how do predict you're going to do on tuesday? >> i'm not going to say that i know i'm going to win. everything we've done it seems to love been building with momentum. most people give us credit -- if you become a supporter of the philosophy i talk about, they usually stick with us. they do not come and go. these numbers are clear the top now. we do not suspect that there will change their mind. i think they will stick with us. >> last time around you had a very organized and passionate base, too. do you have more volunteers, more money, even better organization?

is it the equivalent organization? >> fund-raising is much easier. there are many more volunteers. the country has changed. people were not with me getting out of afghanistan. they are much more frightened about the economy. they were warning about it. the country has come around to mandating looking at other options. >> dix morris said a boat for you is a book for obama because your -- vote for you is as vote for obama. >> obama follow some of the republican view points. neither party will talk about

the fed reserve. there is no serious effort about anything other than the one we have. >> we talked about the federal reserve. have you thought about another walk through? they have not done this is the 50's. can you say i want to go see the gold? do you have the clout to do that? >> i should test it. maybe after next tuesday i will not have to be coming into iowa. >> thank you for coming by. >> you are welcome. thanks for having me. >> you can just dial out. we are in the middle of a network news break here.

we usually rejoin our local people about 7:00. if i do not get a chance to see you again, thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> no. republican -- rixcky -- ricky perry went to ames, iowa. this is 50 minutes.

[applause] ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ >> thank you so much. that is quite an entrance, isn't it? don't try that at home, kids. don't try that at home. maybe if i get a little older and do not have such good eyesight, i might try that at home and get in trouble. thank you for being here to welcome me. it is a delight to be here. what a crowd. thank you for coming out tonight. [applause] i have my life partner here, my sweetheart. i knew her in elementary school. i did not really know her, but she was a couple of grades below me. if you're in the fourth grade, you do not even look at somebody in second grade. but when she was almost 16 i was at a party at stu white's house. she was there with some other guy who brought her.

i went to the guy and said, "i live closer to her than you do. can i give her a ride home?" he said sure. we have been going steady ever since. my sweetheart, ann romney. [applause] >> what a great and warm welcome. we love that. i see a couple of t-shirts from the straw poll from four years ago. that is great. we must have some people who knew as from last time. we very much appreciate it. it is great to be here. we have loved our last couple of days in iowa. every place we have gone has been like this. i think we know why. i think it is because you are all concerned about america. [applause] i think you want to pick someone that is going to beat barack obama. [applause] the other best part about that is, once he does beat barack

obama, he is going to be an awesome president. [applause] he mentioned we have known each other a long time. we have been married 42 years. we have five sons, 16 grandchildren. i can tell you that four of my five sons are in new hampshire today, holding down the fort there while we are in iowa. thank you. it has been great to have boys who are willing to work for us and help us. what happened to the fifth son? he is a slacker. [laughter] >> tell the truth. that is not true. >> he is in residency. he is otherwise occupied. we are grateful that our boys have their own lives and their own wonderful marriages. all of them have children, which is a great blessing in my life. it was not easy raising five

boys. there were times when i wondered what the heck i was doing. there were times when i was so exasperated i really felt like leaving home, i think at times. those boys almost drove me out of the house. and it would call when i was at my wit's end and remind me that my job was more important than his. the true happiness in life was going to come from the work i was doing. we were true partners in every sense of the word. i appreciated that when he was a young man, young in his profession, that he had his values and priorities right. we are going to need that in the white house, so i cannot wait to see the job he is going to do to turn this country around. thank you all. [applause] >> she is the best. well, you know, it was not terribly long ago that she and i were watching our grandkids. i said to her, "are we going to do to our grandkids what my parents did with their grandkids?"

she knew what i was talking about. my parents had 25 grandkids. when a group of them would reach the age of 10, 11, or 12, they would drive them for as long as 30 straight days across the country to see the national parks. i knew what they were doing, because i had been on this trip myself as a boy. when i went in the rambler, of course. the car made it, too. what they were doing was teaching my kids to love america. they wanted them to see the beauty of this country, and to see the mountains and the canyons and the rivers, the sequoias and the oceans. between stops, they would tell us about the fan of the country. the would read about the women and men who dreamed and created this extraordinary country, and fell in love with america and the american dream. i love the songs of america, our patriotic songs.

when i had the chance to help organize the olympic winter games, it was only our athletes who, when they won a gold medal, put their hand over their heart when the national anthem was being played. no other nation in the world has a tradition, that i know of. fdr began that tradition. he asked us to put our hand over our heart in recognition of the blood being shed by our sons and daughters in foreign places. we are a patriotic people. another song i love -- "o beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain." if corn counts as amber waves, we have it right here. it does. another verse goes "oh beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife," our men and women in uniform. veterans in the audience tonight, thank you for your service. [applause] there is another interesting verse.

it goes like this. "oh beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years." the idea was that the dreams of the patriots, the way they crafted this country, what they built with our founding documents was not something just temporary, but would continue into our time. i believe in the principles the founders put in place, and the documents they wrote. the have permanence and relevance, and significance for us, and i do not want to stray from them. i love those documents. what made america an extraordinary land was not our dna. it is like other people around the world. it is those principles. the founders have this

extraordinary revelation, a thought. we should change the way the government is organized. instead of the king and the government being sovereign, we will let the citizen be sovereign. that has changed the world. they had another thought. we are going to let people choose their own course in life. we will not only have political freedom. we will have economic freedom. they rode in the declaration of independence that the creator in doubt as with our rights, not the government, certain inalienable rights -- among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. what does that mean? the recognized that in america we would be free to pursue happiness as we chose, not as the government told us, not limited by the circumstances of our birth. those freedoms, that opportunity nation that was defined by the founders, meant that people from all over the world wanted to come here.

this was the land of opportunity. they did come here for centuries. it has made us who we are, men and women of passion and vision who are willing to take risks and dream, and live in a land of liberty. sometimes, i do not think our president understands that about america. the policies are making us more like europe. mass of regulations, extraordinary debt burdens. i do not want europe here.

ours was born as an opportunity nation. they could achieve great things. as they did that, it did not make the rest of us poorer. the dreams of our dreamers, those who built the enterprises, these things do not make us poorer. they make us better off. they employ us. we welcome and encourage success. that is the course i believe in. the president seems to believe we should change to become an entitlement society, where government takes from some to give to others in the name of a quality. that has never worked anywhere in the world. it has never lifted people out of poverty. only free enterprise and

freedom have done those things. i want to keep america america. it is not government that is our answer, it is free american people pursuing their dreams. [applause] you have heard him, you have heard the president. people who believe in big government trying to drive our lives. they end up dividing americans. they try and substitute and the for ambition. -- envy for ambition. they poison the spirit of america and that in the unity of one nation under god. i love this country. i want to do whatever i can to get america growing again for the middle class that is struggling. middle income families having a hard time. the median income under president obama, down 10% in america. the cost of gasoline and food goes up.

25 million people out of work or stop looking for work. housing values them. -- down. the president's policies, they are not working. i spent my life in business. i have only spent four years in government. [applause] i am still a business that. i am a father and a husband and a grandfather first. i love america. i know what it takes to get us wrong again. i know what it takes to make our economy so powerful that we can have confidence that our kids future will be better than our past. i will make america strong again by making america the best place to be middle class, the best place for job creation, the best place for people to build businesses and grow businesses. [applause] i have confidence all that is going to happen.

i watched the president, he says, it could have been worse. that goes down with, let them eat cake. americans believe it can be better. i have confidence in the future. i am not a pessimist. i have confidence in the future of americans. i have met people all over the country. what a thrill this is. i did not know i was going to run for president. i get to meet people. it makes me shore their future is bright. we are the most innovative people in the world. we still lead the world in productivity. odierno the average income of an american is 50% greater than the average income of a european? my confidence flows from the fact that we are a patriot act people. we love america. -- a patriotic people. we love america.

i want to tell you an experience that is one of my favorites. it was at the olympics. i had the chance to help organize the winter olympic games in 2002. what an experience that was. what a thrill. at the closing ceremonies, the vice president asked me if i would choose one athlete to sit with him in the president's box. i chose derrick. he is 5 foot 4 inches tall, hispanic, he is a roller blade. there are no olympic events in roller blading. he put on skates. he skated his heart at, crane, and found that he was fast. he worked at it, and became a member of the u.s. speedskating team. he got himself a silver medal and then a gold medal. the fastest man in the world on skates.

