some of the nastiest rhetoric yet in the race for the white house. we're going to talk about tone and substance. fear and chaos, a bomb hitting in a fuel truck rocks syria. the west nile virus is spreading faster than ever across the state of u.s. a state of emergency in the state of texas. connecticut's governor dannell malloy and tim pawlenty and ron ma gill agill is with u. quts startsing point begins right now. our starting point this morning, the race for the white house getting uglier and nastier. mitt romney now calling president obama angry and desperate and a disgrace. the white house countering by

suggesting the governor is becoming unhinged. it is joe biden who lit the latest fuse on the firestorm. here's what he said about mitt romney in southern virginia yesterday morning. remember, there were hundreds of african-americans in the crowd there, about 50% of the crowd was african-american. here's what he said. >> he said the first 100 days he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. they are going to put y' all back in chains. >> okay, as i said, about half of the crowd there african-american. obama spokesperson defended the vice president saying he was using a metaphor but the comment got mitt romney and the republicans riled up and joe biden got back in the fray explaining what he meant. listen. >> another outrageous charge, this came a few hours ago in virginia. and the white house sinks a little bit lower.

his campaign and surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency. >> if you want to know what's outrageous, it's their policies. and the effects of their policies on middle class americans. that's what's outrageous. >> okay. so we're talking about a ten-hour window here. then after romney's speech, another obama spokesman released this statement saying this, governor romney's comments tonight seem unhinged and particularly strange coming at a time when he's pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are common straably false. president obama and first lady will speak at two campaign stops in iowa. and the vice president will be attending a rally at virginia tech and mitt romney will be fund raising in north carolina and alabama. and paul ryan, now on the romney ticket, heads to ohio for a

campaign rally at miami university. that's what the day looks like. president obama's favorite tv show, the hbo series "the wire", the cast will be hosting a fund raising for the obama re-election campaign on martha's vineyard. the president will not be in attendance. i'll spell to dannel malloy about the bitter battle of words. first, before we get to that, let's get to the rest of the top stories with john berman. >> there was a huge blast behind a hotel where u.n. monitors are stay ig. an explosive device on a diesel tanker detonated behind the building in damascus. the u.n. monitors are said to be safe but three people were reportedly injured. throughout the country opposition groups say 34 have been killed in the violence so far today.

right now there are 62 out of control wildfires burning in idaho, nevada, utah, washington state and california. and in idaho, a firefighter has been killed. we have heartbreaking video from two fires just north of san francisco. three buildings have been desfrd destroyed and 500 homes are threatened. in washington state, the national guard has been activated. let's bring in meteorologist rob marciano, these pictures are breath taking. >> that one in central washington, the worst fire that i have seen in decades. the winds will die but the heat is going to crank up and that's going to be the main story over the next couple of days, the heat that's been built across southern california. redding had a record high of 112. phoenix, 113 and red bluff, california, 112. tomorrow and friday, heat watches have been posted, likely to go to heat warnings from eugene oregon up to portland, temperatures could reach 100

degrees, near 90 or better in seattle and just down the road from seattle is where that essential washington fire is burning. the heat will stay out west actually to the east a little bit of cooling but that doesn't do any favors for the fires burning in the intermountain west. >> rob marciano. thanks very much. >> a state of emergency in effect in dallas after the nation's worst outbreak of west nile virus. 16 people have died and 200 have been fekt infected with west nile. in the next hour, soledad will talk with dr. beth bell from the cdc and our own chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta about the spread that is get being worse. the curiosity could start rolling first. they are getting a software update, a process nasa has called a brain transplant. it landed on mars august 6th and beaming back images of the surface of the gale crater ever

since. >> i lost the fact it's getting a software upgrade. this is the mars curiosity rover. very impressive. >> yes, it is. back to our top story, both the romney and obama campaigns going on offensive at the same time. rhetoric getting uglier than ever. let's get right to dannel malloy live in hartford, connecticut. we were talking about joe biden and the comments he made, 50% of the population is african-american and used to be the former home of the confederacy seat and has a history with racial issues. when you hear words like unshackled, unchained, slave, all of these phrases politicians throw around, some say those are metaph metaphors, but others say thas coded language. do you think it's fine for the vice president to use these

kinds of words in a speech to that audience? >> well, i think that the terminology you're talking about is in fact ugsed in every day conversation and politics. you know, the romney folks talked about unshackling the economy. that's a reality. let's talk about what's important. the ryan/romney budget is a frontal attack on the middle class in america. on senior sit zens, it would end medicare as we know it. what's going on here is really radical politics being played out on a national level. you could not have a more stark difference between two parties than we currently have. in selecting paul ryan, the president -- the person who wants to be the president of the united states has chosen a candidate whose own budget was attacked by the catholic bishop's council. >> before we talk about the budget. we'll get to that in a moment. i want to go back to the racial coding thing, that's what the

debate and war of words was over yesterday. and what i find sometimes hip critical is that when someone is attacking governor romney or one of the -- for example, television commercial, i think it was last week talked about the welfare to work claim and people came out and said the same thing, there was racial coding in that. we can understand the messaging going on. on one side it's forgiven and on the other side it's not, that there's a double standard i think people would say. that not true? >> i actually -- i think the coverage you're talking about with respect to the hip critical things the romney administration has says about wanting people to go back to work. it is in fact a pretty broadside attack on programs and on states that want to put people back to work. i think he was called out for specifics. here what we're talking about is

semantics. whether you like the semantics or not, there is a reality that in the ryan budget, financial controls get slashed. wall street gets unchained. that's a reality. whether the semantics of the moment are appropriate, what we need to examine in this campaign is what is actually being advocated by the various candidates. >> let's listen to paul ryan being interviewed by britt hume on fox yesterday. >> you're not saying that you don't contemplate in your budget planning significant safrgz over $500 billion in medicare then, are you? >> no, we can get into complicated baseline issues, but that's the current law. what we do is keep what the current law in our budget. >> but it is the case in the budget you passed through the house of representatives, significant savings of upwards of 500 in medicare -- >> we do not add cuts to medicare program in the budget. >> it's a little bit confusing

but he uses the word keep the current law in our budget, which means they are calculating the house budget with the same $716 billion that everybody has been fighting over, the decrease in the rate of spending growth in medicare. that would come from regulating hospital services and private medical care. he's saying the 716 billion is in his budget as well but that's the law. is that an accurate way to calculate that? >> there's two things going on here. one, what he then denied, in his budget he does go beyond that and changes medicare and switches it to a voucher system. instead of getting an insurance policy or making sure your bills goring to paid, you'll get a voucher that helps you pay for insurance if you can find it. that's a very different system in america. medicare is one of the most successful program that's keeping elderly out of poverty.

