state for more than 60 years. before retiring, she worked as a licensing specialists responsible for licensing child care. having just turned 61, i'm not sure why we're telling your age. >> i do not mind. >> she isnorm is a st. petersbug residents. he recently retired from the social security administration after three decades of service, thank you, to make sure that seniors receive the benefits that they had earned throughout their career. i ask them to join me because they know how important it is to have our president who make sure that social security and medicare are there for seniors who are paid into it for their entire lives.

and after my remarks, we will have them speak. excuse me. we will continue to hear the republican candidates were shot at the altar of the tea party. we have not heard a new idea from the candidates and we should not expect that. if given half a chance, they would bring the same trickle- down policies that got us here in the first place back, shedding more than 750,000 jobs each month when president obama came into office. what is their message to middle- class families? that would advocate for policies that set us up for the next big burst bubble, and give more tax breaks to special interest and tax cuts to the wealthiest and

most fortunate americans. if you see the mortgage crisis or you have trouble finding a job, you will not find a candidate on stage tonight that will do nothing but return to the policies that got us into this mess in the first place. and for seniors and anyone looking forward to aging with dignity, and you can see that candidates calling for changes that would do great harm to social security, if not dismantle it entirely. social security is something that americans have earned. we have paid for it. we are counting on it. they would shred the safety net, breaking a compact with the american people. at least rick perry was honest with his hostility to social security, calling upon sees game. but mitt romney was not so straightforward as it -- for his support for privatizing it.

mitt romney would have you believe otherwise. he has been attacking rick perry on the issue. the hypocrisy is beyond:. -- galling. it would leave seniors twisting in the wind. and he has said so publicly, numerous time. republicans like mitt romney, rick perry, and george w. bush before him have had their sights setting on -- sat on dismantling social security and americans have repeatedly said know. they have come to my home state of florida and they do not want them dismantling social security. they have already expressed opposition to these candidates' support for the ryan plan to in social security as we know it -- medicare as we know it.

florida's seniors need to know that. each of the republican candidates in this race is desperate to appease the tea party. the rubber stamp and ideological agenda that would end medicare as we know it, erode social security, and eliminate millions of jobs. president obama and democrats are building in america poised for success. on thursday, the president offered a bill that would create more jobs right now because the american people demand immediate action. businesses will be able to hire more workers and middle class families can keep more of what they earn. there is no reason for delay. the president said there is nothing in this bill that is controversial if your goal was to create jobs for middle-class families. this is a matter of the values. the idea that hard work pays off. reflectsdent's bill

these values. it grows the economy now, helping america's small businesses hire and grow by cutting their payroll taxes. it puts more money in the pockets of middle-class americans, lowering their taxes. the average family will be able to keep sticking hundred dollars more from their paychecks each year. it would put more people back into work -- and jobs to help today. and while this bill will create american jobs, it will not add a dime to the deficit. this bill is sound policy that will assure that middle-class families are protected and are rewarded for their hard work. but the republican candidates have opposed this common sense plan because they are not interested in solutions. they would rather see middle- class families struggle and give up the effort to give more tax breaks to special interest. it is not a question of partisanship. this is a question of values.

these republican candidates are making a clear statement about what they value. they care about one job, president obama's. you will not hear any plan to create jobs now tonight, or to save social security without privatizing. republicans have no plans for middle-class families because they are working for the special interests. their plans to deregulate all street, give tax breaks to insurance companies and big oil, and extend tax cuts to millionaires will not make anything easier on middle-class families. they need to know that democrats are on their side and the republican message is that you are on your own. we will make sure that voters know this. thank you very much. norm. >> in my 30 years with the

social security administration, i took applications from literally thousands of people -- people who told me on frequent occasions, if it were not for social security, i do not know what i would do. i am retired and i still talk to people and a volunteer our role and i hear the same thing. i do not know what we would do without social security. i want to read to " it's -- two quotes, the first from governor romney. the american people have been defrauded out of their social security. it is in his book "no apology." gov. harry road, by any measure, so security is a failure. a failure? i would say to the two of those gentlemen, why don't you

interview and listen to the 55 million people who can do depend on getting a social security pavement every single month? this program, the defined benefit program of social security, has been paying benefits on time since january 1940. there has never been in default. that is why this program is so successful. actually, it is successful because the american people have demanded it and congress has responded. now we hear, oh, it is bankrupt. it is not bankrupt. you know that. and now like to comment on the business -- their motivation is to privatize social security. the private markets are fine for private money. the free enterprise system has served us well.

