give a preview of the iowa caucuses and whether he intends t endorse a candidate. "washington journal" is next. ♪ host: the caucus clock is ticking down in iowa and we are live from des moines this morning. the gop candidates for tuesday will deliver -- will deliver their closing arguments. we will talk to representatives from newt gingrich and ron paul this morning. we begin this morning with your thoughts on the 2012 race. for democrats, 202-737-0001. for republicans, 202-737-0002. for independents, 202-628-0205.

we also want to hear from iowa residents. 202-628-0184. here is "the iowa does that." -- does that -- does thgazzette" host: by the way, we had the director of the poll on "washington journal," yesterday. go to our website, c-span.org,

for all of our campaign coverage. our cameras have been in iowa for weeks. let me go back to "the gazette." host: also out of iowa, "the iowa press citizen." "the final 36 hours." also this morning, "the iowa des moines register."

today is the last full day of campaigning. "who will make it through"? we have several events this morning. we will be covering different candidates. mitt romney, rick santorum, ron paul. look for our coverage again, live today. "road to the white house," c- span.org for entire campaign coverage. we want to hear your comments on 2012. what do you make of the race so far? who do like, coming out of iowa? "the quad city times," yesterday endorsed mitt romney. "before he launched his 2012 campaign, he spent more time in

iowa than any of the current candidates." host: also, some stories from the associated press, out of iowa. they said that the political world shifted east -- the political world will shift east after the iowa caucuses. this is what it says about the two states in the associated press this morning.

host: the first phone call comes from linda, a democrat in texas. what do you make of the contest so far? caller: i am not watching the contestants so much. as a democrat, i do not care who really wins. but i am really surprised that the christian republicans are entertaining putting a mormon in the house. it is not that i am being disrespectful, the mormon religion people can practice whenever they want.

but a 100 year-old religion? come on. get with someone better. host: this is "the washington post," in iowa. "half of voters are saying they have yet to make up their mind."

host: john, republican line, north carolina. go ahead. caller: i think that a lot of people are watching the iowa caucus. the interesting thing will be to see how many people pick up on the law that was signed on december 31. and the aclu has stated that a statute is particularly dangerous because it has no temporal or geographic presentation because it can be used to detain people captured far from any battlefield. and it will be interesting to see the position on these candidates on that act.

it basically destroys any fair trial or use of habeas corpus. it is just a very large abuse of power. if you look on the aclu website, comments are ranging from tyranny to etc. regardless of what happens in iowa, it will be important to see how this plays out in the general election. i encourage people to look on american thinker on the fema camps. the government taking bids on contractors to run these camps. wire they doing that without any kind of national emergency or disaster? -- why are they doing that without any kind of national emergency or disaster? host: ok, john. next caller.

your thoughts? caller: mitt romney and his wife was at an event the other day. she spoke about her illness and the health care that she received. i am sure that she received the best hair -- the best health care that money can buy. if all the republicans can talk about is repealing the president's health-care plan, which is the only thing that poor people would have to help them get some decent health care, i think it is very selfish on their part. that is all. they seem to think about repeal obama care, repeal obama care, yet they have nothing to offer. host: all right. as we said, ron paul was not campaigning in iowa over the weekend, he was in texas. he did appear on some sunday shows. here is what he said about a third-party bid when asked about

it on cnn. >> i am essentially tied for first place. why would i consider doing anything like that? but i do not like absolutes. do not have any plan to do so, however. we are doing very well. peoples should be more patient. on tuesday we will find out more about the future of this election. host: here are the numbers from the pole yesterday. but romney, 24%. rick santorum has jumped to 21%. ron paul at 18%. let's go to tanner in pensacola, florida. caller: calling just to get the viewpoints, i think of ron paul and just like other people, donald trump, they always talk a lot about where they stand in

the elections and stuff. everyone is always wondering when they are going to run. and when will these people stop complaining about it and run for office? when someone takes action like that, like donald trump, he is in an empire. if he ran a country, he could be able to do some good. even ron paul, with his good view points, he needs to put action behind them. in as an independent, we are very few in the majority of what is going on. it is mostly democrats and independents. -- democrats and republicans. host: you are the vote that folks are going to go after once the nominee has been picked. both democrats and republicans are going to want independent votes.

what does it look like for you, right now? caller: i would have to say mitt romney. his viewpoints, i think that everyone has their own good things and bad things. mitt romney, i would have to go with him over anyone else. the democratic few points more than anything else, are starting to get to left-handed. -- too left-handed. it is ridiculous. host: all right. this is "the washington post," this morning. the front page of "the washington post," this morning has what the republicans are

planning. it says that operatives have scoured to use his words against him.

host: jake, go ahead. caller: i think that it is sad that the people the we have running today would totally ditch science for their bronze age mythology. host: what are you referring to? caller: their religious beliefs. if anyone has researched into mormons and how they feel about ethnic people in america, and how there were ancient civilizations here, they totally dismissed logic.