>> but it's going bankrupt. let me finish my point and i'll let you finish. it's going to kill medicare, really it's going to change medicare with the goal the republicans would say of trying to make it solvent. >> soledad, the reality is, is that the fix that has been proposed in the plan that has been adopted actually fixes medicare through 2024. there's plenty of time to fix it for the eternity of that we're going to have elderly americans. to take 45 million americans and put them on a voucher system as opposed to making sure that their benefits will be provided is utterly and ffantastically ridiculous. let's go back to the $700 billion in savings, most of that is coming out of program cost and expense. much of it going to insurance

companies. that's the reality. he doesn't want to talk about what he's actually proposed because what he has proposed is very scary to millions of americans. you know, we're talking about putting a whole bunch of our sear senior citizens in the doughnut hole where their prescriptions won't be paid for. dismembering the controls placed on wall street so we can make sure we don't have another republican collapse in our economy. let us remember, that george bush was president when our economy collapsed. george bush's administration had in fact done away with a lot of controls that were designed to forecast problems in the economy. there are certain realities in the ryan budget which they have to run away from. why ryan got chosen, i'm not sure. >> we will discuss this with the former minnesota governor tim pawlenty who will obviously counter what you're saying later.

governor malloy thank you for talking with us. we appreciate that. we'll talk -- >> great to be with you. >> we'll talk to tim pawlenty in the 8:00 hour. >> $320 million and counting, the powerball jackpot affects 22 states and approaching a record. live from new york where people are buying tickets right now. no surprise, i'll be among them -- how long does this show go for? a burglary has happened at the home of the late steve jobs. foiled though with the help of apple technology, at least that's what the police are saying. we'll tell you what happened there. every step you take your smartphone knows exactly where you've been and know it may know where you're going to be. >> that's crazy. >> or maybe it's very smart. we'll take a look. little baby triplets...and the e well wait until your triplets move back home after college. we were enjoying our empty nest. and now it's just a nest full of laundry. lucky underwear. we were going through so much of that bargain detergent... and the clothes didn't look as good. but since we switched to tide, we use much less. their clothes are looking much more...uh...

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allow apple tv watchers to watch regular and cable channels and record programs using their cable box. this could significantly boost the popularity of apple tv, whose greatest asset to date has been of connectivity with apple devices. the rumor mill is abuzz about the next iphone, as always, apple is tight lipped and isn't revealing details or dates. but the blog says preorders for the iphone will likely begin on september 12th, the same day the device is expected to be unveiled. the iphone 5 will be released in the u.s. on september 21st. an interesting story here, a suspect is in custody for allegedly robbing the home of the late steve jobs. the man allegedly took $60,000 worth of items, including ipads, macs and jobs' wallet. the suspect was caught when he tried to connect to the internet using the devices and apple

investigators tracked him obviously. just a crazy, bizarre story. >> great way to nab a guy who's done a bad thing. appreciate it. tonight's powerball jackpot, $320 million. with that kind of money at stake, there's no surprise people who want to play are coming up with crazy ways to spend the jackpot should they win. jason carroll is probably one of them. asking folks, what would you do -- tell me you have not bought a ticket. i know you have. >> reporter: you know i did. here's mine right here. i only bought three. that's all it takes. just takes one actually, one winning ticket. we've been talking to people what they would do with the money. we heard all sorts of things. they would quit their jobs or buy an apartment. i want to bring in charlene mcmillan, she bought her tickets this morning. we were talking about what you would do. you say you have the winning ticket. >> yes, i have the winning ticket. >> reporter: what about mine? >> you might as well give it up. this is the winning ticket. i think the first thing i would

do would give to homeless women. and the rest of the money, i don't know. that's so much money i can't think right now. >> reporter: i know you said earlier and you are a witness to this soledad, i said i hit, you quit. you hit, that means i get to quit? >> yes. >> reporter: how much are you giving me because you know we're live? >> $1.15. >> reporter: charlene, thank you very much. she's tough, isn't she? >> no love from charlene at all. but i like the way it's so much money i can't think as if she's won it. when we check in again, i want to know what you'll do and how much you'll give to me. you can already use your cell phone to get directions, but what if your cell phone knows where you're going to be, like tomorrow? it's our get real and it's straight ahead. our starting point team heading in to talk about that and much more. bridgette seigle is with us.

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all right, our team this morning, bridget seigle is with us and ben smith, editor and chief of buzz feed and margaret hoover, former white house appoint in the bush administration. our get real, obviously your cell phone is great if you need to google map your directions or figure out what restaurant to go to, gps if you're stuck somewhere. but your phone also apparently knows not only where you've been but where you're going. it will predict where you will be in the next 24 hours.

a team figured out thissal ga rhythm that uses tracking data to figure out where they are going to be tomorrow. even if you break from your routine, the phone can figure out where you're going to be. so companies could in theory be able to predict your movements in the future. the team, which is from the university of birmingham in the u.k. won the nokia mobile challenge. the question is legally you know that would never ever fly but it's kind of interesting. >> if you have privacy concerns about being tracked, turn off the location services device in your phone, the battery will last longer anyway. >> i think for a lot of people, how many times have we done stories where they are trying to track a guy who's fled and the law enforcement is searching for that person and able to do it that way. to be able to calculate that

with their friends phones is interesting. >> it has all of the makings of a bruce willis movie. >> the ads that have been following you across the internet. if you shop for shoes on tuesday, those shoes will follow you for a week. that's now going to follow you around your physical life as well. >> people don't go anywhere different, right? if we were to map where we go, guess what, we're all going the same places as yesterday. >> i try to turn off the location services but then i cave in. by the end of the day, they know everything. you have to give it up. >> i turn it off until i need a map. >> fandango. >> to big brother watching your every move. we want to know about our big stories, you can feel free to send us a quick video, roughly 20 seconds in total. if you have a point to make. we'll call it my end point and we'll include it at the end of our show. send it to cnn.com/starting point if you want to submit your

video. ahead on "starting point," a pileup at the airport and we're not talking about cars. two planes in what is kind of an awkward position after a collision on the ramp. and dream jobs, young illegal immigrants lining up to stay longer and live and work in the united states. the dream doesn't last forever. we'll talk about what happened yesterday, the first day this happened. plus, first there was tebowing and now there's this. let's keep that shot up for just a minute, shall we? you know how much i love tim tebow before the shirtless picture of him. some people are upset. i don't know who those crazy people are. you're watching "starting point." i love that man. i really do. it's something you're born with. and inspires the things you choose to do. you do what you do... because it matters. at hp we don't just believe in the power of technology. we believe in the power of people