it has paid benefits on times. according to the congressional budget office, that office which congress relies on to make their decisions, the payments will be made -- no equivocation for the next 27 years. on time, in their full amount. and yes, there will be a shortfall of about 20% if we absolutely do nothing. so our discussion and argument is how to make up the 20%. one of the most frequent comments by americans is to raise the tax base upon which uponfica taxes paid, and that is $106,800 now. to raise that, and it would continue the program. and when i hear the topic of a

ponzi scheme, i get really excited. to compare this to a ponzi scheme, i would say to governor perry whom i have a certain respect for, sir, you have a dead wrong. this is not a ponzi scheme. how can you say that when benefits have been paid on time since 1940 and they are projected on according to the kurdish actuarial demographic projections to pay benefits for the next 27 years. how many corporations, how many government agencies have the ability to pay benefits that are in the future? when you say it is a failure, you are flat out wrong. and i would encourage you to become better informed, because when you say that, you show yourself is not well-informed and perhaps all little disingenuous. we respect you, sir, but you are wrong on that. i think my time is up.

>> thank you very much. >> good afternoon. i.m. pei, and a retiree chapter member here in florida. -- i am peggey. i was a license specialist monarch to analyzing child development agencies for several counties across the state. as someone who is work to raise a family, i know i'll important it is to have a president who will make sure that such a security and medicare are there for seniors like me, who have paid into them are all working lives. we need to trust the president will keep a promise that if we paid in throughout our careers, we will be paid out in retirement. and we need to make sure our president shares our values. i can speak personally about the enormous help medicare will be

to me and my daughter. i currently pay more than $10,000 a year in health-care premiums. last summer in new york, i had to go -- undergo a procedure to remove a kidney stone which i paid over thousand dollars out- of-pocket. medicare will help to lower my health care costs when i travel and help meet the more comfortable life in retirement. isn't clear what a republican will mean for me when they become eligible for medicare. none of the current republican presidential candidates share our views were values on issues most important to seniors. all the candidates have followed the lead of republicans in washington and endorsed a plan to end medicare and eroded social security. rick perry called social security a ponzi scheme in the last debate, but he is not alone. mitt romney called for changing the retirement age and made the

case for privatizing social security. it shows how touched they are with middle-class working families -- out of touch they are with middle-class working family. it is not only people my age that the proposed -- their rely on these programs, but younger, pay into these systems and when they talk about preserving all lead for currency nears, the generation after them will be left to bear the burden. let me for my daughter's future? will should be entrusted with the same promise i was given? -- will she be entrusted with the same promise i was given? the men and women on the stage will talk about america that breaks its promises to our seniors. is this the kind of nation we want to leave to our children? one that no longer cares for the elderly?

or do we want a nation that keeps his promises to all americans? thank you. >> we all out, do. -- we all did. we would be glad to take questions. >> you talked about the candidates trying to out-tea party each other. what to think of cnn working with the tea party to do this debate? >> i think that is a media an outlet. >> does it give the improv ofure -- imprimateueuer mainstreaming sentence? >> they are so far out of touch, americans want us to work together and fight to help the middle class get ahead. work together to get the economy

turned around and create jobs. anyone else? thank you all burma -- oh, yes. >> with president obama's approval rating taking a downturn in recent weeks, at the same time, republicans are fairing no better or even worse. are democrats concerned that voters will stay home? will you do to make sure that they show up as they did last election? >> we have a very aggressive outreach plan to identify and communicate with, and turnout latino voters in support of president obama. the agenda of the president and of democrats is going to help bring latinos -- more latinos to our candidates and in support of