can you imagine being the best at anything in the entire world? i invited him to come into the president postbox. i said, derek, before you sit down, what was the most meaningful experience in the olympic games? it was not the silver medal, the gold medal, he said it was being honored to carry in the american flag that had flown above the world trade center into the opening ceremony. [applause] he said, he said, we had expected when it was announced that it was coming into the stadium that the audience would burst into tears. instead, total silence. complete reference. -- reverence. we stopped in front of the choir.

they perform the national anthem. it was hard holding on to my emotions while they were singing those words and i was holding that flag. then acquired it's something we did not expect. i knew it was coming. i got to choose the version of the national anthem they sang. i chose a version from a 1930's. you repeat the last line as a second time. the sopranos go up. o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. as they sang it, a gust of wind blew on the flag. it lifted it in our hands. it was as if the men and women who have sacrificed their lives had blown into that flag. he said the tears began running

down my face. as he told me that story, the tears welled in my eyes. the people of america love this country. we love the principles upon which it was founded. we are a free nation, an opportunity nation. we do not want to become like europe. we want to instill a confidence in the future. if i become your president, i will do everything in my power to restore those principles, not to transform america into something new, to bring america back to the principles that made us great. i love this country. i love the vision of the founders. i love the patriot dreams. i will do everything in my power to bring those dreams to reality. thank you so much. it is great to be with you. [applause]

hi, how are you guys? good to see it. how are you? are you friends? arguses this? all right. how are you? how are you? good to see. i appreciate you being here tonight. how are you doing, but it? good to see it. the front row. hey guys, how are you? i have a whole website that will describe my plan. i am giving a speech. hi, how are you? thank you for being here tonight. i will repeal obamacare. let's take responsibility again. hi, how are you? it is good to be back.

>> nice to see you. >> thank you so much. you are very kind. i will do it. thank you. i appreciate your being here. how are you? good to see it. thank you for being here? >> will you do me a favor? we lost a picture. we knew you back in michigan. ["eye of the tiger" playing] your dad was a mistake president. >> what a great guy. -- was at my state president. >> what a great guy. i am sorry for loss.

thank you. thank you. >> [inaudible] >> really? >> i took a picture of him at the world series. i cannot find it. it is very cool. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. hi, how are you? good to see you guys. how are you? [laughter] hi, how are you? good to see you. hi, how are you? good to see you.

♪ >> i told my son that you were here last time. this one here is for me. >> what is your name? >> [inaudible] you were in iowa last night. >> thank you for your help. hi, how are you? >> good. >> good to see you. [laughter] thank you. [indistinct chatter] whose is that? thank you. ♪

thank you. [indistinct chatter] whose is that? is that yours? hi, how are you? >> we went to high school. >> that is right. right off of woodward. thank you. thank you for that. thank you for being here. >> i think we have made up our minds. >> thank you. good to see it. thank you so much. hi, how are you? good to see you? >> how are you, sir? >> thank you. how are you? you are very kind. good to see you? good to see you.

how are you guys doing? thank you for coming by. >> to my wife get her picture with you? >> you bet. here we go. here we go. thank you. >> beat obama. >> we will do that. thank you. thank you. how are you? >> you were worried about

europe? >> hi, how are you? >> the question is -- >> i say what i believe. i have no idea where the votes are. >> can i get a picture really quick? thank you so much. >> thank you. you bet. >> what do you think? >> he is going to win. >> everybody hopes so. thank you so much. i appreciate your service.

thank you. how are you doing? good. good to see you. they are taking care of you? thank you so much for being here. thank you. >> that is okay. [indistinct chatter] >> thank you so much. how are you?

>> i was wondering if you could sign this for my son. thank you very much, sir. >> hi, how are you? good to see you.

>> thank you. >> thank you. ♪ [indistinct chatter] >> i got it. [cheers] >> i did not know she was going to do that. >> thank you. >> remember? >> all my business. i wish we had some -- oh my goodness.

i wish we had some tonight. thank you. thank you. how are you doing? great. >> thank you for signing my white's shirt. she liked that. >> that is a great picture. you would two hours late. you work two hours late -- were two hours late.

you were two hours later. it is hillary's fault. that is what she says. [laughter] good luck to you. [indistinct chatter] [laughter] >> how are you doing? good to see you. i appreciate your service. >> a navy seal right now. >> he served, i did not. >> i imagine it is tough going. >> thank you so much. good luck to you. >> thank you. thank you. >> thank you. >> wow. thank you. hi there. thank you. thank you. thank you. >> i grew up in a two rambler family. >> me too. [laughter] hi, how are you? >> we are counting on you. >> thank you. thank you. hi, how are you? >> hi. >> hi. you bet. hold on. [indistinct chatter] that works. that works. >> thank you so much. >> hi, how are you? good to see you. that works. >> it is your time. god bless you.

can i get a shot with the you? >> you have a camera? >> yes. i am a blessed man. >> hi there, how are you? thank you. >> mr. romney? >> thank you. that works. oh my goodness. isn't that something. you are married? >> yes i am, sir. we are depending on you. >> thank you. >> thank you.

>> thank you. that is okay. i have one. thank you. [indistinct chatter] thank you. thank you. thank you. >> [inaudible] my mom is a big fan. >> that is great. [indistinct chatter] thank you. thank you. thank you. >> [inaudible] >> thank you, you a very kind. -- are very kind. there we go.

thank you. >> good luck. >> thank you. >> we met a the years ago. >> good to see you. >> good to see you again. >> thank you. >> i cannot vote for you but if i could i would. [inaudible] good to see you. >> thank you. how are you? good to see you. >> i have a question for you. [inaudible] when did it start? what they going to do? -- are you going to do? [inaudible]

>> you are going to talk about the standard? >> silver. [inaudible] >> the funny thing about the gold standard -- they can and they did. >> we need to reestablish the situation. >> high. -- hi. [indistinct chatter] thank you. [indistinct chatter]

thank you. thank you so much. take care. >> thank you. >> i hope that works. [indistinct chatter] thank you. thank you. thank you. hi there. nice to see it. what is your name? -- see you. what is your name? [indistinct chatter] great.

[indistinct chatter] [indistinct chatter] [laughter] [indistinct chatter] >> of five people at home --

fire people at home? i cannot stand it. thank you. >> thank you. >> [inaudible] >> and will take a look. [indistinct chatter] thank you. >> [inaudible] that is my name. >> you are a guide. -- the guy.

that is amazing. [laughter] thank you. thank you so much. [indistinct chatter] [indistinct chatter] ♪ >> thank you.

>> [inaudible] i know that. [inaudible] thank you. >> thank you. thank you, i appreciate it. >> thank you. >> you a very kind. good to be here. thank you so much for that.

[laughter] you are a pro. how are you doing, but it? -- buddy? thank you. hi, how are you? really?

hey buddy. it did not think i'm going to dive for it. [laughter] do i not wish? thank you so much. good to see it. come back. i appreciate it very much. hi, how you? good to see it? >> my name is pilot. >> good to see it. -- tyler. >> good to see it. thank you. -- you. thank you. you bet. [indistinct chatter] that works. thank you. you bet. [indistinct chatter] hi, how are you? good to see you. >> [inaudible] >> you want me to do that? >> devin a? -- governor? >> it will be hard to sign like

that. >> thank you so much. we are working hard for you in des moines. >> thank you for all your work. thank you. usenet the photoperiod -- you snap the photo. thank you, i appreciate it. say hi to your wife. how are you? [laughter] thank you. good to see you. thank you. that works. thank you. thank you. [laughter] [indistinct chatter] >> you want me to turn around? >> that is pretty good.

you bet. >> ways surprised by that poll? -- were you surprised by that poll? >> i am just hoping to do well. hi, how are you? thanks. >> hi, governor. >> i hope that works. thank you. how are you? good to see you. >> it is a miracle. >> thank you. hi, how are you doing? [indistinct chatter] i did not know. >> good luck to you.

>> thank you. >> she is a of a little shy. >> good to see you. you are a beautiful girl. hi, how are you? >> [inaudible] >> good to be back. >> can i get a picture? i appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> that is good? >> oh, yeah. >> what is your name? what? [indistinct chatter] how are you doing? good to see it? good to see you guys? -- good to see you.

good to see you guys. how do we do that? i was due to appear. -- will scootch out of here. thank you so much. thank you. >> sorry. >> it is all right. [indistinct chatter] >> ready? >> there you go. >> let me get my cell. you good? all right. >> thank you. [indistinct chatter] thank you.

>> get in for a picture. [indistinct chatter] >> in good to see you. -- good to see you. thank you. [indistinct chatter] >> we got it. we got it. >> thank you. we have to get to des moines. we have to get going. thank you. thank you.

how are you? [indistinct chatter] ♪ ♪ [indistinct chatter] thank you.

thank you. thank you. ♪ >> we have to get going. sorry, guys. [indistinct chatter] >> west virginia. [inaudible] [indistinct chatter] [baby crying] >> thank you. >> you are my guide. -- guy. >> thank you. >> i know.