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welcome back, you're watching quts startsing pointd. it's a big day for dreamers, 2

million young adults who came to the united states as undocumented children will be able to start applying for deferred deportation, meaning they'll be able to go to college, join the military, get a job, but only for two years. so question is, what does it actually accomplish? congressman gutierrez of illinois is with us and dan stein, the president of the immigration reform. john? >> the suspect in a deadly shooting near the texas a and m campus struggled for years with mental health issues. they became worried when he quit his job in january and said he'd never work again. police say he killed two people before he was fatally shot by officers serving an eviction notice. still no word on what caused a deadly house explosion on long island. this two story home destroyed and 18-month-old killed inside. the blast may be gas related and

also found two 200-pound propane tanks in the rubble. you have to look at this plane pileup at nashville international. two private jets collided on a ramp and one ended up completely on top of one another. no one was on board either aircraft. authorities say one plane was being towed when it broke loose and rolled into a second, just parked on top of the plane there. >> what? >> it's hard to imagine. it's on top of the plane, didn't just hit the plane. >> it looked like two planes making out to me. it's a bizarre photo. >> unseemly position. >> how did that happen without them leaving the ground? >> mayhem at nashville. samuel war zell walker has his own unique offensive solution to america's illegal immigration problem. he is running for congress in ohio. he was attending a fun razor in

arizona for a local senate can date when he stirred things up with this comment. >> for years i've said you know, put a dam fence on the border an start shooting. i'm running for congress and that's how i feel. i'm going speak like i would speak and not worry about being politically correct. >> i think the start shooting is what raised eyebrows. he was asked later if he would like to retract the comment. he refused. >> so he's running for congress and he wants to shoot people -- i mean, i find that just stunning this is where the tenor of the debate has gone to. >> it feels like irresponsible rhetoric. >> and doesn't feel like it's a joke. you can't say he made a gaffe or joke. he's given the opportunity and reiterates it and says i'm not going to take it back. sometimes i do think people make mistakes and say something

kiddingly. he says that's how he feels. i think that's insane. >> that is representative of the tone and tenor of the debate and the sincerity of the debate has slipped. >> the guy's 15 minutesended four years and in the congressional campaigns, the most extreme, craziest folks we'll hear about for next few months. >> this is how he rolls. when he's campaigning. this is not unusual for him. >> all right. >> well, i had the pleasure of sitting with him at a dinner and this is how he talks and this is how he is. you know, the citizens of ohio in his district will have to decide -- >> fine people of ohio should definitely be listening to that carefully. it actually brings us to our conversations today about really as you say, kind of the anger and tenor about the debate over immigration for hundreds and thousands of young undocumented immigrants, trying to apply for

what's known as deferred action. the program goes into effect today and gives 2 million illegal immigrants brought to the united states as children a chance to avoid deportation for two years. they can obtain work permits and social security numbers and financial aid for college. the program, you'll remember, was announced by president obama back in june. came after congress failed to pass the dream act. here's what he said then. >> this is not a path to citizenship. it's not a permanent fix. this is a temporary stop-gap measure that let's us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people. >> he used the authority to change the department of homeland's policy, republicans say you're giving amnesty to illegal immigrants without approval. first we're going to talk to dan

stein for american immigration reform. he joins us live from d.c. nice to see you, sir. >> great to see you. >> we certainly appreciate it. i know you're not a fan of this program but it's happening now anyway. governor romney has said this about the president's executive order. listen. >> some people have asked if i will let stand the president's executive order. the answer is i will put in place my own long-term solution that will replace and supersede the president's temporary measure. as president, i won't settle for stop-gap measures. i'll work with republicans and democrats to build a long-term solution. >> so that's a bit vague. what would you like to see happen to this group of young people whose parents brought them across the border? >> for about the last 25 years, we've been hoping that the parents and their kids would respect u.s. immigration law and not be here obviously.

congress can't legs late around the idea that the rule of law is never going to be respected. so the president said for three years, soledad, i don't have the legal authority to do this. here it is six months before the election and all of a sudden he's claiming this brand-new unconstitutional authority to create a whole new immigration category and then run ads on spanish language tv trying to take credit for it. now, in principle, the idea behind the dream act might have made sense, keeping in mind congress rejected it twice, if it had been accompanied with a balance set of reform measures to curtail overall immigration downstream and enforce the law so he didn't rep my indicate the problem. now what the president is doing, i have the right to rewrite the law, ignore the law -- >> you're clearly annoyed with the president and -- >> remember -- >> you would hope that the parents and kids themselves would respect the rule of law. what would your solution be

today? obviously i'm going to tell you, last 25 years the people are not returning in mass or self-deporting back to mexico. so what would you do now with children whose parents brought them across the border an they have no documents and they are in the country illegally right now? >> i would do what most countries do, if you give people an amnesty, you have six months to get your affairs in order and please understand you get your education back in the country where you're a citizen and you can bloom where you're planted. this is why immigrants have wanted to come to the country for 200 years. if we abandon the core principle and allow the process by an executive i'm not going to enforce the law and taxpayers will pay, they don't seem to care about fraud. there's not even an interview requirement. then soledad, what happens, as you pointed out last hour, the president is giving a -- creating a data base but he can't guarantee any future immigration status.

in a sense, he's overpromising something he can't deliver. >> let's talk about that with congressman luis gutierrez. two things i want to ask. bloo bloom where you're planted. go home and get your degree there. you obviously don't think that's a workable strategy. why not? >> well, look, soledad, these are young people, much more american than they are immigrant. anybody that's going to go out to the lines at navy pier and interview them will see that stark reality. what we are doing is -- the paperwork is catching up with the reality of their status here in the united states of america. they came as children, they are not responsible for being here in this country. so what the president has said, look, let's use our enforcement on really criminal alien foreigners here in the country and allow these people. and soledad, i would like to say, the dream act was passed in

the house of representatives, 216 to 208. 55 senators two weeks later voted for cloe tour. but the republicans insists on 60 votes. both the senate and house in the majority have already voted to adopt this. >> let me ask you a question about the paperwork. there is a concern if you fill out paperwork and there's a new president comes into office, we heard from mitt romney what he said specifically, is kind of vague, now you you've gone from being undocumented to being documented by yourself in some capacity in theory maybe you could -- someone could use those documents to then deport you, correct? isn't that a risk? >> that is certainly a risk. it is not something that realistically is potentially going to happen. look, soledad. those kids are going to line up by the thousands today. by the hundreds of thousands they will receive their work permits. here's what we've learned in america. if you live in secrecy and live

in the shadows, then you are truly at risk of being deported and harmed by the government. the young people have gone out there, shown who they are, spoken to you and the press and shown america, two-thirds of americans agree with the president's decision. the fact is in the latino community, people are estatic to see young people and there is a reversal of the policies of deportation, deportation and deportation. they are american in everything but a piece of paper and lining up across america to get that -- it's an irreversible process. let me just say. they are calling my office, in line. you're going to see an irreversible process that will leave to parents leading to documentation. >> congressman luis gutierrez and dan stein joining us as well. thank you, gentlemen, appreciate it. still ahead, it was a massive response to an epic economic collapse. three years later both sides are

still arguing about the stimulus and whether or not it worked. we'll talk to an author of a new book who says it transformed america and american politics. and tim tebow, let's go back to that. >> transforming america. >> talk about transformation. >> seriously, some people think that this pose and you know he talks about jesus a lot and his faith in god. some people say this pose looks like jesus on the cross. >> we ran out of swimmers? >> and they are mad about it. we're going to talk about that straight ahead. we're back in just a moment. you're watching "starting point." to me the ukelele is truly the instrument of peace. you can't be angry when you're struming a ukelele, it's like,