our candidates, making sure that it is clear that democrat support of comprehensive immigration reform and that the republican support driving immigrants out of the country. time and time again, they have demonstrated that there is a dramatic contrast between the democrats view of how we should deal with immigration policy, and the republicans view. this is a nation built on immigrants, a nation that has benefited and improved as a result of immigrants. making sure that we address in an appropriate way undocumented immigration, make sure that there is a comprehensive approach to dealing with the undocumented immigrants that are here now, and that their contribution to our economy, which israel and which is necessary, is dealt with in a way that we can all hopefully come together, so that we do not

have to continue to treat them the way the republicans seem to have chosen to, which is what the back of their hand. >> does it demonstrate the democrats are turner -- concerned about turnout next year? >> know, on the contrary, we have always taken the latino vote seriously. it is a very high priority for us. the natural place for the latino voter in this country is the democratic party because we are the party of diversity, the party that embraces the policies that help close the education gap that exists for latinos in this country and terms of graduation rates, that helps close the employment gap that exists. we want to make sure that latino voters in this country have an opportunity to get ahead. the dramatic difference in the

policies of president obama, who has fought hard for the middle class, for hard for small business owners, those policies will benefit the latino voters. t party republicans, they would continue to go further and further to the right. in my own congressional districts, representing about 30% of my population, they are latino, i do not hear extreme right wing conservative views coming out of my latino voters. i do not think that will be at all appealing to them. >> from cnn. the social security debate is a semantic debate. >> a semantic debate? >> yes, because rick perry wrote that he wants to keep it the same for current retirees and for near-term retirees. but he wants to fix it over the

long term. how's that differ from the democrats? >> so if you're 54 years old, rick perry is telling you to go fly a kite, basically. it does not matter that you have paid into social security, that we have ensured for 50 years that there would be a safety net through which we are not going to allow seniors to fall through? every one of those republican candidates, rick perry, mitt romney, and all of them would dig the hole that will allow seniors to fall through. thank you all very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

[unintelligible] >> after the republican candidates to bed last night, it was the fifth gop debate in the republican presidential campaign, hosted by cnn and the tea party express. they talked with reporters after the debate in the spin room, which is where people from the campaign's going to give their take on what happened. >> joining us is a national politick -- reporter for the politico. over the issues talked about tonight? >> social security played a prominent role in this debate tonight. everyone expected a vigorous discussion about it and the differences in positions between rick perry and mitt romney, and

we certainly got that. both of them took the first possible opportunity to go after each other and what sounded like her harsh accusations over the views on social security, you also saw michele bachmann way in, but to a lesser, personalized agreed in the other candidates. national security ted part in the second part of the day -- was part of the second part of the debate. you heard and heeded exchange between ron paul and rick santorum. job creation is always a big issue when it comes to the front runners. they talked about their job creation records. >> you mentioned michele bachmann. but for the debate, -- before debate, they said that it took 14 minutes before she uttered a week -- a word in last week's

debate. how did she do tonight? she was a little more forceful. you think she would do very well in front of a home field advantage with the tea party- oriented crowd. but it is important to keep in mind, all those candidates are plugged into the tea party movement, when you talk about rick perry or herman cain. it really was not a softball for her. it was not obvious she would win the crowd. and she did with some of her answers, but i do not think she has the big footprint that a lot of people were expecting. there was a great expectation that she would need to do something or les give notice in some way to break out of this hardening narrative of the race between two candidates. i do not know that she necessarily passed that bar, although she had a presence beyond the regular. >> you have reporters asking

members of the campaign about what happened tonight. there a television ads rawlings of project -- rallying public support behind president obama is job plan. what did they say about that? >> they may have even had an argument about each other's record when it comes to job creation. the distinction that they are making hard mask -- distinctions that rick perry and mitt romney made before. in california, romney argued that perry has a successful record on job creation, but the odds were stacked in his favor. he really did not do anything. in many ways he ended up on third base and thought he hit a triple a, that kind of argument. because of the -- a series of pro-industrial laws and taxes,