>> thank you. >> we are going to put you there. >> thank you. you are very kind. how are you doing? good to see you. >> we have to get running. >> merkel marijuana, what is your stand on it? >> i am not in favor. i am not in favor of the legalization of marijuana. hi. [indistinct chatter] -y-l-e? >> yep. thank you so much. >> good to see you. >> we will be covering the campaign every day leading up to

iowa is lucky. both of the leaders were willing to work with me. they did not want to hurt me. we are in different places politically. it is great to meet. >> thank you. >> have to go back around the area. >> we're going all around the state. i do not even know where i'm going next. >> good luck. >> thank you.

>> more campaign events to tell you about. mitt romney hold a campaign rally in des moines, i was. he is joined by new jersey gov. christie. that is just after 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span2. newt gingrich hold a town hall meeting in des moines. he is joined by frank lutz. then rick santorum will meet with voters.

this is also guarantees them. -- also here on c-span. republican presidential candidates rick perry met with voters at the blue strawberry coffee company. he called rick santorum a prolific career marker -- ear marker. be cut thank you. >> how're you? >> hi. >> our e? >> i am good. >> tomorrow we are having dinner, actually. hagar.

how're you? >> hello, it is a great pleasure to introduce a strong conservative who comes to us from a small farming community. he grew up on a cotton farm, participated in four-h, and earned the title of eagle scout. he has served the state of texas as governor for more than a decade. his home state has created more than 1 million jobs during his tenure as governor, even as america has lost jobs. please welcome america's jobs governor and a candidate for the republican nomination, rick perry. [applause] >> thank you. we were doing business over there, selling coffee. listen, to the blue strawberry folks, thank you for opening

this up. we are all about doing some economic development, so we are going to sell some coffee while we are in here too, and maybe a pastry or two. cathy, by the way, thank you for your work, your service and everything. in the brigadier-general is your summer. where are you? i want to say hello to him, a great air force veteran, a real aircraft commander. as a matter of fact, i am going to talk about our military men and women and our active duty folks in just a second. how many veterans are here? let me say, thank you for your

service. god bless you. we get to do this, we get to go out and speak up about our government -- from time to time, we can speak against our government. i do it on a pretty regular basis, as a matter of fact, and i think that is not a bad idea. men and women like you understood that when your country needed you, you put your hand out and said, here i am. send me. just like i say a, the old profit. that is what we are about here today. if you remember nothing else i say today, i want you to remember this question. why should you settle for anyone less than an authentic conservative to represent your values and your views without apology in washington, d.c.? why? you should not.

[applause] no apologies. let me tell you, what we believe then, our values -- i was just visiting with some folks earlier. i tell people, the washington i like is washington, iowa. we were in washington, iowa. somebody's values are going to get represented in government, and the question is going to be, whose values? is it going to be our values or somebody else's values? that is the question. why should you settle for anyone last -- anyone less than an authentic conservative? i have all the respect in the world for the men and women i am on the stage with, men and women who -- i truly have respect for

them. but if we replace a democrat insider with a republican insider, do you think washington is going to change? i am a limited government fiscal conservative, and i am in this campaign to give washington a complete overhaul. i am about going to washington, d.c. and taking a sledgehammer to it if that is what is required. you know, other campaigns are conservative. i do not get confused, but sometimes there records do not always match their rhetoric. i have great respect for senator santorum. i mean, we stand on the stage -- i play -- i pray for his daughter on a daily basis, and he is a good man. but when he talks about fiscal conservatism, i am left scratching my head. senator santorum is a prolific year marker. you know, i love iowa pork, but

i do not like washington pork. the washington port is what we have to watch out for. it will -- pork is what we have to watch out for. it will give you a stomach ache that will last for a long, long time. senator santorum loaded up his bills with all these earmarks. he even voted for the alaska bridge to nowhere. that one i have a really hard time with people explaining to me why. he said in 2009, he said, i have a lot of earmarks. in fact, he said, i am very proud of all the earmarks i put into the legislation. he said i will defend my remarks. well senator, i'm calling you out. defender earmarks -- defend your earmarks. i happen to think earmarks are the gateway drug to the spending problem we have in washington, d.c..

i happen to think that is what is wrong with washington, having this concept of earmarks, where you do not even debate them. you just take them on. as the president of the united states, i do not care if you are a democrat or republican, you send me a bill with earmarks, it is going to get vetoed. they are dead on arrival. washington, d.c. insiders are not going to be the ones to fix this country. they're the ones that broke this country. and they're not going to be the ones that fix it. it is going to take an outsider. washington -- you know, think about what happened. washington went into complete meltdown when they had this debt ceiling conversation -- which is all it was. as best i can tell there were no negotiations. the president left unsaid here, put your super committee and to place. i think there were very few who thought the super committee would do anything except failed. then the result was that over

half a trillion dollars worth of cuts to our united states military. and then we got the president back asking for 1.2 trillion dollars to raise the debt ceiling another 1.2 trillion dollars. it is so broken that we have to send an outsider to washington, d.c., an outsider that is not tainted with any of the historic things that have gone on there, not an insider from wall street. you see this corruption between washington, d.c. and wall street. you know, leadership is not about raising the debt ceiling and putting it on the back of our children. leadership is about standing up, looking the american people in the eye, and saying here is where we're going to reduce spending. telling the american people look, social security is broken. for those of you approaching social security age, it is going to be there for you, but we need a president who says we

are going to fix these things. we're not going to keep printing money we do not have been devaluing the dollars you have in your pocket. the insiders that have been there are not going to fix it. a look at the members of congress or former members of congress better on the stage with me. 63 years of collective searches -- that are on the stage with me. 63 years of collective service. there is a governor on the stage to have signed six balanced budgets, who has cut spending, who has made the kind of hard decisions on the spending side that they are going to have to have in washington, d.c. working with private sector business leaders to create a business friendly climate. i will put texas up against any state in the country when it comes to job creation. there are some 1300 people a

day on the average that come into the state of texas. i tell people, i said, they're not coming there in august because of the great weather. [laughter] they're coming because they know that there is a land of opportunity still in this country. we were talking about states competing with each other. terry understands that lowering or eliminating personal income tax in iowa is one way to make iowa are more competitive state. illinois, right across the river, they raised their personal income tax rate by 66%. that is a target-rich environment over there. terry and his legislature -- governors across the country competing with each other is the way our founding fathers saw the formation of america. the need to get back to that.

our conservative values -- and i suggest to you that as our constitution was written, they were pretty conservative in the ways they were looking at washington, d.c. they wanted to limit the powers of federal government. think of what they had been through. they had this faraway government telling them how to live their lives. they were being taxed without representation. all of the pressure of this faraway government. sounds familiar, doesn't it? and they put their names, their treasure, their lives, literally on the line when they signed that declaration of independence. and then they developed the constitution ever number of years, and they debated it greatly. and i would suggest it is a conservative document, because they wanted to limit the federal government to a few

enumerated powers like the military, defending in securing the borders of the country. that would be a good thing for the federal government to do right now? something your actually constitutionally supposed to do. they got down to the bill of rights and they talked about the 10th amendment, the powers delegated to the united states by the constitution are prohibited to it by the state's or reserve for the state's, respectfully, to the people. that is so simplistic but so elegant. it talks about having the states be the laboratories of innovation. if you want to educate your children in a particular way or deliver health care in a particular way or the build trans per station infrastructure in a particular

way -- or build transportation infrastructure and a particular way, you choose what is best for your state, and states will compete against each other. people will move to where they're most comfortable. that is what our founding fathers offer this country, and i will suggest to you we are almost 180 degrees away from that, with washington trying to blackmail you with your own money on how to educate your own children, with obama care saying here is how health care will be delivered in america. that, i would suggest to you, is unconstitutional, and i'm pretty sure it is american. -- un-american. [applause] i am asking for your vote, and i want you to vote your conservative values. that is what this caucus process for the republican nomination, i think, is about.

the values i learned were on a small farm, just like all these little small towns we have been through. they remind me so much of the little town i grew up in, hard- working men and women, mostly agriculture oriented either directly or indirectly. they're just good people that believe in the american dream. they believe in the sacrifices of those that came before them have done. my father was a be-17 tail gunner in 1944. he flew 35 missions over nazi germany, and by the grace of god did not get a scratch on him. he wanted to serve his country, come home and live in peace, farm that little piece of land out on the edge of haskell county.

