s&p and nasdaq were up. postal service warning it will lose as much as $18.2 billion each year by 2015 if they don't eliminate saturday mail delivery and make other service cuts. in a letter the post master general described a five year business plan that reiterates the mail agency's proposals to switch to five day delivery, close up to 252 mail processing centers and 3700 local post offices. he said those proposals will allow the agency to save $20 billion a year by 2015, repay it's $13 billion doubt the treasury. in contrast he says unless congress acts soon the postal service will incur losses and become a long term burden to the american taxpayer. environmental and watchdog groups are is youring to block construction of two newark reactors in eastern georgia. the reactors would be part of the inauguration's first built

from scratch nuclear power pants in a generation. the groups say the plants should be blocked until safety changes are approved. the united nations general assembly has approved a resolution that backs an arab league plan that calls for syria's president to step down and condemn human rights violation. the vote in the u.n. was 137-12 with 17 beabstentions. russia and china sfloetd. carmakers should design potentially distracting dashboard technology so its automatically disabled while the vehicle is in motion. the new technology guidelines proposed by the national highway traffic safety administration would exempt electronic warning systems that alert drivers to potential collisions or lane changes. the guidelines also include recommendations on how to make

dashboard services less distracting and time consuming to use including reducing the need for drivers to turn their eyes way from the road. it's aimed at passenger cars and suvs but not trucks. the head of the governor's highway safety association says it's a good first step but the safest thing is for drivers not to use the systems at all. both hands on the wheel. back in a minute with more washington today. on q and a this weekend on c-span radio charles evans jr. and victor denoble. evans is the producer and director avenue documentary which features former philip morris research scientist. it chronicles denoble's unexpected discovery of an ingredient in tobacco when coupled with nicotine making cigarettes more addictive. also talk about the company's efforts to keep the information private. charles evans jr. and victor denoble on q and a this weekend

here on c-span radio. welcome back to washington today here on c-span radio. some news from michigan first. governor of that state supporting mitt romney in his presidential bid. more on that in a couple of minutes. detroit economic club former senator rick santorum defending his record against a new onslaught of attacks by the romney campaign. he out lined his economic agenda before business executives in detroit. here's a portion of his speech. >> would you have voted for t.a.r.p. money in particular for the auto loans to gm and chrysler? romney has stated woe not have support the decision to bailout the auto industry in 2009. >> i've heard that. [ laughter ] i take a little different position than governor romney. governor romney supported the bailout of wall street and decided not to support the bailout of detroit. my feeling was we should not

support, the government should not be involved in bailouts period. that's a much more consistent position. it's one that if you look at what happened with -- by the way it's not the obama administration. i know governor romney focus on the obama administration and the reason he does is because he supported what the bush administration did. i didn't. i opposed what the bush administration did and been a consistent critic of it. i was not in public life at the time and certainly wasn't back in 2008 considering any kind of run for office ever again but i did make my opinions known within the administration of what i thought they were doing was wrong. they plowed ahead anyway and did some things that were, i think, injurous to capitalism. bailing out to bear stearns. big mistake. let the market work.

once they started picking winners and losers -- does it sound familiar. once they picked winners and losers the market said we can wait, if the government is involved we'll wait for them to do it. it led to a path of wall street bailouts and auto bailouts. if we stayed out of it completely and let the market work i believe the market would have worked. would the auto industry look differently than i want does today? yes. would it still antibiotic live and well? >> i think it would be alive and equally well if not better. why? the markets would have had to react and do what was necessary to structure it to be competitive. look, the facilities that are creating huge profits right now are there and would be there. problem wasn't the facilities or the workers. it was the obligations that these legacy companies had that they couldn't pay. i went through this in the steel industry. i know what this is like. no one bailed out the steel industry. is the steel industry smaller than it was before? yes. it profitable? it depends on the year.