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so tim tebow has taken over espn and sports talk radio, now on the cover of "gq" and says

brothers, have you accepted tebow as your sunday savior. the photo is what's getting most of the attention. it's tim tebow shirtless, striking a pose. arms outstretched and there are critics who say this pose reminds them of jesus on the cross because he's very devout and talks about god and jesus, they think in some way -- i don't know if they think he's putting himself in the jesus role. one tore into him for that photo, saying that he's a narcissist and fraud and it's a sexy jesus shot. i'm not sure it's a sexy -- it's a sexy shot, not a sexy jesus shot. >> you have been strong about your support. but i never heard you make a good reasoned argument for it until just now. >> i always make a good reasoned argument. >> you've been affirmative but hadn't put the meat on the bones. what you just made a case for, his attitude and demeanor --

>> i love any time anybody says anything to him that's mean or take him down. he responds at a higher level. he's nice about it. a genuinely seems like a nice guy. i don't mean the tebowing, i think it's nice and he seems sincerely into his religion and seems grateful for god for what he's been able to accomplish. and you're mocking me. >> look, i love watching the option, which is an offensive plan in college. >> and that too. >> and i loved watching that in denver. and he's not that good as a pro quarterback. >> i'm saying as a football star to have my sons look at someone who's not a jerk, not cursing, seems like a good guy who thanks god for all of things he's gotten in his life. why is that bad? the option -- >> if i'm in his locker room i'm upset this guy is always on the back page of the sports page, the one on "gq". >> if you're in the jets locker

room you shouldn't be worried about the gq. >> if your mark sanchez, you should be worried he's on the cover of "gq." happy birthday tim tebow, he's 25. the author of a new book says president obama's stimulus has been an astonishing and unrecognized success. if he's right, why is everyone still bashing him? the senior correspondent for "time" magazine is joining us next. "starting point" is back in a movement. how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!! so that's ten security gators, right? put them on my spark card! why settle for less? testing hot tar... great businesses deserve the most rewards! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? here's your invoice.

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welcome back, everybody. it has been three years since president obama's $787 billion stimulus package was passed.

still a lightning rod topic, though. a recent report from the credit ratings agency fitch says it helped prevent the recession from becoming a depression. but critics on the campaign trail maintains it didn't work. here's senator rob portman of ohio just yesterday. >> president obama was saying, if you shove that trillion dollar stimulus through the congress, that grew the size and scope of government bigger, then we're going to create jobs, he said. and in fact, you know what he said? he said that as of right now in 2012, unemployment would be 5.6%. folks, it's 15% higher. is it working? >> no. >> now a new book looks into how the stimulus was passed and what happened after it went into effect. mike grunwald is the author. it's called "the new new deal." nice to see you. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> you compare the new deal under roosevelt in 1943 unemployment was up to 25%, up

from 3% or so before the crash, obviously, to the u.s. reinvestment and recover act. and both had the same goals in some ways, right? safety net, reinvest, save a failing economy. but there are huge differences too. what were the big differences between the new deal and the new new deal? >> sure. one of the big differences was that, you know, in november, december, january, when -- after obama was elected, but before he took office, sort of the financial earthquake had hit. but the economic tsunami hadn't really hit the shore. so in the fourth quarter of 2008, gdp had crashed at a 9% annual rate. so that's depression territory. at that rate, you would have lost the entire economy of canada in one year. so today, we say, hey, it's only growing 2%. it's not good enough. and it isn't. but, you know, we were essentially in depression numbers. while when fda took over there, had been a depression for two years.

everybody knew it. everybody knew whose fault it was. the numbers were awful. for obama, it was really after he took office that, you know, january 2009, right before he, you know, put his hand on the bible, we lost 800,000 jobs. and it turned out that was the worst month of the entire -- >> but you heard rob portman there, talking about jobs. and i think that's been a big message and the issue in the recovery, is that the jobs didn't come. under roosevelt you had 4 million jobs created, correct? >> well, he just hired. >> exactly. >> and when you look now, of course, you don't have that. why not? why has the jobs piece been the real challenge? >> well, you do have 2 million to 3 million jobs that have been created. i think the problem is they lost 8 million jobs right before. and as vice president biden says in his quirky way, this wasn't the horse that was supposed to carry the whole sleigh. this was essentially first of all designed to break the freefall, and it did that. right after -- like i said, it

was the worst month right before it passed. the next quarter was the biggest improvement in jobs numbers in 30 years. the problem was it was improving from such a horrible level that it was still pretty bad. then you had the sort of as they were doing the short-term recovery act stuff, they were also doing this reinvestment. so there's all this long-term recovery stuff, unbelievable investments in clean energy. $90 billion when we had just spending a few billion for the year. race to the top for education to try to reform the public schools. health i.t. so that this pen and paper -- >> so any time you spend $700, almost $ 800 billion into the economy, of course you're going to see proponents would see or people who argue would say you're going to see benefits. you put that much money in the economy, of course you'll see benefits. >> that's a good admission. >> but the argument against it is that the reason this was sold to the public is that if you did this much money, thrust it into

the economy, you would see unemployment not hit 8%. and here we are four years later, and unemployment is above 8%. >> well, of course they made a very stupid prediction, where they said this would keep unemployment below 8%. it actually went above 8% before the money even went out. the situation was -- i mentioned that gdp crashed 9% in the fourth qrter of 2008. at the time, the numbers -- they thought it was 4%. so everybody knew things were bad. everybody knew things were awful. people had no idea just how incredibly horrific things were. so it's an absolutely fair criticism that they didn't know how bad things were, that they overstated out good things were going to be afterwards, that it didn't live up to the hype. but i think parenthood is the only thing in life that lives up to the hype. what it did do is create change. this is kind of the purest distillation of what obama meant by change. >> "the new new deal: the hidden

story of change" is the book. mike grunwald, thank you for being with us. >> thank you. an ugly, ugly mitt romney turning his attention on president obama. and remember we were talking about this 17-foot pregnant python found in the ever glades? well, it's a big problem in the massive snake invasion. what we'll do about it is the question. you're watching "starting point." we're back in a moment. it's the priceline negotiator. >>what? >>sorry. he wants you to know about priceline's new express deals. it's a faster way to get a great hotel deal without bidding. pick one with a pool, a gym, a great guest rating. >>and save big. >>thanks negotiator. wherever you are. ya, no. he's over here. >>in the refrigerator?

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in he presented himself asdent obamasomething different. i had hoped that the new president would bring new jobs. not major layoffs, not people going through major foreclosures on their homes. he did get his healthcare through, but at what cost? he said he was going to cut the deficit in his first term. i've seen zero interest in reducing spending. he inherited a bad situation, but he made it worse. i think he's a great person. i don't feel he is the right leader for our country, though. i still believe in hope and change, i just don't think obama's the way to go for that. the president has not earned re -election, in 2012, in my book. i've seen his now definition of hope and change. it's not the hope and change i want, and it's not the hope and change i thought i was going to get. i don't feel that i helped my grandchildren by voting for president obama and i regret that. americans for prosperity is responsible for the content of this advertising.

