>> i am a seriously ill canada's position in california. voters give us the right to safe access to cannabis. the obama administration considers me a criminal when i have no record, they have actually taken away my second amendment rights and they give automatic weapons to the mexican drug cartels. the ingestion of cannabis in itself has never killed anyone but the laws against a do. dispensary owners are being needlessly prosecuted. >> just a generic kind of remedy is dealing with people who enforce laws and they call themselves compassionate conservatives. i am a physician and it is not part of my compassionate nature to prevent people from taking something they can grow in their backyard and make them feel much better. it helps people who are on chemotherapy and other diseases but it should be freedom of choice. we should not have the federal

government over ruling state law if we understood the ninth and 10th amendment. >> it is time to declare a truce or a victory or surrender in the drug war? >> we should surrender. it has totally failed. violates all precepts of the constitution and the ninth and 10th amendment. it does not work. we shall allow people to make their own choices. we allow people to make their own choices to deal with their spiritual here after and their intellectual life, why can't we say people should deal with our own bodies. >> rejoining the listening audience with their cspan audience. ♪ your welcome to give us feedback on what you have heard so far. just a few moments remaining with our ins to be a guest, dr. ron paul. this is joelle. >> i want to make a quick

comment on how the medicaid and social security situation is going on right now. dr. ron paul said that he would take care of those situations. there are a lot of people who are dependent on those programs to do not understand what you are referring to. "like you to clarify that i want to ask what you would do when you get to south carolina concerning the fact that most of these states down south of voted for obama. >> let me build on his question -- you are likely to do very well on tuesday night. some say you are likely to win or be very close. can you duplicate your success.

ilem and other parts of the country? >> i would have to assume that is a possibility. i don't think the numbers are there. i was able to convince people in my district over the years of this philosophy of liberty and the constitution and we are doing very well here and the next juror would be in new hampshire and do well there. i think there is a very good chance we can do that. >> what about his question about florida specifically? joelle, help me understand what your position and your question on florida was? are you still there? >> yes, since there is a lot of hispanics and blacks in florida -- >> how can you go after the

obama -- >> i don't see people in groups. we should not give special privileges or groups. whatever color they are, everyone should love freedom because that means we will leave you alone and you can keep the fruits of your labor and nobody will tell you what to do when you have equal justice in the court. these drug laws are so biased against minorities. it is probably one of the worst things left in racism in this country. if you look at the numbers, the minorities are overwhelmingly punished by the drug laws and overwhelmingly punished with death penalty. minorities are more likely to receive the death penalty than whites. >> what would you like us to know more than anything else? >> that liberty is the answer. america is a great country but we have lost our way and the need to look to our past and we can find answers to many of our problems. believe in the constitution and the rule of law. >> thank you, sir.

we are off with our local audience but you have -- but we have a couple more seconds to chat. how will you do on tuesday? >> we will do real well i will not say that i know i am going to win. everything that we have done seems to have built with momentum there was no sudden blitz up or down most people have given us credit that if you become a supporter of the philosophy i talk about they usually stick with this. they don't come and go to these numbers are up there near the top right now. that peoplepect just looked at me and will change their mind. they will stick with us. >> last time around, you had a very organized and very passionate base, too. do you have more volunteers in

this time and more money, even better organization or is it just the equivalent with a different cycle? >> we have the same candidate and the same message. the organization is much different. is much bigger. fundraising is much easier and we have more volunteers. the country has changed. four years ago, people were not with me and getting out of afghanistan now is overwhelming. they are much more frightened about the economy and i have talked about that for 30 years. the country has come around to mandating and looking at another option and that is why they are giving me some time. >> someone said a vote for you is a vote for obama because some of your issues are identical to his policies. >> he follows some of the

republican viewpoints the soap mine will be different. i want to follow the constitution and the advice of the founders and that a nonintervention policy. neither party will talk about the federal reserve in a serious manner or bringing troops home or looking at the change in the tax code or actually cutting anything. there is no serious effort to cut anything other than the one we have proposed in this cycle. >> we talked about the cover reserve and fort knox and were the gold physically is. have you thought about -- they have not done since the 1950's. can you as a member of congress say you want to see the gold? do you have the clout to do that? >> i'm not sure. maybe after next wednesday or tuesday, i won't have to be coming into iowa quite as often. maybe i could go to fort knox. >> thank you for coming by.

thank you for spending the extra time. you can just file out and these guys will probably follow up. we are in the middle of a network news break. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> mitt romney it was in ames, iowa. [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 of our president is more and more like europe. there are mass of regulations and we have extraordinary debt burdens that threaten the future of our land. i don't think europe is working in europe and i don't want your here. [applause]

ours was formed as an opportunity nation where people based upon their hard work and education and the risk taking and their dreams could achieve great things. as they did that, that did not make the most of it -- make the rest of us poorer. the dreams of the dreamers and those that build enterprises like this, these things done because poor, they make us better off because they employ us. we welcome and encourage success. that is the nature of american opportunity in society. that is the course i believe in. the president seems to believe that we should become an entitlement society or government texts up from some to give to others in the name of equality. 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 with the principles of freedom

that drove us to be the hope of the error. government is not the answer, free american people for showing their dreams. [applause] you have heard the president and people who believe in big government trying to guide our allies and become more intrusive. they end up dividing america. they try and substitute and before ambition and a poison the very spirit of america. and threaten the unity of one nation under god.

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. -- my state 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 tuesday's caucuses. do you have a majority in the senate now? >> no. we don't get as many as we want. >> you have to be able to work with some of the democratic leaders to make a difference.

[inaudible] he's a toughie. i was lucky in my state. most of the leaders were willing to work with me. they did not want to hurt people and raise taxes. we came from different places politically but we found common ground curred. >> great to meet you. >> thank you. they have me going all over the state. you guys do a good job with a caucus. >> we welcome >> i am counting on you guys. thank you.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> that was met ron the campaigning in ames, iowa yesterday. he will be in des moines today with chris christie. we will have live coverage and about two hours on c-span 2. >> with the iowa caucuses, tuesday january 3, the c-span cameras are following the events throughout the state and every morning, political guests are taking your calls on our "washington journal" program.

you can also stay up-to-date with our website including candidates on the campaign trail with bio information and video from campaign stops. it lets you see what the candidates say on issues important to you. read what the candidates and political reporters and people like you are saying on facebook and twister. it is all at c-span.org/campaign 2012. >> we will have more campaign news in a moment plus your phone calls and e-mails live on "washington journal." later this morning, republican presidential candidate newt gingrich will take questions at a town hall meeting in des moines, iowa. live coverage is at 11:00 eastern. later in the day, rick santorum will be in marshalltown, iowa which is northwest of des moines. we'll have that live at 6:30 eastern. coming up this hour, we will talk with the iowa r