that is what he did. and he taught his son about the values that he had learned and the importance of serving your country. it frustrates me greatly, having been a pilot in the air force and the commander in chief of the texas guard, who have been deployed multiple times to our theaters of operation. it frustrates me greatly that as we come home from one of those theaters, that our government, this is ministration, refuses to give them the simple acknowledgement of the job well done with a parade down main street of washington, d.c. or new york city. they gave their all, some

everything. some gave their today is for our tomorrows. when i am the president of united states and our men and women come home from a combat theater, not only will we have a parade, but the president of united states will be there to welcome them home and to say thank you for a job well done. i will share with you one other thing. we will keep america strong, economically, so that we can be strong and preserve the peace, not just in this country, but in the world. america is a begin, and i -- a pecan -- beacon, and i think that we have lost our brightness. we have lost our cluster in the eyes of other countries. partly because of a foreign

policy that has been so model by this president over the last three years, a president that has gone around the world and apologize for america, said the we are not an exceptional nation. i beg to differ with you, mr. obama. america is an exceptional nation and it will continue to be an exceptional nation. we must devote ourselves to getting this economy back going. i understand how to do that. you keep taxes low, the regulatory climate fair and predictable, you get government regulations out of people's hair, freedom from the costs of these -- i mean, trillions of dollars of costs. this coffee shop right here, i guarantee you, has epa, department of labor regulations that do not make the coffee a

bit better or safer, or those employees ever -- any safer, but they have to comply with them. we regulations strangling our banks. we have regulations coming out of the epa that are killing jobs and we have a president that will not build a pipeline from canada to the united states. build a pipeline. create the jobs. prius up from those sources of energy. -- free us up from those sources of energy. give us the freedom from having to buy our oil from people like hugo chávez. this is what it is about, mr. president. it is about farina's from dependence on sources of energy from -- freeing us from dependence on sources of energy from countries that do not like us. america's future is what we're talking about, and our country is calling us.

this election is not about me. this election is about our children, our grandchildren, and they are waiting. they're waiting for us to answer if we're going to participate, if we're going to call. i think about the prophet isaiah and when god was asking, whom shall i send? who will go for us? isaiah said, here and my. send me. this is your country, and your country is calling. your children are waiting for the answer. how many of you are willing to put your hand up and say, here am i? send me. here is my packed with you. you go tuesday and you caucus for me, and you have my back

now matter what the weather is or how far you have to go, you have my back on the third of january and i will have your back in washington, d.c. for the next four years. but bless you. thank you so much for coming out and being with us. i'm going to answer a few questions if that is all right, in the crowd, iowa tradition. it is awesome to be here, by the way. yes, sir. >> please explain your criticism of the supreme court decision in lawrence the texas. >> his question is how do i defend my criticism of lyndon convicted -- defend my criticism

of limited government and then criticize lawrence versus texas. i do not dislike government. i just want government to work. we have a federal government that is out of control. i wish i could tell you i knew every supreme court case. i do not. i am not a lawyer. but here is what i do know. i know they are spending too much money in washington, d.c.. $15 trillion worth of debt is on the back of that young man right there. if we do not go in and cut the size of government, court cases are not going to make one tinkered tag. that is the issue.

we can sit here and play i got you questions about one supreme court case or another, but the issue is spending in washington, d.c. the issue is, are we going to have a president of the united states that put strict constructionists on the court and say, i cannot find anything in the constitution about prayer in school, about educating our children, about how to deliver health care? that is what we need is the simplicity of a president who will go and know what he believes and and will stand up for the people that are out here busting their jobs every day to live the american dream and we cannot because we have a president and congress that are out of touch with the american people. i believe we need to have a president that balances the budget of the united states

constitution and also makes an amendment to have a part-time congress. send them back home. let them pay their own -- have a job and work a job like everybody else does. >> have you propose to pay down the national debt? >> it is $15 trillion in growing. you grow your way out of it, for one thing. that may mean that you're going to cut the tax burden. i'm going to recommend you go to my web site and look at our 20% flat tax plan. simplify it. you get to keep more of your money, but more importantly, the of the confidence that you can risk your capital, hire the people, create the jobs which in turn create more money to go

into the federal budgetary process and take those resources to pay the debt down. another way we can pay the debt down which makes much sense to me is to open up our federal land and waters for exploration. we are only producing about 8% of our proven federal reserves. there are trillions of cubic metric feet of gas in some of these fields, billions of barrels of oil. that money ought to go straight toward paying down the debt. but the easiest and best way to do it is to get the burden off of the job creators in this country from the standpoint of taxation and regulation. that is what is killing us, the job creators and the entrepreneurial spirit and environment. that is what we did in texas.

we have a tax burden that is as light as it can be on the job creators and still allows the state services to be delivered. we ever regulatory climate that is fair and predictable, and we pass the most sweeping tort reform in the nation. it is a simple model, but it works. i think simplicity is what has been missing in washington for so long. >> what we do about the degradation of our religious freedoms? >> she asked what i would do to stop the degradation of our religious freedoms. i think this president has a war against religion going on. i show a couple of examples. one of them is that this department of justice is going after churches from the standpoint of -- it is called a

ministerial exception. historically, because someone's values at the church could not be used against them in terms of hiring or firing someone. this justice department is going after churches and basically taking that ministerial alliance away. if that is not a war on religion, i do not know what is. catholic charities, which are using dollars to give comfort and to aid and to assist individuals who have been sexually trafficked, and this administration is not allowing dollars to flow towards them because they refuse to do abortions. that is, in my opinion, an attack directly against the catholic churches values. the president of the united states -- i will tell you one thing. i will tell you one thing my department of justice will not be doing. it will not be going into state's ensuing states for what

they have the right to do. -- and suing states for what they have the sovereign right to do. [applause] >> [inaudible] >> she asked a question of what i would do to get congress to work together and the president to work together. for 11 years i have been the governor of the seven most populous state. there is a substantial -- second most populous state. there is a substantial number of democrats in our legislative body. i have experience getting men and women who do not always see eye to eye -- and you have got to be engaged. i mean, you have to be involved in the process on a regular basis.

of the six balanced budget i have signed, i know for a fact that there was not the time that myself, physically, or staff was not in meetings as we were going through the appropriations process. [laughter] there are two things you will not see me doing. you will not see me playing golf on sunday morning and you will not see me on a 19 day holiday in hawaii. [applause] >> i am confused. when obama became president, it seems to me he acquired quite a bit of debt to deal with. can you tell me how much that

was and where it came from? >> yes, ma'am. he inherited a bad situation. he just happened to make it a lot worse. [applause] the debt was from things like car, $800 billion to bail out wall street -- like tarp, $800 billion to bail out wall street banks. i know where you're going with this, and i appreciated. republicans for spending money like democrats. that is one of the problems. that is my point. that is the reason i make the statement, if you want to change washington, d.c., you're going to be hard pressed to pick one of these insiders who has been there for however many years they have been there. you need an outsider who will walk into washington, d.c., who has the courage to say we are not going to keep going like

this. palau your expensive veto pen -- pull out your expensive a veto pen. and at that point, you can say, that guy says -- does what he says he is going to do. >> what percentage of the debt is domestic? >> i cannot answer that, but i can tell you desk, are you better off today than you were $four trillion ago? >> this republican congress has been very frustrating. >> nobody has been more frustrated than i have. >> i do not understand that. i would like to see everybody worked together, and i do not see that. >> if working together is continuing to do what they have done for the last 10 years, i

am not for that. listen, i am for going in and overhauling washington, d.c. i'm for traveling all over this country and using whatever political capital unite -- you and i can put together to pass an amendment to the constitution. is this your daughter? her future not going to be as good as your future. are we going to go back with insiders or are we going to let somebody who actually has a record of balancing budgets, of creating an economic climate that is second to none anywhere in this country be the president of the united states and support that individual when they come to iowa to pass a balanced budget amendment and to pass a constitutional amendment that makes congress a part-time body. i'm telling you, you cut their

pay, cut their staff, cut their time in washington, d.c., allow them to have a job back here in the district where they are spending time with you and live under the laws that they pass, that will have as big an impact on washington, d.c. as anything we can do. i mean that, the sooner rather than later. last question, -- i need that coffee sooner rather than later. last question. >> the leading candidate right now is another legacy candidate, a politician's son. >> i do not know where you're going with this. i do not know about that.