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our "starting point" this morning, lashing out. >> we're going to put y'all back in chains. >> mr. president, take your campaign, the division and anger and hate back to chicago, and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> both the romney camp and the obama camp attacking each other with some of the nastiest rhetoric yet in the race for the white house. also, fear and chaos. a bomb hidden in a fuel truck rocks syria this morning. were u.n. observes being targeted and the west nile virus is being spread faster than ever across the u.s. former minnesota governor tim pawlenty will join us.

ron magill. and also from "lawless," actor dane dehaan will join us. "starting point" begins right now. >> welcome back. our team this morning, bridget siegel is with us. we talked to her a couple of weeks ago about her new book she has just written. she was also the kerry-edwards campaign fundraising director when she was just 24. we also have margaret hoover with us as well. "starting point" this morning is the romney and obama campaigns going on the offensive at the same time? and what that means is nasty rhetoric, really nastier than ever. listen to the way that mitt romney characterized the president after vice president biden said that romney and republicans would put people back in chains.

>> this is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like. president obama knows better, promised better, and america deserves better. he demonizes some. panders to others. mr. president, take your campaign, the division, and anger, and hate, back to chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> ok. kind of equally nasty from the obama campaign, who said, quote, governor romney's comments tonight seemed unhinged, and particularly strange coming at a time when he is pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are demonstrably false. joining us this morning to talk about all of that is minnesota -- former minnesota governor tim pawlenty, live from minneapolis. he is also the national co-chair for the romney campaign. nice to see you, sir. >> good morning. good to be with you. >> desperate. unhinged. politico has a headline, and the

headline is this. the depth of the high-minded campaign. do you think that's an accurate headline? >> well, i hope not. this should be a campaign about the bread and butter meat and potato issues facing the country, and for most americans that's jobs. president obama has had a chance for four years. we have this anemic sputtering economy. it hasn't worked. so we should be debate being mitt romney's vision for how he's going to make it better. and this back and forth doesn't do either side or the country as well as it could. and we have a president who won't even disclaim an ad that accuses mitt romney of killing a gentleman's wife, which turned out to not be even close to factually true. he should at least disclaim the lowest of the low, and he won't even do that. >> it seems like the ads on all sides i think in all fairness have been stretching the truth or being over the top maybe fair to say as well. let me play a bit of a new mitt romney ad about medicare.

>> you paid into medicare for years. every paycheck. now when you need it, obama has cut $716 billion from medicare. why? to pay for obama care. so now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. the romney-ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation. >> that's the new ad about medicare, which is a topic that everybody is talking about. let's walk through the specific words. that ad says president obama has cut $716 billion. and the cbo would say, and has said, it really is a reduction over 10ears in spending. that's from their march 30, 2011, report. the payment rates for most services, permanent reductions in the payment rates. but the next thing it is in that ad, money you paid for guaranteed health care.

but isn't that just specifically not true? i mean, it's not money anybody's paid yet. it's future spending which still goes up. isn't that just patently untrue in that ad? >> no. that's not correct, soledad. there's only one person in this race of the candidates running, president or vice president, who has proposed, signed into law, and voted for a cut in medicare, and it's a big one, and that's the 716 billion, and his name is barack obama. so it is not beyond factual. it is absolutely beyond fact to dispute that he has cut $716 billion out of the money projected to be spent on medicare over the next 10 years. and that would have been reimbursement -- >> but it's not a cut in medicare. let me read from the cbo. >> it's a cut -- >> it's a permanent reduction -- >> compared to what they planned on spending. >> in annual updates to medicaid payments. so it's a cut in future spending. and it's cuts that actually go to insurers, right? it's not cuts to individuals. >> i know exactly what it is. here's what it is.

it's cuts to payments to medical providers so over the next 10 years, they are going to get paid less than they would have otherwise been paid, which has all sorts of market implications and -- >> right, because they agreed to it. and those medical providers agreed to it because they said by bringing more people into the system, that offsets those cuts. >> no matter how you say this, it is a cut to medicare. you can't even look your viewers in the eye and say it's not a cut in medicare. >> well, i can't look viewers in the eye from where i am. i'm not saying either thing. i'm saying the way the cbo puts it, the permanent reduction in annual updates to payment rates for most services. that is a savings, if you're talking about it -- >> do you know what that is in english? >> i speak english incredibly well, sir, as you know. tell me what it is in english. >> in plain speaking it's this. and i just mean compared to the mumbo jumbo of the bureacracy in the cbo. they were saying it was going to

go up by one, and now it's going up by less than $719 billion. so no question that's a cut compared to where current law was before obama care was passed. you can't -- there's no way you can present that in any other way. >> or you could call it a savings. but let's move on for a moment. that $716 billion is the core of paul ryan's budget. right? it's part of his budget. he uses that same number, that same figure. i don't understand how you can slam president obama for it on one hand, and republicans can vote for it both in march of 2011 and in march of 2012 virtually every republican voted for it. and cheered . it seems very contradictory. >> well, here's how you can distinguish it. first, no republicans voted for obama care. so let's keep that clear. two, mitt romney, who's actually running for president of the united states and is obama's opponent for president, has promised to restore that $716

billion. so that's a major difference between these two candidates. >> well, ok. but you know house republicans voted for the ryan budget. so virtually every republican did vote for it. and mitt romney's budget, honestly, is incredibly unclear. it's very, very vague. let's play a chunk of paul ryan talking to brit hume trying to defend the budget, and he had a hard time telling him what the numbers would look like, and this man is the face of number crunching in the house. >> i'll listen to this, but i want a chance to come back to this ryan vote as well, because it's different than obama care. >> it is different. let's play a little bit of ryan talking to brit hume, trying to figure out the numbers of what a romney budget would look like. >> the budget plan that you're now supporting would get to balance when? >> well, they're different -- the budget plan that mitt romney is supporting gets us down to 20% of gdp government spending by 2016. that means get the size of government back to where it historically has been. what president obama has done is

he has brought the size of government to as high as it hasn't been since world war ii. we want to reduce the size of government to have more economic freedom. >> i get that. but what about balance? >> well, i don't know exactly when it balances because i don't want to get wanky on you, but we haven't run the numbers on that specific numbers. >> the plan is very vague. the plan is very, very vague. >> well, soledad, a couple of things. first of all, we know that governor romney's plan moves towards and puts the country on a path towards balancing the budget much more rapidly and dramatically than president obama has in mind, which is trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. and the debt and the deficit growing. but i want to get back to the point you made before the break, which is you can't compare the house republicans vote for the ryan proposal to save medicare to the vote to support obama care, which cuts medicare by $716 billion. those are two very different things. in the case of the ryan plan, the house members voted as they did but in an effort to save

medicare through a different approach. >> they are using the same numbers. you're right. they are different things, but they -- but that $716 is the same $716 billion. which is the one hand obama opponents are saying it's terrible, but if it's in the ryan budget, they vote for it twice. >> two things. one is you can't compare the house vote for the ryan plan with the obama care vote. i understand what you're saying about the $716. but those are two different proposals and you're cross pollinating the two rhetorically. but beyond that, there's one person in the race that says he will restore that $716 billion and not do the cuts, and that's mitt romney. but we clearly have a problem in medicare and our entitlement programs. governor romney and paul ryan have put specific tabproposals the table to save them. and they are needed. and they are adult detailed