but it was profitable for most years. why? because they right sized, they used the facilities that were efficient and able to go out and compete. so, i just believe that, you know, that having government involved sets a precedent that now is set in america that will make it easier for the next president to step in and make the argument for why government should take over and well say the health care industry or some other business. say that this is the role of government, we now set under republican and democratic presidents. i blame president bush more than president obama. president obama was just following suit. president bush set the precedent. it was the wrong precedent and i think that while there may be companies today that are doing well and obviously you have a couple of companies here that are, the long term consequences of this country and having set the precedent of the role of government in the economy is not a good one. >> the comments of rick santorum at the detroit economic club. the national journal puts it this way.

the republican candidate veering from a speech at the club today to defend his record against some sustained attacks by mitt romney. the romney campaign has been holding nearly daily conference calls in the last week discussing rick santorum's support for earmarks in congress and pro romney super package what is called a multimillion dollar ad campaign aimed to target santorum's record. rick santorum is moving ahead in michigan, essentially newt gingrich is not competing in michigan. another survey showing rick santorum is ahead in ohio which has its primary in early march. so a lot of attention on the polling and the strategy behind the santorum campaign and the romney campaign a debate next wednesday in arizona and we got word today from cnn another debate scheduled for early march in atlanta, georgia has been cancelled. mitt romney and ron paul indicated they would not participate and so cnn essentially pulling the plug. michigan governor throwing his

support behind mitt romney and the story from the lansing journal, mitt romney's bid for the presidential bid for the nomination calling him the man for the job. romney has roots michigan. romney growing up in the '60s. here's more with rick snyder with mitt romney today. >> washington is a divided place. the job is not getting done. and we need the leadership in washington to get that job done. and to do that you need the right people leading the charge. and we have a person in governor romney who has that background. he has a great combination of private-sector experience, of knowing what it takes to create a job. and how difficult that is. how to succeed in the private-sector. he also brings that experience of being a chief executive of a state, of understanding what it is to be in the public sector and to be successful in running a state.

that's the experience we need in washington. we need to move forward. because when i look at the challenges of michigan, one of the greatest things holding us back now for all the fabulous things is washington. it's holding us back. it's time for leadership that's going to move us forward. i'm very proud, the good nerd that i am, you know i reviewed the information. [ laughter ] this governor has put together a strong plan, a jobs and economic growth plan. that i strongly support. that talks about more and better jobs. that talks about a tax system. simple, fair and efficient. talks about regulatory reform. and talks about not just government activities but talks about our people, our talent. and how to connect our young people to jobs in the future. and to plan for that bright future. another great thing, though, that is just icing on the cake, we have the right man here to help lead our country but there's a special bonus.

he was born and raised a michigander. he understands our state. he's one of us. that's another area of particular pride. so, from my perspective it's just a great opportunity to say we're showing positive action, we're showing teamwork in michigan but now we have the opportunity to be part of a bigger team and a team led by a great individual who can bring that same sort of success of taking on the issues we did here of deficit, of creating jobs, of all those requirement, of bringing common sense to government and to bring those things to washington. so that's where i'm very excited today to announce my endorsement of governor romney and with that let me turn it over to this fine gentleman. [ applause ] >> thank you. beautifully done. i won't call myself a nerd. >> governor rick snyder republican governor of michigan today in detroit endorsing mitt romney. joining us live from detroit is

nolan finley the editorial editor of the detroit news. i want to share with you a couple of thought. you've been writing a number of opinion pieces which are available on the detroit news website and one that was published today in order for mitt romney to win he must convey a vision and that seems to be one of the issues that has dogged mitt romney from the beginning. why is he running? what will he bring to the white house? >> one of the problems he has. he has not been able to be himself in the primary. he's been so far to the right appeal to republican primary voters that he hasn't been entirely comfortable about talking about his vision for america and he's more of a, has more of a businessman's approach, a pragmatist what have you. these voters that converted to rick santorum they talk about he