go ahead, i did not mean to interrupt you. >> we had the bush dynasty, the clinton dynasty, and now the romney dynasty. can you bring something different than that? >> i have always been pro-life, pro-traditional marriage. i have always been a fiscal conservative. i have never been for global warming. but let me say, in defense of, i think public service is an honorable thing. i think men and women, whether you are serving on the police force, city council, mayor, a state representative, governor of the state, i think iowans were very, very wise to bring

back an excellent governor in the form of terry branstad to let him serve again and get this state back on track economically. i'm glad he gave me the opportunity to reflect my differences with mitt romney, but i do not have a problem with someone whose father was in the political arena as well. i think there is great honor. i think we need to always hold them accountable. that is where we as citizens really have -- that is you. that is you. that is all of us. we have to do this. if we want our country back. if we want our children's future to be one that we are proud for them to have, this election is what it is about. four more years of this president and his socialist view of this country, his nationalized or socialized

medicine, will destroy our country. i truly believe that with all my heart. if i did not, i would be sitting back in austin, texas, governing the state i love. but i care about this country. and doing our duty when we are called is what american is all about. you have been called. it is our time to take this country back. god bless you. thank you for coming out and being with us. have my back on tuesday and i'll have your back for the next four years in washington, d.c. [applause] i am going to go right down through there and get it.

i am going to jump in. >> you have my vote. >> thank you. [inaudible] >> i appreciate you being here. >> good luck to you. >> you understand. >> thank you for being here. god bless you. thank you.

i appreciate it. get it in there. thank you. this will be his first election. he will be 18. >> ok's. >> nice to meet you. >> i hope i have your vote. thanks. thank you, buddy. >> let's have a shot with you real quick. the mind? -- do you mind? thank you very much, sir.

[inaudible] >> thank you so much for taking my question. >> this lady here wants his signature. sure. >> i appreciate you being here. >> we have your back. [inaudible] [indistinct chatter] >> god bless you. get in here. >> god bless you.

>> thank you very much. thank you for coming. [indistinct chatter] >> a couple times a day. [indistinct chatter] [indistinct chatter] >> and just wear them every day.

>> i think i explained that. >> it was very clear. [indistinct chatter] >> he is not taking any questions. [indistinct chatter] >> got to go. [inaudible] >> thank you so much, governor. good luck.

thank you. >> thank you. [indistinct chatter] >> how are you? [inaudible] [indistinct chatter] [inaudible] [laughter]

[inaudible] >> of was talking to the radio guy. [laughter] >> thank you for being here. i believe in you, rick perry. >> thank you for coming. thank you. >> sir? [laughter] [inaudible] [inaudible] >> thank you.

[inaudible] [inaudible] >> how the heck are you? here. one more. >> she is probably in the air coming here write them. -- right now.

let your little brother in there. [inaudible] sure. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> thank him. >> thank you. >> ok. just give it to my guys. thank you all. >> can i get a quick photo? >> sure. thank you. thank you, ladies. [inaudible] hey, buddy. yep. see you later.

>> governor? >> here we go. >> thank you, sir. >> where do you want that? [inaudible] all different ways. that way they get to pick. >> thank you very much. good luck to you governor. >> we will be out there in a second. you got it. >> thank you so much.

[inaudible] >> with the iowa caucuses tuesday, and january 3, our cameras are all in the candidates threat the state. every morning, a political guests are taking your calls on our "washington journal" program. you can also stay up-to-date with our web site, with new features, including candidates on the trail. candidates on the issues but to see what the candidates have said on issues important to you. at social media, read what the candidates, political reporters,

and people like you are saying, all at c-span.org/campaign2012. >> we will continue our look at the iowa caucuses on tomorrow's "washington journal." we will talk with chuck grassley. we will also get the democratic party's perspective. but be right back joins us -- r.t. ryback joins us. later, dave swenson is our guest. each morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. ♪ >> with the iowa caucuses next week in the primaries later in the month, c-span's series "the

contenders" looks back at 14 candidates who ran for president but lost. friday, four-time governor george wallace. on saturday, george mcgovern, followed by ross perot. "the contenders" every night at 10:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> now we will hear from presidential candidates michele bachmann -- she was on the radio show in des moines. she talked about foreign policy and the departure of her iowa campaign chairman. this is about 50 minutes. >> thank you for joining us this morning. we have ron paul coming in a little bit later, and we get a chance to talk with you here this morning. did you park the edsel out front? >> yes, we did, and it is of u.d..

>> in her biography, she actually admits and seems to be proud of that her family owned an edsel station wagon when you were a kid. >> it was huge. it had great horsepower. it was lime green, 1959 edsel station wagon. i don't think there was another one made like it across the country. we drove from waterloo to my uncle's farm and my dad would go full out. we would say faster, faster. they would get it up to about 90, and we were so excited. >> there is no statute of limitations for a speeding ticket. [laughter] you have had a busy last several days. you have been all over the place. >> we are on our 99-county toward here in iowa. we were in boone county and

before that -- we did 11 counties yesterday. >> no one could keep this schedule straight. you guys are all amazing. >> we will finish your final four counties today. it is one of the best decisions we have made. it is taxing to do 10 counties a day, but we started the day after the sioux city debate, the fox debate. the next morning we started our tour ended about 10 counties every day. we have been all over iowa. it has just been electric. the best way to campaign, going everyplace from the dinky cafe, where we have just been. >> i have not heard of that one. >> it is not a chain, but it was packed to the gills, and we had a ball.

>> i have to get the internal political stuff out of the way. your campaign has been experiencing a little turmoil because you lost one of your supporters who abandoned ship to the ron paul campaign. what is going on with that? >> what happened is that the ron paul campaign had contacted one of the people on our campaign and offered the money to come to their campaign, and he went, pure and simple. that is what it was. >> that is unusual this late in the game. >> i would think so, but it was a financial decision, and it was made. he said it was a great deal of money, and he said he had to provide for his family, and that was the decision that was made. >> the downside, he left you with brad.

[laughter] >> after the sioux city debate -- that is where i went after ron paul on the issue of iran having a nuclear weapon, and it is no question that there is a desperate difference between every candidate and ron paul. ron paul is unwilling to stand up for the united states when it comes to dealing with a nuclear iran. >> you guys were arguing over questions of fact, of whether or not. -- >> the international atomic energy agency issued a report in november that said it ron was perilously close to having the technology for nuclear weapon. we deal with the nation's classified secrets. >> we have ways of making you talk. >> no, you don't. [laughter]

>> we have a number of baptists who know how to use waterboarding. [laughter] >> there is a clear reports that evidence is that iran is perilously close to having a nuclear weapon, and ron paul was essentially denying that the report exists. he said the report was not worth anything later, but the whole point is that ron paul would be a very dangerous precedent for the united states, because of his frightening views on foreign policy. after that debate, it was almost like an electric light switch went on across i will. we begin our tour there in that area, and the next day, that is all people wanted to talk about. we saw people on the spot. huge momentum. people were saying, i am switching to you to support for president, not ron paul.

we have seen this for the last week and a half. people have been coming my way. the momentum shifted dramatically away from ron paul to my campaign. i think that is what led to this disruption in my campaign, where the calls were made and they hired somebody away. >> this is not just an academic question. even as we speak, iran is threatening to close the strait of hormuz. >> they are doing military training exercises. >> they have threatened to shut it down and blockade. >> this is why this is so serious, for all of the listeners at who. when iran gains a nuclear weapon, if it happens, they will have the capacity to decide who the customers for oil will be, and what the price will be, and they will hold the world hostage. this is something that cannot happen.

>> what do you think needs to be done? what are the action steps that michelle -- michele bachmann would take? >> we need to equip israel, sell them the refueling tankers they require, the jet fighter they require. >> feeling tankers for what? >> for the aircraft that is needed, to be able to go to war, if they need to, with iran. israel is very vulnerable right now. iran has stated, unequivocally, once they obtain a nuclear weapon, they will use it to wipe israel off the face of the earth. just pause for a moment and think about what that would mean for the world, if we will cut and found out that a nation was the lager here, that it had been taken down by a nuclear weapon, our ally israel. imagine if they have that

capacity and using that against the united states of america. this is not an academic question. the president in iran has stated, as recently as august of this year, and september, when he came to the un general assembly, that they would use a nuclear weapon against israel, that they needed to be eradicated from the face of the earth. if i was commander in chief, i would not be willing to wait for an american city to be obliterated by a nuclear weapon, killing millions of americans, to respond to iran. that is what ron paul would do. he would wait until after we are attacked before responding. i would not. as commander in chief, i would do everything in my power to make sure that never happens. >> michele bachmann is here in the studio.

we will continue the conversation during the break for our local callers. we have people joining us from all over the country. 800-469-4295 is our toll-free line. you are welcome to join us in a moment. >> my screens went down. >> we are still able to communicate here. you cannot be the way you normally are, because of these people here with cameras and microphones. you have to guard your language. >> my screen went down. got it. >> i do not like to waste time.