because it is a republican legislature, the odds were stacked in parry's and 80s. in reality, he did very little to create those jobs, that was the point that mitt romney had made before. rick perry mentioned the massachusetts ankle, that the record had guarded in comparable, and governor romney was not the successful in massachusetts. >> what usually happens in the spin room? >> the room is court on off after the debate. the top tier candidates will not usually show. dozens of their staffers pile into this room with the media. they sit there and hold signs identifying who they are or they have staffers identifying who the staffers are, so that the reporters confine these people

and interview them about who they thought one. it is called the spin room, because everyone understands that the staffers telling an idealized version of what happened and trying to sell the media on a narrative favorable to their candidate. what is happening right now is all of these dozens of staffers are trying to explain to the media what they think happened in frame and favorable to their own candidate. >> the national politics reporter for politico. thank you. >> thank you. >> i think he made that point tonight. he may not necessarily be the best poker player. mitt romney went into a

situation much like the one the country is facing now. he had to turn that around. it is not just of the commonwealth of massachusetts, where he has been a change agent. he did the same thing at the winter olympics. they had budget problems and he turned that around and stage the most successful winter olympics or olympics of any kind held on u.s. soil. as a businessman who is invested in many of the same companies that were troubled, he turned those around as well. he demonstrated once a week and why he is the best candidate to lead during these very challenging times. -- he demonstrated once again why he is the best candidate to lead during these very challenging times. [inaudible] >> he had answers on federal reserve's and told like it is.

on social security, i do not think people were closer to where rick perry was, to dismantle the program and give it to the states to run. that is not mitt romney's view. we continue to believe that the rubble in party will continue to nominate him believes -- the republican party will continue to nominate someone who will strengthen and save social security. >> democrats are worried that mitt romney will pick up the torch as the defender of social security. >> the republican party should be known as the party that strengthen social security. it is provided old age pensions and it is valuable and it is worth saving. what we should not do is attack it's very formation or suggest

that the federal government should not be in the business of providing old age pensions and raise the policy -- the possibility of giving it all to the states. what state would want to take over the unfunded initiatives of the social security department? i am american i am a senior adviser to the romney campaign. am eric and i am a senior adviser to the romney campaign. his personal investments are all in a blind trust. those investment decisions are made by a trustee. but what i will tell you about and the south carolina

plant, that is another example of how job creation could be strengthened in this company -- in this country. if there is a company that wants to locate in a right to work state, they ought to be able to do that. that is not an unfair labor practice. it encourages job creation in south carolina. >> all of these investments are in a blind trust. >> managed by a lawyer. >> what about bobby jindal? >> he is a governor that mitt romney has respect for of we are glad to have the nomination -- the endorsement of tim pawlenty. he is running s conservative in a blue state, and governed as a conservative justice mitt romney

did in massachusetts. he was a competitor in the early part of the primaries and we're thrilled at them on board. >> [inaudible] >> i think rick climbed from abc news had a correct when he said that rick perry came into this debate with us also security problem and he left with that conservative problem. he not only had to defend himself on the vaccine decision that made, but also on the taxes that the increase, the spending and debt that one out, and his decision to provide in state tuitions to illegal immigrants. >> but the applause lines that he was getting, romney did not seem to be getting applause. >> mitt romney has a lot of respect for the tea party movement, but he is a republican and is proud to be a republican.

[unintelligible] [unintelligible] >> rick perry not only says the right thing, he demonstrates leadership. he understands what it will take to put this country back on the right path to creating jobs. job in thee best world. i get to govern the great state

of louisiana and i am running for reelection. i have endorsed wreck because i think he will do a great job for the country. i am worried that under this president, our debt has gone up at $13 trillion. he raises our taxes and borrows more money to spend more money to put our children into debt. that is not sustainable. 42 cents of every cent of the day -- of every dollar that they spend in washington is borrowed. rick perry understand that to grow the economy, we're not let tax, spend, and borrow our way into prosperity. he is shown in taxes. he is actually implementing aggressive and tort reform. no, i've a great job and louisiana. i do not want a job from rate. i want to create millions of jobs in our country. i want to be the governor of louisiana and that more rick perry to be our next president.