has a vision. he can articulate his ideas and his philosophy. that's something romney has to work on. >> well as you pointed out in our earlier conversation it was the governor of michigan who in an editorial today outline his support for mitt romney and you point out that this is a state that essentially mitt romney should have been given a pass on. he won easily four years ago. many people looking at the calendar thought the focus was going to be on super tuesday with some contests in georgia and ohio and massachusetts and yet by looking at the calendar both for the san door rum and the romney campaign a lot of scheduled visits over michigan. >> two weeks ago he was up 15 points. then you had those rather meaningless early february primaries that santorum swept. suddenly you have the conservative base thinking they've got a candidate who shares their values and might actually be able to win the white house. i think that rom nay made a

critical mistake in not putting more effort into those three primaries in missouri, minnesota and colorado, not really -- he needed to win at least one and if he could have won two he would still be sitting on top of the pile in michigan. >> we're talking with nolan finley at the die tore trial page editor of the detroit news. a native kentucky. he's been in michigan last 30 years. i want to share some comments of mitt romney as he talked about his own roots in michigan earlier today. >> a little history. i was born and raised here. i love this state. trees are at the right height. i like seeing the lakes. i love the lakes. just something very special here. the great lakes but also all the little inland lakes that dot the parts of michigan. i love cars. i don't know. i grew up totally in love with cars. i used to be in the '50s and '60s if you showed me one square

foot of any car i could tell the brand, model. now with all the japanese cars i'm not that good at it. i still know the american cars. drive a mustang. i love american cars. long may they rule the world. i'll tell you i want them to do well. [ applause ] . >> how is that resonatingg michigan voters? >> his latest ad campaign in michigan designed specifically for michigan puts him in a lot of american made cars. i think that's is going to resonate. reminding people he's from here and knows them and knows the issues of the state will help them. our poll out today has him 3.5 points down to santorum within the hard begin of error. he's out spending san door rum about 10-1 on advertising and has the endorsement of every republican official of any note in the state.

it's going to result in a huge machine working for him on election day to get out the vote. i think, you know, despite what the polls indicate, he's in pretty good shape in michigan today. >> in fact we have that ad. we played it yesterday but let's again in case you missed it share with our audience the latest from the romney campaign in which he talks about his own roots in michigan. >> now i grew up in michigan. it was exciting to be here. remember going to the detroit auto show with my dad. that was a big deal. how in the world did an industry and its leaders and its unions get in such a fix that they lost jobs, that they lost their future? president obama did all these things the liberals wanted to do for years and the fact that you got millions of americans out of work, home values collapsing. i want to make michigan stronger and better. michigan has been my home and this is personal. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> let's talk about the detroit

bailout. that famous "wall street journal" editorial where he said let detroit go bankrupt. in 2008 he was critical of the bush administration standing by as chrysler and ford and gm were struggling and then once the obama administration tried to help these companies critical of the bailout. >> yeah. you know, he keeps trying to explain the nuances of his position, but it just doesn't work. what people see is he opposed the bailout, the bailout happened and the auto industry is doing fine right now. now there's a lot of things we quibble the government had a takeover. but these companies are thriving today, adding jobs and making money, $7.2 billion earnings reported by gm today. that's a hard thing to run against. you know, he's running against what looks to be a success and he makes very good points about

some of the harmful ways that this success was brought about but i don't think anybody is listening to that. >> let me ask you about a new book out called "the real romney." he talks a lot about his father. mitt romney admits that the greatest influence on his life both personally and politically was his late father who passed away in 1995 at the age of 88. he served as governor of michigan in the 1960s and you say that mitt romney needs to preach his dad's sermon. how so? >> his dad was one of the really great political figures in michigan history. i knew his father. he was a -- he was everything a citizen politician should be. he went out, made his career, made a success in business and then turned to public service not out of a sense of opportunism or an egotistical drive he wanted to then state and brought something that no one else brought in terms of his