the c-span audience is participating as well. ross, can we take calls from listeners from c-span? we will do that. let's go to dallas. jonathan, good morning. what is on your mind? >> thank you for having me on, first of all. i want to congratulate michele bachmann for being the strongest female in the republican race, by far. i think she is fantastic. ron paul is unelectable, with comments like we cannot build a fence on the border, because that would not keep people -- keep people from coming in, it would keep us from leaving. michele bachmann is up against not only the other candidates, but up against president obama, who has facebook, twitter, google, and youtube in its back pocket.

i believe that helped him win the last election. no president should have the monopoly of those companies in their back pocket. not republican or democrat. i wanted to know what you think about that. >> i absolutely agree, jonathan. we have seen, whether it is the head of facebook or google, it is clear there is an alliance with the obama administration, as well as with nbc. i think that is very concerning. we do want to have a separation between the media and an administration, whether republican or democrat. we know there is no such thing as a complete lack of bias in the media, but we would like to think there is some level of objectivity. this is a crucial race. in my opinion, this is america's last chance to regain our constitutional underpinnings

and get us back on the right road. the reason i say that, this is the only chance we will have to get rid of obamacare. it is the law of the land today. socialized medicine is the law of the land. only a 34% approval rating. >> let me ask you about that. this is what propelled your first few months in the candidacy. this is why the tea party latched on to you vicos you said obamacare is the number one issue. 80% of the public said, we do not want this. we are going to regroup in a moment. and we are rejoining our audience right now. ♪

are was just asking about the fire but the initial part of her candidacy was propelled by obamacare. the tea party adopted new early, and the political thrust on the american people despite 80% approval. other candidates came into the race after got, and to some degree your support has softened. we have been playing musical chairs with candidates, but to what degree is the issue still important? you are still high lighting. >> always. we finished the 95th county last night. in every single town hall meeting we do, people resonate with issue of getting rid of

obamacare. it is widely unpopular. it is not just republicans. it is independents and democrats. they do not want the united states to be the land of socialism, and the crown jewel of socialism is socialized medicine. government controls you when they control health care. we have to get rid of this. we are broke. obamacare will cost trillions of dollars we do not have, and it is going to be a 15-appointed board that will be making all of our health care decisions for us. 15 people will make major health-care decisions. i am unwilling to see the united states lose that.

>> a number of people invited political candidates to sign on for a pledge to embrace those principles. newt gingrich has been highlighting this. did you sign the pledge as well? >> i did. i signed that. >> the only one who has not i think is mitt romney, and yesterday conway was talking with mitt romney, and mitt romney aide said he did not know what it was triggered is that -- mitt romney, and he did not know what it was. is that remotely possible? >> i have no way of knowing. >> he has been asked over and over to sign it. >> we were happy to do it. i signed the pledge, and i was delighted to because i am a private businesswoman, and i

know in my own company if we did not continually change, we would be out of business. that is the essence of this pledge. >> can that be applied to the government? >> i intend to. i think all of us recognize the federal government is bloated beyond impossible recognition. it has got to come down in size, because when you have a government but spends 3.7 trillion dollars a year but it only has 2.2 trillion dollars in revenue with us and greeted with a deficit of 1.5 trillion, that means you are broke. no business could act like that. this is not monopoly money. this is real money, and the sad reality is our kids are going to be having to hold two or

three jobs in the future just to keep this ship going, and this is going to mean a reduced standard of living for our generation. i am unwilling to do that. >> you have expertise in tax policy, and you also have expertise in the immigration issue. this is one of your strong campaign point. i do not like to do this normally, but i have been playing sound bites from candidates. this has become my rishaad test -- rorshaak test. alan greenspan has written of books, and he was talking about policy on immigration. we usually talk about out of control stuff on the southern border, and he is talking about

skilled workers, encouraging skilled labor to come into the country, and i want you to hear why he wants this to occur. >> one of the most controversial things i have gotten into a book is to augment immigration of skilled labor. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

the new leader is quite young, but not as young as some western analysts expected. >> what were some of the things you were thinking of? at things the changing better or

moving to more progress and a more democratic north korea? >> in 2009, at they try to give people a better living conditions. at that time, the leader realized that the country needed to change. he met with challenges. the new leader will make more progress with the reform and try it more, probably with great courage and caution. we will wait and see. >> the changes, of course, are not just the changes that you

mention, but also changes perhaps in the mood to make the korean peninsula a safer place. >> the korean peninsula has a lot of challenges. we hope that in the future this place will transition to peace. >> that is the hope of people watching what has been going on in the country. especially now at this pivotal time with a new leader about to assume office. >> that most countries are

hoping for stability. >> we can get a view of the outside of the palace where kim jong il road be laid to rest. -- kim young elil will be laid o rest. >> we can see that people are gathering together. they are wearing close to the

respect to the late leader. -- clothes to pay respect to the late leader. >> everybody still wears at the badge of his father promote -- of his father. i think maybe there are several different badges being produced. >> people want to show their respect. after all these years, this country has developed its own ways. >> what is going on in other parts of the country?

i guess there are people outside, too. we are watching the final scenes of the farewell ceremony outside the memorial palace in p'yongyang. is this happening in other centers of the country? >> there are organized ceremonies to the fallen leader. >> kim jong un, the successor to his father, kim john il. that is the final salute. >> the final salute.

>> there have been a number of military salutes for kim john il. it appears we are at the final point of the fire world ceremony -- farewell ceremony. >> [unintelligible]

i suppose the people in this country have been preparing for this. everything is moving on track. very organized. >> yes, indeed. of course, the most somber moment -- it is as if the mood has changed here. kim jong un looking up to acknowledge the military and giving his salute.

it is a beginning right now. >> yes, a beginning. >> a young man who is not even 30-years old. the survival of the people rest on his shoulders. people are hoping that because korean peninsula can become a better place and the tension can be reduced. at >> the people believe -- hope it will lead the country in a new direction. >> we did have an education

outside in western countries. he is very well aware of what is going on outside. >> it is helpful for the country. >> we have been watching the final moments of the farewell ceremony for kim jong il in p'yongyang today. we have been speaking with someone from the china institute of international studies. if we can just ask one question of you because we have been talking about the aspirations

for the future and whether we have reached that point for change that the hopes and aspirations of the people -- what about pete future of relations -- what about the future of relations between the north and south? we are playing a waiting game here. >> in 2008, the two countries have been in a very difficult situation. the relationship has been quite tense. the neighboring countries are worried about the situation. i suppose in the future at the outside world will pay great attention and the two countries will be very careful in dealing with their relationships.

i believe that in the rok, there are some debates in the leadership i hope in the future the results will be a better. >> many thanks for that. you are watching cctv news and our special coverage of the final ceremony for kim johg il. -- kim jong il. a chinese border city where many people have gathered to mourn. more than 50 people working in

the northeast province crowded into a local restaurant to watch dprk. mortars above bought bouquets and -- mourners brought bouquets and wreaths. chinese police only allowed staff and mortars to go inside the office compound. >> of the iowa republican caucuses are poor days away. up next, gop candidate, congressman ron paul. we would get an update on campaign news on this morning's "washington journal." >> with the iowa caucuses next

week in new hampshire, south carolina, and florida primaries later next month, "the contenders" looks back at 14 people who ran for president but lost. tonight, 14th governor of alabama, george wallace. saturday, george mcgovern followed by billionaire businessman ross perot. "the contenders" every night at 10:00 eastern on c-span. >> and now we will hear from presidential candidate ron paul. the congressmen was on a radio show in the morning earlier. this is about 55 minutes. -- in des moines earlier. this is about 55 minutes. >> good morning, doc. your seat is already warmed up. thank you for coming. make yourself comfortable. ok.

you time that exactly right. >> guess which book you got me to read? "currency wars." puts it into context. >> ok. welcome back to the conversation. i am jan mickelson and we're simulcasting with c-span this morning. congressman ron paul has just joined us in the studio. you're used to the cameras. people are following you around and scribbling down every single morsel that you say, as if you will say something new after 25 years. >> every single morsel i eat. >> you are the perceived frontrunner and they are coming after you big time. you are the guy at the top.

