that? >> well, the theme of my announcement was for us to wage peace in the world, for america to change the way we're acting in the world, and i labeled that waging peace, and i had about ten proposals and going metric was one of those of the ten proposals, better relations with russia, better relations with the south american neighbors, no more drone strikes, no more torture, no more warrantless wiretapping, let's bring snowden home, a number of proposals. and this was one. it's part of being an internationalist. there are only two other countries that aren't metric, myanmar and liberia. so it's time for america not only economically but symbolically to join the rest of the world. >> and i have to say just to people who are americans who are very comfortable without the metric system, they're looking at this and saying, really, is this guy kidding me? does he get it? >> i lived in canada when they went -- i was working on the horse racetrack in canada after

graduating from college. i was up there for about seven years working on the horse racetrack. and they went metric and it was very easy. i know many in the scientific community, the health care community that have to deal internationally, the business community are saying this is way overdue. ronald reagan talked about it. others have talked about it. but now at this point in american history where we squandered so much credibility with telling the rest of the world there were weapons of mass destruction, we invaded another country, just so un-american, that it's time in light of the squandered credibility that we have to make a symbolic gesture to the rest of the world. and it's also good economically. so there's many benefits to it. >> okay. so let's talk more about your agenda to wage peace as you call it. right now as we speak president obama is in europe at the g-7 summit and he's calling for an extension of sanctions against russia. would you support that? >> well, it's unfortunate what's happened in ukraine and crimea

and with putin, with vladimir putin. at one time we were really working well together, and it's deteriorated, and i don't know about these sanctions. i should think there would be better ways of getting a rapprochement with russia. they're so important in the world. and especially to the countries, the former soviet republics such as ukraine. >> okay. so if you're in the oval office, you're president, what is that better way? how would you correct relations with russia and vladimir putin right now? >> well, stop making the mistakes that secretary clinton made. that was a big mistake when we're trying to restart our relationship with russia and secretary clinton presented the foreign minister with a symbolic gesture and they got the russian word wrong. it's those types of mistakes that set back a relationship. little symbolic mistakes. and so i think secretary kerry

going to sochi and meeting with some of the russian foreign ministers and with putin was a good step. history shows going back to relations with china that if you establish good relationships, that can lead to a better path. we need to wage peace in this world. that's our responsibility. that's the charge that we're given with our economic power that we have. >> governor, let's talk about a domestic issue, a very big one, and that is this nation's deficit. would you raise taxes in order to balance the budget and bring down the deficit and debt? >> well, as you know, dana, you were there covering the senate when i voted against -- even when i was a republican. all the bush tax cuts. because we had worked so hard to get surpluses. and first president h.w. bush went back on read my lips, no new taxes pledge. that cost him his re-elect. and then bill clinton raised taxes on the wealthy. that probably cost him the house and senate, which he lost in 1994. all that hard work, all that

political capital, and then in came the bush/cheney tax cuts and i voted against all of them just because i believe we need to first cut spending and then cut taxes. >> and i do remember -- >> not vice versa. >> -- you voting against the bush tax cuts and i remember you not being very popular in the bush white house for that but voting against tax cuts and wanting to raise taxes to address the current situation where we are are two different things. would you do that at this point? >> well, as you know from my announcement speech i talked about waging peace and the economic benefits that can come from that. the war in iraq is costing us $6 trillion. $6 trillion. the tax cut was $1.6 trillion. i mean, what this war is costing us is just -- dwarfs all the other spending going on. we need to wage peace and take those resources and put them back into building our infrastructure. that amtrak crash.

building our schools. so we have the same kind of schools in baltimore and ferguson that we have in some of the suburbs. that's how i want to redirect our energies and focus, taking those resources and putting them back into america at the same time making sure we have a strong military. >> governor -- >> $6 trillion in iraq. >> thank you so much. absolutely. we're going talking more about this as the months go on. thank you for joining me. we'll talk to you soon i'm sure and we'll be right back. leave early go roam sleep in sleep out star gaze dream big wander more care less beat sunrise chase sunset do it all. on us.

get your first month's payment plus five years wear and tear coverage. make the most of summer... with volvo. ♪ (music plays throughout) ♪ the pursuit of healthier. it begins from the second we're born. after all, healthier doesn't happen all by itself. it needs to be earned... every day... from the smallest detail to the boldest leap. healthier means using wellness to keep away illness... knowing a prescription is way more than the pills... and believing that a single life can be made better by millions of others. ♪ ♪ healthier takes somebody who can power modern health care... by connecting every single part of it. realizing cold hard data can inspire warmth and compassion... and that when technology meets expertise... everything is possible. for as long as the world keeps on searching for healthier... we're here to make healthier happen.

optum. healthier is here. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern.

thanks for joining us from iowa. and a reminder that "state of the union" with jake tapper starts next sunday at 9:00 a.m. eastern right here on cnn. until then, thanks for watching. i'm dana bash.

fareed zakaria "gps" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com this is "gps," the global public square. welcome to all of you in the united states and around the world. i'm fareed zakaria. we'll start today's show with football, by which i mean soccer, by which i mean corruption. whatever you call it, fifa's swiss headquarters is in chaos thanks to a u.s. indictment. how in the world did the long arm of america's law reach 4,000 miles away? is it right? we'll ask two top experts.