specific proposals. and guess what? we have a president of the united states, the leader of our country, when we have one of the most important financial challenges of our country, he won't even put a specific proposal on the table. beyond his cuts, where is the president's specific proposal to save medicare? where is his specific proposal to save social security? where is his proposal to save medicaid? other than relentless calls to increase taxes, most not even related to the details of saving those programs, you can't find them. >> well, we're going to have to continue our conversation because i'm out of time. and you open up the whole tax thing, which we could get to, but that would take another 15 minutes of chatting back and forth. >> you have me come back. >> it's a deal. thank you. >> and we'll have a supplement. >> i accept that. i would love to that have that. thank you, governor pawlenty. we are grateful. >> thank you, soledad. a bomb blast in syria this morning behind a hotel where u.n. monitors are staying. syria state tv reporting a

diesel truck detonated. u.n. monitors are said to be safe, but three other people were injured. opposition groups say at least 34 people have been killed in violence so far today. right now, there are 62 out of control wildfires burning in idaho, nevada, utah, washington state, and california. in idaho, a firefighter has been killed. and heartbreaking video of two fires just north of san francisco. three buildings have been destroyed and 500 homes are now threatened. and in washington state, more pictures. the national guard has been activated there. more than 60 homes have been burned already. another 900 people are evacuating. and i want to bring in rob marciano. these pictures are pretty bad, and it looks to be getting worse. >> yeah. you know, the heat will be building across the northwest so the fire just east of seattle there in central washington, their worst in decades, will be feeling the heat the next couple of days and that will make things worst. 90 tomorrow in seattle.

98 and 100 in portland and salem. these areas don't typically have air conditioning. and red flag warnings have been posted for the region as well. and also a little front that's going to be moving through the northern tier. heat has been the story across parts of the south. southern california has its own fires to deal with. the desert southwest has seen temperatures 113, 117. more records falling across phoenix. they haven't been below 110 in over a week. the heat will continue out west. a bit of cooling for the western great lakes and the midwest. john, back to you. >> thanks, rob. soledad? >> thank you. ahead this morning on "starting point," health emergency. a wet spring and then the sweltering summer is a perfect recipe for a west nile outbreak. plus, a giant python seemed to be taking over southern florida. and they are killing animals there. some eating alligators and sometimes deer. we'll talk to a wildlife expert about the situation there. you're watching "starting point." short break. we're back in a moment.

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welcome back to "starting point." a terrifying and record-breaking find in the florida everglades. it this. this giant burmese python. 17 1/2 feet long. weighs 164.5 pounds. and when they captured her, she had 87 fertilized eggs. and this snake is just the tip of the iceberg apparently. florida's everades could be damaged by an onslaught of invasive species. we have a wildlife expert and communications director of zoo miami joining us this morning. this was just really crazy when you see pictures of that massive

python. tell me a bit about the capture. it was captured alive. >> yeah. absolutely. it was captured alive. and basically they used her as a bait to get other pythons. they put a transmitter in her knowing that the males would come to her and hopefully get other males. that they were able to do, and they pulled her out of the wild when she was laden with eggs. >> she had been in the everglades for a long time. was she a pet originally? is that how all of these pythons and snakes are getting into the everglades? >> generally speaking, yes. we have so many exotic animals much the problem is south florida is basically the ellis island for exotic animalses in the country. once they get out here in this environment, most of the tropical environments fell like they are in club med. and the python thing started many years ago, but really came to a crescendo after hurricane andrew when the urban legend is that a warehouse full of hundreds of these snakes was annihilated and the snakes escaped into the wild. now they are all of breeding age, and we now have thousands

of snakes in our environment and it's a big problem. >> ron, it's john berman here. we are all sitting around the table with our mouths agape, all terrified. none of us ever want to go to florida ever. how much of a threat to people are we talking about here? >> let me make something really clear. this is not going to be the last huge python they find. we are never going to get rid of pythons in the everglades totally. people say we have hundreds going out there and trapping them. this is just a control effort, an effort to learn more about them so we can control them. having said that, the danger is really not to you specifically, not to humans specifically. it's to the environment. there's no such thing as a snake that's going to chase you down. you have a much greater chance of being struck by lightning than encountering one of these snakes. having said that, what they are doing to the environment and the native species, the birds and mammals in the afterglades, the environment is already changing. we have found pythons where there are no rabbits, raccoons, bobcats. and it could create a huge

imbalance and that could be a big problem for the environment down the line. >> good to know we can all go back to florida. appreciate that, sir. still ahead this morning, when kids travel alone on the plane, should men that they don't know sit next to them? there's a debate over discrimination versus safety. that's our tough call stretd this morning. (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.

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our tough call today, an australian airline has a policy that bars single men from sitting next to children traveling alone. the firestorm started online after a virgin australian flight attendant asked a male passenger sitting next to two young boys to trade seats and put a woman in his spot. people say that's discriminatory, and supporters say no, it's actually protecting

the children. virgin australia says they'll review the policy. is it a tough call? what do you think? >> i will just jump in and say that ben smith lines this policy because he doesn't want to sit next to children. >> i think it's discriminating against women. i sit next to my own kids reluctantly. >> i would rather have my kids sit next to a father. i find that really helpful. i think it is discriminatory, and also silly, because there's no way to look at someone and determine -- and also women can be predators too. you know, people can be bad across the board. >> it's assuming that all men are child predators. >> or potential child predators. >> which is a bit over the line. >> but when my kids have to sit next to somebody because we can't all sit next to me, we want a dad that says, do you play baseball? my son plays baseball. i think that's going overboard. we'll see what virgin australia ends up doing if they reverse that policy. some people are very mad about it. we want to know what you think about this story or any of our stories, send us a quick video

20 seconds total or we'll edit you down. if you want to make a point about the show, we're calling it "my end point." we'll pick one to include in our show at our "end point." go to our blog at cnn.com/video if you want to send that in. her father was president, her mom gave it a shot. so chelsea clinton says she's ready to step out of their shadows maybe and enter the political arena possibly. joe the plumber, open mouth, insert foot. the congressional candidate offers up his solution to illegal immigration. and it is sure to have a backlash today. plus, a state of emergency after an outbreak of west nile virus in texas. how serious is it? we'll talk to a cdc official. and dr. sanjay gupta straight ahead. you're watching "starting point." ntgomery and abigail higgins had...