>> they have been looking for the flip-flops and searching and searching. >> if you could provide them some flip-flop this morning to give them something to work with. >> i was indecisive today -- should i exercise indoors or outdoors? >> we will be in the 50's here today. usually we are down in the teens, lower 30's on a good day. that will give an advantage to mitt romney, according to the talking heads. if there was a blizzard, you guys would take it away. your people are much more

motivated. >> people in the media must be desperate if the temperature will determine the future of the world. maybe there's a little bit of truth to that. i hope people are more serious about how they make their decisions. >> i would like to think that, too. you said that you read a book. >> "currency wars." >> he is a good economist and that is a good book. do you agree with the assessment? >> this is probably a more significant issue them world war ii-type fighting. the battles are economic. i have complained about us

spending ourselves into such great debt. the chinese are buying up resources. but then the competition starts. there is a great potential for a trade war and the currency war. it has offended the chinese. it would all be solved with an international standard of money. you could not have currency wars. you would need the integrity of countries are obeying the rules of something of real value and you would not have this going on. this looks like for the real wars are going to go. the likelihood of someone militarily attacking us -- we are so powerful. our military is so strong. i fear the financial timebomb

that we're sitting on. the dollar is holding up right now. if push comes to shove, which could be brought down for financial reasons. we were able to contain the soviets. they were brought down by economic reasons. >> you have some of these protesters banging on the windows. >> i did not hear that. >> they did this to mitt romney's office. they are vowing to make a ruckus and disrupt the caucasus. it would be sad if they did. there are only about 25 of them. they are trying to occupy your office.

>> last week we had a rally and there were occupiers there. there was no ruckus and afterwards i shook their hands. an open view point about the constitution and attacking some of the things that they do not like. they do not like the bailout, and i do not like the bailout. there are some things we can agree on. they don't trust government anymore. the tea party movement and occupy movements are motivated for differen5t

reasons. >> it looks like if we were in the currency wars, you would have won. people have evaluated your portfolio. you are one of the few members of congress that refused to take a congressional retirement. the reason why you did that? >> i consider it unfair. i was complaining about the problems on wall street and they offered me the pension fund and it seemed like to big of a boondoggle. so i turned it down. >> you are up 547%. that is better than warren buffett. 547% over last 10 years. >> i don't know if i want my wife to know that.

>> you put your money where your mouth is. you invested in gold and hard- currency. >> every once in awhile, gold will not go anywhere and stocks will go up. "just think of what you missed out on." the stock market boomed for a while and then it went down. i decided that the dollar would be devalued after it was delinked from gold. i started the investments in 1971. gold was $35 an ounce.

>> gold is about $1,600 an ounce. the president wants another $1 trillion. is he likely to get it? >> there is no resistance. all he has to do is make a request. they have to act and turn him down. he asked for it during a recess. if they do not respond -- that is something. i believe he will get it. that was part of the grand compromise to have this super committee. it looks like a super sneak attack on the american people. it automatically raises the debt limit. >> we have lots of folks who want to get in on this conversation. your organization, they are legion and they are active. they are not casual observers.

sometimes you have to calm them down. a lot of folks would like in on this conversation. you have detractors. they used to ignore you and hope you would go away. now they are digging into your history and wondering -- "what did he say back in those old times?" we have lots of people that want to get in on the conversation and we're simulcasting with c-span and will continue in a moment. so what we do -- ok. i'm sorry. we're on c-span and so we'll continue talking through the commercial breaks and we can take listener calls from all

over the country. we do not want to waste anybody's time. tried to control your language. we're broadcasting live on c- span and thank you for your patience. c-span has been gracious in allowing us to do this. we can communicate with our audience and take calls. i hate dead air. everybody else does, too. this is from wisconsin. good morning. dr. paul is listening. >> i love you. >> are you talking to me? >> everyone. >> do you have a question? >> i just wanted to say i love you. big hug from wisconsin.

>> this is sam. a lot of americans going for job interviews are often asked to answer this question. i like to have to answer it. what is your greatest weakness? >> i think my greatest weakness is my ability to deliver a message smoothly. i am so convinced about the message of liberty. i think i can always improve on my delivery. that is what i work on. i get by. i think it is the strength of the message and what the constitution says and what america is all about. that is where my strength is but i could always do better. >> you talk about that message.

you are filling a college campus auditoriums with the next generation. some of the most ardent supporters are college kids. >> i have not quite figured that out. the answer is not always the same. you like the constitution and we like people to stand on principle. we like the issue on the money. so many students are interested in money politics. the foreign policy attracts young people. that strikes their fancy. they realize what terrible shape we're in. they could end up paying a lot of money into social security.

i offer a different solution to that. how we can take care of that and allow people to get out of that. they are attracted to free- market economics. i try to connect economic liberties with a personal liberties. to keep the fruits of your labor is attractive, especially to young people. they are seeing the failure of the government. >> michele bachmann said you energy are on the same page when it comes to economics. you part on foreign policy issues, legalizing heroin.

i had a lady called me -- let's rejoin the audience. ♪ right back to the conversation. we're talking about legalization of drugs and you would be pro-abortion as a president. a lady has called me. these are perceptions that exist. weree a physician and you an abortionist. that is what a lady told me yesterday. i pointed out in reading the first chapter of one of your books, you are one of the most pro-life candidates that i've come across.

how did those perceptions come across? this lady was convinced it was true. >> she doesn't know me. i wrote a whole book on the abortion issue. i have one bill that would repeal roe versus wade with a majority vote. remove the jurisdiction of the abortion issue from the federal government, and i do not get a lot of support for that. if iowa has a pro-life state, it could not be appealed to the supreme court. when we have the majority in the congress, they could've done it by majority vote and this could have been done 10 years ago. think how many millions and millions of abortions could

have been prevented. >> there are two levels to what one caller just said. you were writing 20 years ago there were fixes and jurors that didn't require a constitutional amendment. you are way ahead of the curve on that. people are still saying that roe versus wade is the law of the land. it is not, is it? >> it can be reversed. it is now part of the constitution. >> and courts do not make laws. >> it should never have gone to the supreme court. you can do this, this, and this -- it does not meet muster as far as the constitution is concerned.

>> have you expressed a willingness to sign on to the personhood amendments? >> i did with qualifications. i wrote some of the exceptions. i do not want the 14th amendment to repeal the ninth amendment. im still much in favor -- support the definition of personhood. i think the states should deal with this like a deal with all acts of violence. >> your critique is that it is an act of violence. does the preborn have a moral status? should it have legal status?

>> it does. there shouldn't be any question about that. if a woman becomes pregnant and the father dies, is still has inheritance rights. if it weren't comes to see me in the first month or two or 3, and i'm taking care of her and i give for a medication that is detrimental, i can get sued for this. it is legal. they want to turn it around and they will throw to me as a libertarian. i am libertarian on personal behavior. they say, "why would you get involved with a woman in her rights to abort a fetus?" the fetus has a right to choice, too.

there are two lives involved that are interconnected. our homes were our castles. why don't we just kill the baby? i say life is precious to take a human being and deserves protection. there are some difficulties and this is why i think the founders were right in making this a state issue. >> i did not mean to go on to this particular issue and park it here. au're still an intern,

resident. the book says you were a resident. >> i was a resident at that time. >> you're visiting a surgical suite and a fetus was placed in a bucket and was struggling to breathe and soon the baby stop crying. that moment helped to define your world. >> abortion never came up in medical school. that occurred after 1965. >> the hypercritical nature of this has become how can ron paul columns of pro-life -- if he did -- call himself pro-life

if he did not rescue that two- pound child from that bucket, he is not pro-life. >> it probably was like a fleeting two-minute thing. we visited different operating rooms. i did not have the facilities. >> that's how vitriolic this is. >> people who still have a misperception -- all i ask is people to be open-minded about what i've said and written about. >> this is david. good morning. >> thank you for taking my call. i have a question and a brief follow-up. how confident were you at the time that the newsletters that

bore your name represented your views on taxes, on monetary policy, and the second amendment, all the things that you hold dear -- how confident were you? >> the newsletters were written a long time ago. i would write the economics. this was an investment letter. this would be material that i would tournament and it would become part of the letter. there were many times i did not edit the entire letter and other things were put in. i was not aware of the details until many years later. these were sentences that were put it, eight or 10 sentences.

it wasn't a reflection of my views at all. it got in the letter and i thought it was terrible. i had some responsibility because it was not under my name. i was like a publisher. sometimes there's junky stuff in newspapers. the type of newsletter -- every month since 1976. this is probably ten sentences out of 10,000 pages, for all i know. i disavow all these views. people who know me best have heard these stories for years

and years, and they knew they were not reflection of anything i believe in and it never hurt me politically. people are desperate to find something. >> many of your newsletters are filled with conspiracy. fearing the $50 bill, and that we should be afraid that maybe tomorrow they will require us to turn our old money -- >> the paper money is pink. we have not had a runaway inflation. the consequences of the inflation was my concern and i am still -- we talked about the currency wars.