host: you are an independent. have you voted for democrats and republicans? caller: i have before. host: in a general election, who do you vote for between obama and mitt romney? caller: obama. just look up the history of mormon religion. host: are you still there? caller: just look it up. there is so much science right now. michele bachmann, her stance on gay people, there is so much science that is true and factual, and yet they want to let their religion get into the mix. for meat, it seems like a mental illness and you cannot argue with these people about it.

and host: we will be talking to some of these people -- about it. host: we will be talking to some of these people tomorrow. this headline out of virginia, "a reverse stance on adding candidates to the ballot." "circulating petitions must be eligible voters. rick perry and newt gingrich said that the requirements were unfair." host: that is "the washington post," this morning. herschel, go ahead. is this herschel?

herschel, good morning. out of indianapolis. republican? all right, herschel is gone. let's show you rick santorum, also on the sunday shows yesterday as he rises in the polls. he was asked about his spending record in the senate. caller: if you appropriate money, you will not talk about where it is going. historically, congress has taken the role of allocating those resources. jim dement led the charge. what happened after i left congress was budgets began to explode when i was in the senate. i voted for tough budgets and restrictions on spending, making sure that that did not happen. as president i proposed $5 trillion over five years.

if you're looking for someone who has voted for tough budgets and spending restraints -- >> that was my question. do you regret using them when you did? >> i do not. host: here is "the baltimore sun," on rick santorum. "the christian conservative voters that helped to power mike huckabee four years ago show signs of coalescing behind rick santorum." "the flailing campaign of michele bachmann sank from 22% in june to 7%."

"rick perry took a day off the campaign trail yesterday, but managed to get in a few shots at the fields newest target." host: walter, michigan, go ahead. caller: good morning, everyone. there is really no one in the republican field that i would even consider voting for. you have to pay attention to what they're doing, not what they're saying. newt gingrich is such a sleaze ball. mitt romney is slime year than him. host: walter, is that because

you are a democrat? would you ever vote for a republican? caller: it is not because i am a democrat, it is because of what they have done. the higher echelon in this country is getting all the money. there is enough for the poor and middle-class. what we should do is repeal everything that bush did. then we will be close to having a surplus and we will be all right. host: are you happy with president obama? caller: he has done a pretty good job, considering the mess he was left with. we have to pay attention to what is going on, not what they're saying. host: who is the toughest challenger in the gop field for

president obama? caller: that is hard to say. i cannot get into the mind of anyone that would actually vote that way anyway. host: i am asking to get into your mind. you said you would probably vote for president obama. who do you think could be tough for the president to beat? caller: i do not know. while i definitely would not vote for mitt romney, newt gingrich, or rick santorum, or that lady from minnesota -- michele bachmann. i would not vote for any of them. i could not say anything about any of them. sorry. caller: murray is in waterloo, iowa.

go ahead. -- host: murray is in waterloo, iowa. go ahead. caller: i wanted to make a point. it is 2011. we are at a time in american history when we will not vote for a president who is going to vote for abortion. we have a life, it is a woman's choice. we can make any decision that we want to. gay-rights, everyone believes that we have some sort of right. whether it is marriage or equal opportunity in the workforce. these candidates are just fault -- fighting for a left side that does not exist for everyone else in america. you know what i mean? host: are you going to go to a caucus in your state? caller: i will not necessarily be caucusing for obama. i think that many people simply don't have a better choice to go for. president obama does stand for a

lot of good in this country and the change that takes place. host: when asked about that campaign ad that he had done in the past with the former speaker, nancy pelosi, on climate change, here is what he had to say. >> can conservatives be in the middle of an environmental debate and represent a conservative solution? i think it matters and conservatives should be pro- environment. we all want to have clean air and clean water. i do not think we should walk off and allow liberals to claim they are the only people that care about the environment. nancy pelosi became so radioactive, the act of being on a couch with her --

[laughter] i rest my case. and i have been very energetic for my entire career and every once in awhile i have done something dumb. i concede, that was dumb. host: "the washington times, close but this morning, they fired back in a piece that said in an earlier campaign stop he is quoted as saying "i would, if he could, by an election, if he could." referring to the amount of money that mitt romney has spent, which newt gingrich called $3.5 million. big sandy, texas. scott, what do you make of the bid -- of the gop field? caller: just like rick santorum, the cream is coming to the top.

it is the right thing. i love him. he has been one of my favorites all along. he understands what makes america great. he is right on energy, defense, foreign policy. he will be a very strong candidate to take on. host: let me get your reaction to the challenge this morning. mr. -- this morning.

caller: you will see that he will start to have the resources. i am going on line this morning and donating $20 per week, however long it takes. who is going to get there? there are lots of good candidates on our side. any one of our candidates, including ron paul, who i cannot stand -- he is insane, but he is right on a lot of things. like essay, he will have the

resources, when the time comes. -- like i say, he will have the resources, when the time comes. host: all right, scott, republican. let me read a bit more from this piece. "he is trying to counter the perception that he is the latest republican alternative. he has said he will begin advertising and television."

host: then, below that, by the way, is a piece in "the new york times," this is the headline -- "embattled and confident, michele bachmann says she is the complete package." we covered her yesterday and i will show you a bit of that. but here's what it says -- "in this crucial, last week of campaigning, she suffered from rival campaigning damage." the: let's go to ron, on republican line.