management and executive skills. he did some terrific things here. will be remembered for a lot of things including offering the current state constitution. he also brought in an income tax to michigan which is probably something mitt doesn't want to remind people of. his father was all about people working together to do for their ownselves and their own communities and self-reliance and community service. he was a tremendous man. if mitt romney can channel half of what his father was he's going to do okay. sninlly nolan finley what about the michigan primary. is it an independent primary? it is closed just to republicans? >> it's semi closed. anybody can vote but they got to declare themselves a member of the party. barack obama is on the ballot on the democratic side and there are a few other issues on the ballot that don't relate to the

presidential campaign but you will have to go in and declare yourself either a republican or a democrat. that want dissuades to a certain extent the mischief making. we expect some democrats to go in, take a big gulp declare themselves a republican and try to make some mischief in this primary. >> nolan finley we'll check in with you again before the primary on february the 28th. the editorial page editor of the detroit news and his work is available online at detroitnews.com. thank you for being with us. this is washington today heard coast to coast on xm channel 119. we're streamed on the web at c-span.org and in the washington-baltimore area you're listening on 91.1 on your dial. the associated press putting out the family name may help generate a steady flow of campaign cash for joseph kennedy iii in thinks bid for the u.s.

senate but may but it may take more than the kennedy mystique and name to deliver a congressional district to a 31-year-old who was raised on politics but never before run for office. the he is the son of joseph p. kennedy ii, the grandson of the late robert f. kennedy as today he toured a number of massachusetts communities and announcing officially online. >> hi, i'm joe kennedy. i'm announcing a campaign to be your democratic nominee for the fourth congressional district now held by barney frank. congressman frank has done so much for massachusetts and america during his service in congress and he leaves very big shoes to fill. i believe this country was founded on a simple idea, that every person deserves to be treated fairly by each other and by their government. i've spoken to people across massachusetts who believe washington no longer works for them. people from newton to fall river see a government more interested

in stacking the deck than allowing every person a fair chance to play their hand. i want to change that. if you agree, i'd like your help to ensure that every american has a fair chance to make the most out of their hard work. >> a kennedy running for a congressional seat in massachusetts, joseph kennedy iii. a newly redistricted seat that was held for many years by congressman barney frank. he announced his retirement earlier this year. he joined us this morning on "washington journal" and the issue of joe kennedy's run for congress came up. >> joseph kennedy iii is set to announce for his seat. >> yes, i have met with joe. i am very impressed with him. he's a very thoughtful guy. he's not by any means assuming because he comes from this family of people with a record of distinguished service, he's working hard. he has an openness i found refreshing.

he worked as a prosecutor in the largest county in massachusetts some of which is in this district. i'm very enthused about him. >> the comments of barney frank who is stepping down at the end of this year. his seat as the campaign begins in massachusetts, one of those candidates is joseph kennedy. at the white house today, a surprise visitor for those who were on a tour. >> how are you? you guys have got a big group. it's exciting. >> for the fourth time since moving to the white house, michelle obama surprising visitors at the white house as she greeted them from the blue room of the white house joined by first dog beau. this is what it sounded like. >> hi, how are you? >> a pleasure. >> i'm surprised. >> how are you? >> these are my kids. >> it's great to see you guys. >> we're from the big l.a. group. >> great, great. >> actually the president was

having dinner with our friends the bells last night. >> last night, yes. >> you know that -- they were having a big band, too. >> yeah. >> it was a big fund-raiser. i heard about it. sounded pretty cool. >> yes. >> they're a fun group. >> yeah, yeah. well, you have more fun here. you got to see me and bo. bo never comes to fund-raisers. >> what's the surprise? we're going to have ice cream with you? >> it's like ice cream. ice cream. next time. well, you all enjoy. >> thank you so much. >> all right, take care. >> okay. >> how are you? nice to see you. welcome. >> nice to see you. >> it's great to see you. are you here just to visit? >> we're on a school tour. can i pet your dog? >> absolutely. he's probably bored. >> model u.n., georgetown. >> a bunch of others from model u.n.