we do not have runaway inflation but we have the runaway debt. the collapse of the whole world economy that we're facing today. i was very concerned then and more concerned now. i continue to deal with these economic issues. >> your people knew that you were going to be on this morning. i got dozens and dozens of links to a video that your people have produced dealing with the time that you were a physician. i am assuming you are aware of this. a black fellow from texas whose wife was in distress giving birth in a hospital and she was having trouble, and there were having trouble finding a doctor who was willing to give them service by implication because

she was black and she was a white woman and she was having trouble finding an emergency physician. here is the sound of some of that. >> there was prejudice around this area. my wife was sick and i was trying to get some attention to her. nobody came to check. they just left her there. maybe me being black and her being white -- every time i said something to the head nurse, she would get upset. they finally called the freeport police department. she said i was harrassing her. i didn't know what to do.

ron paul came to the rescue. he stepped in and went to work on my wife. after 10 minutes, she had a stillborn boy child. he said as far as the bill, he would take care of everything, which he did. i never got a bill. he was a doctor of medicine and that is what he was doing, practicing medicine. it did not matter who, what, or why. >> that is an amazing story. that is a long time ago. >> i just saw this a little while ago. it was not put out by the campaign. it was put out by the super pac. i am amazed about how they found that. to me, i do not remember it because that was just when we practiced medicine, or at least what i practice medicine.

it was a non-event. that's what i thought my responsibilities were. i never had the knowledge of how grateful he was. that is magnificent. >> we will continue with congressman ron paul in the middle of iowa. you're listening to w.h.o. radio and we are simulcasted on c-span this morning. we will reconvene in just a moment on 1040, who. ok, now we're back with our c- span viewers. i could see that have an emotional effect on you. >> it did. >> you are not given to oprah moments. >> it was touching.

sometimes you get banged over the head and thinking that they are making a sound like a terrible person. first off, you invited this problem by being in politics. there have been times i would vote by myself in trying to make these points. i say that truth wins out in the end. if i'm telling the truth, eventually truth comes around rather it is foreign policy or whenever. if you believe it it is the truth, i think you'll eventually win. i think we're starting to win some of these fights and people are starting to listen. >> because of youtube and video and modern technology has so

changed the way politics is done. there is no place for anybody to hide anymore. you cannot deliver a message to one group of people and go across town and deliver the opposite message anymore and get away with it. you have to be consistent. there is no place to hide. i was doing some research and came across some old video. i was stunned to watch him getting your face. he called you every name in the book. it goes into what michele bachmann said during the last hour. if you elect ron paul, you will have legalized heroin.

>> that is what we had before 1914. there were no restrictions. there were put on by the states. alcohol is a dangerous drug. they tried prohibition. they still drank. the status quo said we like alcohol but we do not like marijuana, we have to imprison people on marijuana. they decided that everything except alcohol would be a crime rather than a disease. today we treat alcoholism as a disease. we spend trillions of dollars on this. we have these breakdowns doors in the wrong apartments and

people get killed over these things. the tragedy in our southern borders has what to do with drugs. ed --sopeople have di many people have died on our borders in recent years. >> some people misunderstand part of the libertarian message. you have freedom to be stupid. the rest of us should not have to pay your bills. you take away the safety net. should i grabbed one here? we're coming down in the countdown. we're simulcasting on c-span this morning. ♪ we're talking with congressman ron paul in the studio and lots of us are eager to ask him a bunch of questions.

i will get to you on the line in just a second. proxies for other candidates are all over the place. one who was a proxy for newt gingrich said something. i consider this a personal attack against you. i'd like to give you the opportunity to respond. it was an attack on your integrity. a former congressman is proxy for newt gingrich today. here is what he said. >> ron is accusing the speaker of being a hypocrite. i was in congress with ron. he would put in hundreds of millions of dollars of earmarks and then he would sit on the floor and he would wait until the vote was certain that his remarks would be funded.

-- that his earmarks would be funded. then he would put his card in the slot and vote no so we could then say, "i did not vote for earmarks." there are hundreds of millions of requests that were honored. but then he does not complete the deal. >> he would vote against the budget. >> he would vote against his own earmarks of knowing they would pass. he could then have his cake and eat it, too. >> it is amazing when people change when they become a spokesman for other people. we were good friends in the congress. he is in attack mode. he is completely wrong. >> here in iowa, we just say they are full of shinola.

>> it is important. he is completely wrong. everybody knows i vote no on every appropriations bill since i've been there. i have never voted for an earmark. >> that is your position. >> that is gobblede-gook. i think every penny it should be designated. i support the principle of congress earmarking. these guys that are harping on me about earmarks -- if you let earmark for an embassy, that is not considered an earmark. they take money from our

district and for how we funds and you have a request for highway. you mark it down and send it in. if congress votes down an earmark, that money goes to the executive branch. you do not save a penny. "i will do that if you vote for this weapons system that we do not need." then it is a big trade-off. every penny should be designated by the congress. money flows to the executive branch. obama did not ask for money to get involved with libya. plans are being made to go into syria. they did not ask for designation there.

congress should act on their own responsibilities. not deliver these powers to the executive branch. >> this is julio. >> i am here in chicago. always great to speak with you. i studied broadcasting in college, just to see the lack of a journalistic integrity from small-time bloggers. chris wallace of fox news saying if ron paul were to win the iowa caucus -- i hope people truly do their own research. turn off the tv and do their own research on candidates. it is clear by the way they have been attacking you, congressman paul, there's no journalistic integrity through

the media. in terms of the economic war -- i'm 22 years old and investing in silver. i did research on john f. kennedy's executive order and when you talk about going back to the gold standard -- but the price of gold per ounce. silver, $30 an ounce. how can we get our currency back to where was? >> you cannot too quickly and less people change their minds about what the role of government should be. you can use gold and silver as legal tender. you cannot police the world. you cannot maintain the welfare

state. we cannot tax the people to pay for it. we have to print money. people's minds and attitudes have to change. if we did these things -- people are joining me and recognizing that the government will be limited. we could restore a gold standard. we did it after the civil war. there was a three-year transition period, and it worked. but were not running up deficits. they had greenback's back them. it can be done. i want to legalize the constitution and compete with the paper currency and i think that would take care of itself because people would give up on the paper. >> this is not a new position

for dr. paul. you're involved with the gold commissioned wrote a fine history of gold and gold currency in this country. it is still a good primer. i recommend it highly. it is called "a case for gold." this is sharon. >> good morning. >> we have some feedback. there were go. thank you for taking my call. i just wanted to say it as an african american woman who has been voting with the democrats that i'm so happy to hear a candidate address the issues that are important to the majority of the country. we should not be policing the world when we are going broke.

the federal reserve banks should be reined in. i'm so happy to of a candidate who is speaking to these particular issues in addition to other ones. i want to say that i love you, ron paul. if ron paul is the candidate for the republicans, i am switching my vote. >> she brings up the subject of the spending and the wars. sometimes in our debates there will say, will discuss on foreign policy but not economics. they have to be connected. even the great austrian economist said war is a detriment and always drains and hurts the economy. people who say they agree with me on economic issues but not foreign policy to not understand economics and they

don't understand foreign policy. they are connected. if we could bring back our troops, just think of them spending all that money here instead of germany, japan, and korea. but the policies do have to be changed. we have accumulated over $4 trillion in debt in these wars that i think have not served our interest in one way. >> we have to take a break. i am jan mickelson. you're watching congressman ron paul who was been a frequent guest in this election cycle. we allow similar conversations because we share a common affinity for honest currency and a limited government philosophy. the use to define what the iowa

republican party or the conservatives or tea party, the folks in this election cycle. he is trying to woo people on that side of the aisle. we will continue in a moment. ok. i'm getting e-mails from c-span viewers. one was adamant in boldest letters possible. "ask ron paul if he will end the ethanol mandates." you are in iowa. do you want to open a vein? >> i do not like mandates. yes, i think that that would be a good idea. i think ethanol quite possibly has a role to play. it has not been proven yet.

i'm not against tax credits. but they should be given to everybody equally. mandates mean that you have to have a certain percentage and the protection that if you could import ethanol at a cheaper rate, why pushed a gasoline price up five or 10 cents if you can get at the oil cheaper? the market always takes care of the consumer. if we understood, it would be a lot easier to understand our marketplace. >> people used to ask a question about getting rid of the subsidies. it is going away anyway. the epa had to replace the nbte's with something with

oxygen in it. it was an epa mandate. >> price would determine what we use. brazil makes ethanol from sugar cane. >> they have a shortage right now in brazil. they are importing from us. >> they use a lot of other countries. >> that is inside baseball for iowans. this is -- i'm sorry. this is roy. good morning.