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welcome back, everybody. you're watching "starting

point." ahead this morning, the west nile virus is spreading faster than ever across the entire united states. there's now a state of emergency in effect in parts of texas. in just a few moments, we'll be talking to cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta and dr. beth bell, who is with the centers for disease control. but first an update on the day's stories. the suspect in a deadly shooting near the texas a&m campus struggled for years with mental health issues. thomas caffall's mother said they were worried when he quit his job in january and said he would never work again. he killed two people before he was fatally shot by officers serving an econviction notice. police are investigating an explosion that killed an 18-month-old boy in brentwood, new york, on long island. at least 14 people were hospitalized. authorities believe it was gas related. they found two 200-pound propane tanks at the scene. look at this. a plane pileup at nashville international airport.

two private jets collided on a ramp and one ended up on top of the other, but no one was onboard either plane because authorities say one plane was being towed when it broke loose and rolled onto a second parked plane. elarge livangelist billy gr out of the hospital after being treated for bronchitis. he released a statement saying he got the best of care and expressed his appreciation for love and support from people across the country. chelsea clinton may be warming up to the idea of a career in politics. the daughter of secretary of state hillary clinton and former president bill clinton, as if you had to be told, has always said no to following in her parents' footsteps. but now she's saying i don't know in an interview in "vogue" magazine, she says if it were to be a point where i felt it was something i was called to do, it would be a question i would have to ask and answer. you know, there's a whole we of second or third generation political names in the business

right now. joe kennedy iii running for kennedy. ben quayle. jeb's son is in politics as well. >> politics seem to be the worst job you could possibly -- and i realize you guys are all -- >> but once you got a taste for it. she got a taste of it in 2008. never thought she would do it. and then unexpectedly liked campaigning for her mom during 2008. >> and her reasoning also for getting into television is that when her grandmother passed away, she said to whom much is given, much is expected. and it really cultivated this desire she has for public service. so it does seem she aspires to something greater than television. >> and it's nice to see her saying i respect that my family thinks politics miakes such a difference, and it's worth going into it. a lot of young people don't think that way. >> if my kids wanted to go into politics, i would say, have you

lost your mind? do you not watch the nastiness, the sense of government being stuck, the 17% approval rating for congress? >> but we need kids like yours to get into it and change that and make a difference. >> you're a tremendous optomist, bridget. >> i think part of barack obama's appeal in 2008 was he was not somebody who inherited his name, you had bush, clinton, bush, and i think the's backlash. you have seen kennedys lose because people are sick of the idea. >> i can understand the -- >> would you tell them not to be a journalist? >> i didn't say that. i absolutely did not say that. i said be a lawyer. no. i don't tell them what to be. i just say -- well, you know how i feel about it. moving on, let's talk about this outbreak of west nile virus in texas. worst in nearly a decade. so far, the mosquito borne disease has killed 16 people in the state. 10 of those deaths happened in dallas county. where local officials are now declaring a state of emergency. and they are now planning to spray an insecticide. officials with the centers for

disease control say this year is on track to be the worst on record with deaths in several other states as well. almost 700 reported infections nationwide. we'll talk to cnn's chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta, who is with us this morning, and dr. beth bell live from atlanta. she is a medical epidemiologist and the director of the cdc's national center for emerging and zunotic infectious diseases. that's quite a title, dr. bell. we appreciate you talking us with. let's talk about why the spread is happening and so fast. the numbers are really staggering. >> yes. good morning, soledad. this certainly is a very unusual year. this is more cases than we've ever seen by the second week of august since we've been tracking west nile infection in the united states. west nile transmission is really very complicated. it involves birds and mosquitoes and climate conditions. so it's very hard to be sure exactly why we've seen so many cases so early this year.

maybe related to the climate conditions in the winter and the spring. it's important to realize that while certainly right now we have way more cases than we usually expect to see, by the second week of august, it's really hard to know what that is going to mean in terms of the rest of the season. there's all kinds of things that could happen that could mean that we'll be fortunate, and we won't continue to see the rapid increase that we've been seeing so far. but that's why it's really so important for all of us to be tracking the spread of west nile virus in mosquitoes and birds and people as we have been. >> and i guess knowing what it -- how it appears. so let me ask sanjay. how do you know if you have west nile virus? i know you and i have joked about this in the past, that the minute you start studying a disease you start feeling like you have it. wh's a sign that you have west nile? >> well, let me preface by saying that the majority of people who get west nile will

not have hardly any symptoms at all or it is so mild they won't realize they have west nile. when you look at the numbers of cases, keep in mind they are probably a lot of higher. and people that have the mild illness, it's fever. they can have swollen lymph glands. sometimes they get a characteristic rash usually on the chest, back, or stomach. that can happen. there's a more severe form that dr. bell was alluding to. but one in 150 cases have something known as a neuroinvasive form. that gets into the brain and spinal cord area, and that can cause someone to be lethargic. it can cause neck stiffness. you know, people can also get joint pain and nausea. so it can be sometimes vague. but there's another important part to this, soledad, and that is that it can take a while before symptoms appear. it can take three to 14 days. you may have been bitten some time ago and think there's no way it's related to that. but in fact there's an

incubation period, and the symptoms can last for several months. >> now there's the debate about spraying. and i guess ultimately it comes down to weighing the lesser of two evils. what are the risks with the spraying and the nonspraying? >> well, you know, we don't have a vaccine for west nile virus. so really the only ways that we can prevent people from getting sick from west nile virus is to prevent people from getting bitten by infected mosquitoes. and there's two main ways to do that. one is by using repellent. and other personal protective measures. and the second is by mosquito control, and that's spraying. you know, spraying is actually something that local communities do pretty commonly for a lot of reasons. and it's one of the methods that communities that are highly affected by west nile virus use. these pesticides are -- have been studied by the environmental protection agency for safety and for effectiveness. specifically for this purpose. for use in residential settings. also states have a certification

requirement for the people that are going to be applying the pesticides. so use of epa registered pesticides by certified ap indicators, according to the way that it's recommended, is very, very safe, and most importantly we know it's highly effective. there's very strong scientific evidence to indicate that if you reduce the population of mosquitoes using mosquito control methods like spraying, you will reduce the number of people that get west nile virus infection. >> dr. bell and dr. gupta, the doctors joining me this morning. nice to have you both. certainly appreciate it. >> you got it. >> thank you. still ahead this morning on "starting point," $320 million and counting. that is the powerball jackpot. it's affecting 22 states. approaching a record. we'll take you live to times square where folks have lined up to buy their tickets right now. plus, rising hollywood star dane dehaan is in the house. he'll tell us about his new movie "lawless."