i want president obama to be a one-term president. he has a great track record and experience. the mistake we made in electing president obama is electing someone who had never run anything before it became president of united states. on the cut -- no on-the-job training. he created 40% of the jobs in texas. texas became the second largest economy in that country. he has shown a conservative fiscal principles were. i think he will form the tort region -- reform the tort laws. president obama makes the mistake of believing that the government creates jobs. when the private sector creates

jobs, it gives proper tax payers' money. when in and into all of this of borrowing. nearly $1 trillion of our debt, may be more than that, is to china. this is not a sustainable path for our country. we need a conservative leader. rick perry not only says they're right things, he has a proven track record. >> governor romney says that he was trying to scare seniors. do you think he is trying to do that? >> i think president rick perry -- governor rick perry, let's not get ahead of ourselves. he deserves credit for bringing up the issue of entitlement reform. he made it very clear that he wants to protect social security for seniors. he also made the point that the current structure is not sustainable. since 1982, social security took

in more than it paid out, but that trust fund will not be there, it will be broke. we have to protect social security for the seniors already in that war are nearing retirement. we'll also have to preserve social security for the younger workers for whom it will not be there unless we take action. i want to honor president reagan for not criticizing fellow republicans. i will say this. i do not think any republican candidate should the engage in the same kind of negative political attacks from do -- that we would expect from the political party. they are brave about talking about in, reform. we see those same types of attacks over and over again. i am not here to criticize an individual republican candidate. i am endorsing rick perry and

support him to be the next president. he deserves a lot of credit in pointing out the bold steps we have to take. >> there were questions on hpv and credits for illegal immigrants. you think that he answered those questions will not? >> he was taking a lot of attacks and got a lot of the questions. it shows that he is a front runner. rick is a tough guy. he has been governor of texas for nearly 11 years and he can handle himself and the debate. i am not interested in who wins or loses. i am looking for proven track record and proven leadership. he was stronger when he started the debate. he has -- a lot of the candidates had some great lines of there. -- up there. but what is most important about rick. 's record is that he has helped

to create jobs. this economy -- this election will be about the economy and creating jobs. we're in the worst recession since the great depression. washington economists said that we are out of the recession, but the reality is that we are still in recession until more of our people are working. >> the immigration answer did not go over well with the audience. >> rick perry has a great track record when it comes to creating jobs. that is the most important issue. of voters all across the country, the most important issue is who is going to be the best qualified to get america back on our right track. rick. the bills that criteria. government does not create jobs. government has to create the conditions for private sector to create jobs. we do not want government

spending and borrowing from taxes. the second stimulus bill is stimulus part to. he does not quite get what it takes. i think governor perry was very clear that we need to secure the borders. [unintelligible] when you listen to what he said, he thought that using more troops -- many of the things that governor huntsman was saying. [unintelligible] >> i support of fans and the additional measures that governor perry was talking about. a lot are trying to get attention for themselves. unlike those others like that, rick perry has lived and walk the walk. gov. perry has actually govern the state and dealt with the border.

you can as governor huntsman's advisers about his tactics. a lot of the candidates were attacking rick perry, and that is a sign of strength. [unintelligible] >> i think governor perry -- he says what he means and he is authentic. we elect a president who is one of the best thinkers and a political generation, and yet we continue to have one of the worst economies in a generation. we do not need another great speaker. we need someone who can actually govern on day one. and governor perry has proved that. he is an aggressive -- he has aggressive policies on cutting regulations.

he has the ability and the skills we need one day wind. i am not looking for the most polished speaker. i am looking for the best leader. gov. terry has the best qualifications. i think he did great tonight. nobody wins or loses debates. the only people that went on our television stations that possibly get some ads out of it. it is great have these debates. voters need to see their candidates tested. the republican party was accused of being a party that selected the next person whose turn it was. it is not need my help, i want to help him get elected. i want to be governor of the great state of louisiana.