awesome. come on up, sweetheart. he's very good temperament. >> that's good. do you guys have a trainer? >> when he was younger we did, but everybody's kind of like, everybody does a little bit of something. but he's just got a great temperament. he's used to a lot of people. he's used to lots of people. there could be 300 kids in the room and he'll be doing that. >> the great temperament not her husband the president but referring to bo the dog. imagine going to the white house today and having a surprise visitor, the first lady of the united states. this is the fourth time she has done that. no advance notice and the whitehouse.gov posting the video of the first lady greeting those visitors able to tour the white house and shake hands with the first lady. well, danny thauxs, an entertainer, humanitarian, the founder st. jude's children's research hospital in tennessee and today another honor for the late entertainer. the father of actress marlo thomas, the u.s. postal service announcing a forever stamp that

you can get at post offices around the country. representative diane black, republican of tennessee paying tribute to danny thomas. >> i'm here today to commemorate the life of a truly wonderful man. mr. danny thomas who represents so much that is wonderful about our country. born to a poor immigrant family thomas understood the meaning of hard work from a very young age. he started work at the age of 108 selling newspapers and worked until he moved to detroit to go into showbiz. and after years of struggling, thomas achieved unrivaled success with shows like "make room for daddy," "the andy griffith show," and the "dick van dyke show." it was with this success that thomas started st. jude's research hospital where no child is turned away because of an inability to pay. since it opened in 1962, st. jude has saved thousands of lives, helped countless families

and forwarded vital research on childhood cancer and other diseases. this month marks the 50 n anniversary of st. jude's and to commemorate this incredible work done at st. jude's, the u.s. postal service is honoring danny thomas and st. jude's with a commemorative stamp. i can think of no one and no charity more worthy for their honor than thomas and st. jude's. his is a story of hard work, success, and giving. i yield back my time. >> the comments of representative diane black paying tribute to entertainer danny thomas who passed away back in 1991. of course, made famous from his 13-year run as make room for daddy and later "the danny thomas show." he's also the father of marlo thomas and the founder of the st. jude's children's research hospital that has helped countless children in memphis and elsewhere around the world

battling cancer. the forever stamp now available at u.s. post offices around the country paying tribute to danny thomas. this is washington today on c-span radio, heard coast to coast on xm channel 119. >> on march 20th, the u.s. supreme court hears the oral argument in miller v alabama, whether a life sentence without parole for someone convicted of murder when he was 14 violates the constitution's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. he'll hear a case cited in miller v alabama on saturday on the historic supreme court oral argument from 2005. donald roper, superintendent of the correctional center petitioner versus christopher simmons respondent. >> legislatures can evaluate this series of studies and then pick what is essentially an arbitrary age. there is no study in anything that mr. simon cites that justifies that particular dale, 18. they talk about adolescence, they talk about young adolesc t

adolescents. they talk about adolescence continuing till the mid 20s. nothing justifies the age of 18. that makes it the kind of fact that a legislature ought to be evaluating, not a court. >> everyone agrees that there is some age below which juveniles cannot be subjected to the death penalties. the quell is where do society's standards of decency now draw that line. 15 years ago this court found instisht evidence to justify a bright line at 18. since stanford, a consensus has evolved and new scientific evidence has emerged and these developments change the constitutional calculus for much the same reasons the court found compelling in atkins. >> roper v simmons, saturday at 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span radio. >> around the country, we're on xm satellite radio channel 119. more washington today in a minute.

washington today is now available at a podcast. you can download each program individually at c-span.org or subscribe using itunes. available weekdays after 6:30 p.m. eastern. access the washington today podcast wherever you are with the c-span radio iphone app or on your data enabled mobile device. >> this is a break-through after all of the problems that we've had over the past year with threatened government shutdowns and threatened shutdowns of the economy, the fact that we have reached this agreement ahead of the deadline is an indication that we can work together for the good of this country. now, we need to work in good faith to put the votes on the board. >> the announcement earlier today with senator dick durbin, democrat of illinois as house republican and democratic leaders pronouncing themselves satisfied today with a deal that negotiators reacaf