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welcome back to "starting point." tonight's powerball jackpot is tonight, which means you have to buy it right now, $320 million. jason carol is live for us near new york's times square. customers have been buying tickets all morning. how is it going? >> reporter: now that i have my ticket, i'm much better. the drawing tonight, 10:59 eastern time. a lot of people coming out this morning buying up the power ball tickets. yesterday we saw much of the same, people coming out and buying tickets, talking about what they would do if they had the chance to win $320 million.

as you can imagine, soledad, a lot of different ideas flowing. some people saying they would buy new homes. some pay for their kids' college education. listen to what some people said they would do with the money. >> i'd probably buy a giant parcel of land and start an animal rescue. >> i'd buy a race horse. >> that's the most extravagant thing? >> and an apartment on fifth avenue. >> i guess i would pay off all my bills, big bills. buy a house. invest. you know, and then my family. go back home for a while. the islands. and then charity. you know, stuff like that. >> perhaps if you're out in the midwest, your chancesight be a little bit better. two of the luckiest states, indiana and wisconsin. indiana with 46 winners. wisconsin i think with 41. so if you're in those two states, maybe your chances will be a little bit better. the odds we're hearing, 175

million to one. but it can happen. a friend of mine, a very good friend of mine in fact, actually won megamillions. she ended up winning $266 million. she was the sole winner. so, soledad, it can happen. >> and she was your friend before she won the money, right? >> now she's even a better friend. >> just checking. the odds are so much worse than i thought they were. jason carol, thank you. appreciate the update. >> bridget, what would you do with the money if you won that? >> my whole family and friends would quit their jobs. we'd do a whole entourage thing. >> would you quit your job? >> and definitely some charity. >> i'd form a super pac. >> really? >> put it to good use. >> would you quit your job or keep working? >> i definitely keep working. i'd be so bored. >> what would you do with $200 million whatever? >> my wife and i talked about this. we actually had the conversation. we figure out which family

members we'd give how much money to. everyone would get someone. college education and then pay off mortgages and things like that. buy a house in vermont. >> i would just call in. hey, not coming in today. and, yes, i would quit. >> really? >> yes, absolutely. and i would just move to the beach for a long time, and then thinking about getting back to work. >> soledad needs a vacation. >> that was last week i was on vacation. that's what i would do. still ahead this morning on "starting point," new movie has gangsters, crime, outlaws, bootlegging, corruption, all the good things. it's called "lawless." and it's getting some serious buzz. one of the actors is dane dehaan, and he is here live to talk to us.

welcome back to "starting point," everyone. i'm john berman. here is a quick look at some of the top stories right now. you knew him and loved him as a wise-cracking sweat hog. ron palillo died of a heart attack. he was a shakespearean actor before hitting it big as the goofball on "welcome back cotter." he was 60 years old. someone robbed the palo alto home of steve jobs. he took $60,000 worth of technology and even jobs' wallet. wisconsin congressman paul ryan, mitt romney's newly minted running mate, has now supplanted the president as the most talked about politician on facebook. that's according to cnn. 's facebook election talk meter. he is getting the most buzz also

in his home state of wisconsin. "the price is right" is looking for guys to come on down. looking for its first male model. cbs says the male model search will air as a five episode web series on "the price is right" official website. >> that's really interesting cross platform marketing, right? >> i'm just thinking about the showcase showdown. i'm thinking if i get within $100, i get both showcases. let's talk a little bit about the tenor of the campaign with all of our politicos on the set today. it's been very interesting. i think just a couple of days ago, they were talking about a higher level campaign. that finally it would be substance over, you know, mudslinging. and, you know, maybe i'm wrong, but it feels like this campaign -- we say this every time. this campaign has been the nastiest. >> they both have really good reasons to attack each other and not talk about substance. obama does not want to say stay the course, the economy is doing great, judge me on my record.

privately they'll defend it and argue about it. but they can't win the argument in public. and romney has a huge thing he didn't want to talk about, which is paul ryan's budget. they have decided to embrace ryan but not the budget. so he complains about unfair xes. and that's what he is choosing to talk about. >> which is the most amazing thing. i ar the republicans take on a candidate known for really nothing other than his budget and his specificity in numbers. and immediately turn away from it and run away from what he's known for. and theoretically what they brought him on for. >> i wouldn't say known for nothing other. his budget is certainly a centerpiece. but he's young. incredibly articulate. his message as he's been going through the iowa state fair, et cetera, has been, listen, i flipped burgers at mcdonald's. i'm a regular guy. i think that could be a very effective message, especially countering mitt romney's message, which has a bit of a challenge on the other side of being someone who is very wealthy. >> but everyone heralded with this appointment of paul ryan as

the vp, finally we have substance to debate. it will be a contrast. and it's amazing. when ben lebolt comes back and says that mitt romney is unhinged, look it up, it means mentally unbalanced. we are going strictly with crazy. >> not since the last presidential campaign have we already anything like that. >> but remember the powers that be called hillary clinton the monster and she had to step away from her policies. this is very different. >> that was the summer of the double down. >> i do think there's a gutter where they are comfortable and one gutter where they are not uncomfortable. i do not think that the obama campaign were pleased with joe biden yesterday. they took away from the president and his three-day bus tour in iowa and -- >> where he said they are going to put you all in chains. he's going to put you all back in chains, referring to mitt romney and wall street. >> i think they don't want to have to be cleaning up against joe biden today, because they would like to be making other attacks on mitt romney. >> i think that's right. >> so the nuance between the gutters is what you're pointing to? >> yes.

>> well, i do think where is the line for the inappropriate wording, and the line does keep shifting and shifting. everybody's, you know, does get worse. >> and it will be interesting to see if we can get out of it especially with all the money going into the super pacs. >> i'm going to guess no. i'll bet money on that. not a chance. in case you were wondering, we were hoping to talk to dane dehaan. he is running late. he'll talk to us tomorrow, though. he's coming on tomorrow. we're just running out of time this morning. and we want to get up next to "end point," including "end point" from our viewers. that's up next. stay with us. don't have them. questions about treatment where to go for extra help, how to live better with the disease. so many questions, where do you start? alzheimers.gov. the answers start here.

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for our "end point" this morning, we start with one from a viewer. michael castalano from new york. he was watching our interview with john sununu last year. pussycat is what i like to call him. he is a senior romney campaign adviser. and here is what he had to say about our exchange. listen. >> i thought he was crass, crude, arrogant, and almost pa dantic throwbackf you will. i think we should expect more, even those surrogates of presidential candidates. but i thought you were graceful under his verbal assault, and

thanks for trying to keep him honest about statements he purported to be fact. >> michael castalano, thank you. you can be on the show anytime you want. let's put him on a chair like that. not everybody agreed with him, though. i got this comment on facebook from mark newsome of texas. he said this. actually, the conversation was so heated the facts never came out. how do we know it's a fact unless we hear how that's decided? i want to hear soledad explain what she meant by the argument being debunked. we have done the fact checking and posted it online if you want to see us go through the $716 billion number. go to our blog at cnn.com/startingpoint. check the argument out for yourself and the numbers out for yourself if you want. keep the comments coming too. you can send us a quick video, 20 seconds or so, about a point you'd like to make on the show. we'll pick one, include it at the end of the show in our "end point." go to our blog at cnn.com/startingpoint.

so that brings us right to "end point." i'm going to pick bridget. do you want to start? >> my end point, i'm still stuck on paul ryan hasn't crunched the numbers for the presidential debate. >> it's an awkward start for him, the guy known for number crunching. it's a problem. >> well, to be fair, i think it was the romney campaign plan, to say simply haven't crunched t numbers. he is capable of crunching any numbers that comes his way. that's why they picked him. but i think the romney plan hasn't been that substantiated. >> they wanted a visionary guy without the vision. that's the tricky thing. >> well, they'll need to get the numbers to him. >> well, i think tim pawlenty, i was struck by him, and a lot of dissent in the campaign about not picking pawlenty. he was very good about the romney campaign. >> i had money on