college whatever you want, when you listen to all the different candidates, he deserves credit for taking the first debt to clearly state what is obvious. it needs to be strengthened and improved for younger workers. i do not care what you call it. what is important that it is absolutely true that if we do nothing, it will not be sustainable for younger workers. it is paying out more than it is taking in. it is also clear that trust fund will not be there by the time i retired. the bottom line is that it is not sustainable, in these to be face, and they have a different active. time for us to make

changes and we deserve it -- he deserves credit for being brave enough to talk about entitlements. americans are looking for a leader that will be honest enough to look them in the face and say what we have been doing is not sustainable. $14 trillion is not sustainable. borrowing 42 cents on the dollar is not sustainable. borrowing one trillion dollars is not sustainable. the others are now agreeing with him and he deserves credit for being so specific in so aggressive on something we have to do something about. [unintelligible] >> what is your last thought about michele bachmann? >> she is very passionate.

she is very compassionate when talking about over use of executive power, wavering around, forcing people to take injections. it fired her up. i think you saw her tonight. she shines a light on this and her record -- >> michele bachmann is slipping in the polls. do you think her performance a day and may have resurrected her campaign and given her that this that she needed to keep going forward? >> one poll? we're not worrying about that. her consistency and term message and her passion on why the country needs to turn around. -- her consistency in her

message and her passion on why the country needs to turn around. >> i think the debate we had on the issue of gardisil, the cervical cancer drug, was very important. gov. perry did not stand away from his position. he backed away from how he did it. he still thinks that the government should require a 11- year-old girls to have a vaccine that the government things you're going to have sexual intercourse. therefore, we're going to -- the only reason you get this faxing. and for the government to say

that, it sends a very bad signal to young women all across texas. and for the governor of the state to continue that advocate that this was the proper approach, shows that he is more like barack obama and being the nanny state. trust parents to make health- care decisions about their children, not the federal government and certainly not the state government. [inaudible] how do you -- i know what you're going to say. >> they might get married. this simply protect them against this. >> the government says that you're going to get this faxing. unless the parents find out about it in time. it is the government taking the role of the parent.

with the presumption that at the age of 11, this is something that you will engage in without your parents' knowledge. if the government wanted to put forward a program, which would make it available, and we talk about it in health class is, that is perfectly fine. but the public -- but the government says -- vaccines in schools or for communicable diseases in schools. are we going to retire -- require all sorts of things that the government tells you to do because you're going to school? that is not the role of the government. he did not say he was wrong. he said he went about it the wrong way. he said he should of gone to the legislature. he still clings the policy is the right policy and that is the problem. -- he still says the policy is

the right policy and that is the problem. my understanding is that that issue was solved. there is evidence to the contrary, they should bring it forward. [inaudible] they are born in the country, so it does not matter. [inaudible] i would lead say that we have to be vigilant and make sure that they want to segregate themselves inside and make sure that it does not happen in this country. what is going on as europe is something that is absolutely appropriate for public policy discussion in this country.

i think it is a perfectly reasonable point of discussion. [unintelligible] >> [unintelligible] >> one of the most impressive -- [inaudible]

there is one of the second stage in this process, of more detailed evaluation of his strength. and that is what you're witnessing right now. in the next couple of weeks, the next couple of debates by the end of september, that will make him very important. [unintelligible] >> he has a different perspective, obviously, the rest. interesting to say when the soft washes out what percentage of republicans are going to look for this. this was obviously a different group. >> where will rick perry be particularly vulnerable? >> that is up to the opponents.

whoever wins the nomination, i am here to make sure he is as strong as he could be. he has been a successful politician. the governor of a big state, so he knows his way around. some of the weaknesses that you may have mentioned as far as a reaction from this crowd tonight maybe positives in an election. on immigration issues, for instance. it all depends at one point in time during the campaign process on a particular issue. >> [inaudible] >> actually, he should given the answer that herman cain gave. it was a great answer to that question. he said, this town in texas, galveston? he said, listen, they broke away from this thing and people put

their savings are doing better than anywhere else in the country. and then he made another mention of another option, and herman cain's and certification, it would've been a lot better shape. in a republican primary, everyone is going to agree that all entitlements, not just social security, the need reform. we want to make sure that we got our -- a reasonable response to it. the democratic bogeyman theory of the passes that, oh, you've got a problem with social security, i think those days are gone. i think the electorate are well- informed now. i cannot think that people will

fall for that fear tactics. everyone will be for social security reform, the question is, which answer will people like the most? it works well in texas. he came out of this thing, still, but the polls showing he was the no. 1 candidate. paris something about his personality that makes voters believe me that he can take it. and they are looking for fodder, someone that can stand up, and deliver quality. and he exudes that fighter personality and people like that. [unintelligible]

>> obviously he says, the seniors that are here, also, the tea party movement is so well connected with her and they worked so well together. they are definitely example for the rest of the injured during absolutely. absolutely. we have an activist from over 31 states, over 250 tea party groups that represent every state in the union sponsoring this. the audience was heavily weighted with party activists. kremer and i'm with

tea party express. i live in atlanta. >> was there a clear winner, loser? >> i need to go back and watch the debate again. governor romney clarified his position on runomneycare. gov. harry clarify his position on the vaccine. i need to watch it because it was a real knowing that we the people made this happen. -- it was surreal knowing that we the people made this happen. [unintelligible] you cannot speak for 10 million people. >> i definitely do not speak for all the tea party activists out there. but there are definitely candidates that ban on the

frontline of the tea party movement for a long time. no denying that michele bachmann has been out there, even governor perry has been working with the tea party movement in the state of texas. he is there when we come to texas on our bus tour. ron paul, he calls himself a godfather of the tea party movement. herman cain has been out on the front lines with us. i wanted to beat barack obama. right now i want this field to narrow down. that is what we're looking down, narrowing down the field so that we to laser focus on the issue is so important to most americans. the tea party express will absolutely make an endorsement at some point but we're not ready to do the right now. >> what you say about people who say that the t party has made up his mind and it will never

support a mitt romney? >> when i go outcome, -- when i go out, i say that they should go out and work for a candidate that they believe in. wallenda their time and donate their money to the injured if they do not, in november, they will be voting for the lesser of two peoples. i believe that we're going to do what we can to defeat barack obama. but let me say this. this is the most important thing. that tea party movement is not here to send a republican to washington. we are here to send a conservative to washington. we're not going to except what the republican party hands as. -- accept what the republican party hands us. i do not think --

>> there seems to be up here among the tea party tonight go outside. >> we want to defeat iraq a party. this movement is a directs -- direct result of people being frustrated and angry with both political parties. that is what we're doing. you could see everyone moving to the right, not only the republicans but the democrats. when did you seen democrats otherwise talk about cutting spending? about thel's comments military, it you think that he will get support from the tea party? >> i do not know very we will have to see how that plays out. congressman paul, i will say, we flak from his

supporters. we just did a bus tour all the way to a tampa, florida. he had an open invitation to come to every single one of our stops and he did not show up. it is hard for us to work with someone who does not come out and support the weight of the movement is going. -- the way the movement is going. [unintelligible] we are very patriotic movement. we do not focus on those policies. we focus on the fiscal issues. but most of the people in this movement want to support our troops and make sure they do what they need while they are in harm's way. i am amy kremer, and i am from

atlanta. >> watch more video of the candidates, see what political reporters are saying, and track the latest campaign contributions with c-span's website for campaign 2012. easy to use, it helps you navigate the political landscape with twitter feeds and facebook updates from the campaigns. candidate bios and the latest polling data, plus links to c- span media partners in the early primary and caucus states, all at -- c-span.org/campaign2012. >> in a few moments, if your calls and today's headlines live on "washington journal." the u.s. house of representatives is back in session at 10:00 a.m. eastern for general speeches, with legislative business scheduled at noon. today's business is to extend funding for the federal aviation administration and highway projects in february. you can read the full text of the