good morning. caller: i wanted to comment on what i have learned in the last year just by listening to ron paul's platform. i learned about centralized banking, keynesian economics, the problem with the fiat currency, how everything used to be based on the gold standard. it is now seen as part of an industrial military complex, which eisenhower warned us about. and for the most part, a representative form of government no longer represents us, but corporate interests. i feel that if elected, he could start getting the nation back to our original constitutional form. host: here is a comment on our twitter page.

host: you can send us your comments to twitter at twitter.com/c-spanwj. you can also post your comments on our facebook page, facebook/ c-span. or, send us an e-mail, journal@c-span.org, and we can read those on the air as well. joseph, you are next. caller: i am scared a little bit. i do not think that any republican candidate will be able to beat the president. nonetheless, i am still scared from listening to the republican argument and what they all have in common. i can see that being too far to the left is scary. maybe that is the emotion they want me to fear.

by listening to the right, i know that some of that is very scary as well. host: joseph, who is the toughest challenger in this gop field? caller: dr. ron paul. he is so far to the right. i do not know if it is true, his comments about legalizing heroin, but he talked about a decrease in the jailed population of african-americans. which made sense, but then i started to think about social construction. i know the regulations to stop jobs, forming bigger governments and taking controls. it makes me not want to go to the left.

i feel that we need a new party. i feel that we are between a hard place and a rock. host: for mitt romney, they call it a hard road to climb for conservatives. and it says "national conservative leaders are beginning to except the increasing likely prospect of a mitt romney nomination and if they can live with that." host: here is michele bachmann

yesterday. she attended a church service in iowa. >> when god brings difficulties in our life, and so many people in america are a experiencing that right now, losing their homes and jobs, not seeing the money coming in that they need, those experiences can be shaped in a way they could not be shaped in any other way. not that that is what we want to see happen, but he uses those for our good. i am grateful for that. host: she will be on "washington journal," tomorrow morning, rounding out our coverage there. we have been in des moines iowa,, 4 and des moines -- , des

moines, -- des moines, iowa. tomorrow, we will have the ron paul national campaign director as well. the news making the paper this morning, the front page of "the new york times," "austerity rains over the eurozone."

host: also on iran in the paper this morning, the associated press is reporting that iran has made iranian scientists that have produced their first nuclear fuel rod. host: also on nuclear news, the associated press wire had this story out of south korea this morning.

they opened the door to possible nuclear talks with north korea, warning the neighboring country to avoid provocations, saying that the peninsula is at a crucial turning point. also out of the middle east this morning, "the washington times." "israeli and palestinian negotiators are to meet in jordan." host: those are some of the other headlines this morning, as we continue our coverage of the iowa caucuses. they are making their closing arguments, starting this morning and until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. john, good morning. what do you make of this?

caller: choices between candidates that will get us involved in another war, and then ron paul, who would like to avoid one. three or four times more expensive, and if that is what you want, you have a choice of four or five candidates. looks like ron paul wants to keep us out of that situation. they are far better than some of the talk coming from senator santorum and michele bachmann, or even governor romney. i think that ron paul is a better choice for people who are concerned over certain foreign policy issues. host: joe, florida, good

morning. caller: how are you this morning? host: good. caller: i have a lot of observations, including europe. host: what do you think of the 2012 race so far? caller: i think there is going to be a big surprise tomorrow night in iowa. i think that 43% of voters that tell the pollsters they are undecided are not really undecided. they are just not telling the pollsters whom they want. i have a feeling that just as she won the iowa straw poll a while ago, michele bachmann is going to be quite a bit stronger than anyone expects. from watching that program on c- span that showed her at that church in oskaloosa, i get the

impression that she was not the kind of person that would ever give up. a lot of people have said that she is probably going to drop out if she does not win in iowa. i do not know what her prospects are in other states, but i am pretty sure that she is not the kind of person that will give up. that is to her credit. i also think there ron paul's presentation of a future without war is going to have a lot of appeal to people. not only in iowa, but in new hampshire. i think that mitt romney has yet to be able to communicate his heart. he is a man the talks from his head and his mind. of course, it is an adequate mind and a good mind, but i do

not hear it much coming from his heart. but i know that he has won. i have read about the things he did as a mormon pastor in his earlier days. he was a very generous, kind, and compassionate man. but you never hear the side of him. i also wonder why michele bachmann does not bring her 28 children to one of these events. i think that would be very impressive, as nothing else can be. host: here is a clear message from mark williams -- host: an e-mail from one of our viewers in alexandria.

host: that is the analysis coming from one of our viewers in virginia. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. in 2008, you had every republican running. the first thing they had to say was that they knew how to work across aisles. i have yet to hear any of these candidates say that. to govern, you have to get out of your seat and extend your hand across the aisle, rather than just shooting the bird of

the other person. how do they expect to work across the aisle? they turned that entitlement down. host: you are an independent? caller: i am a lost reagan democrat. caller: right now, are you favoring barack obama in the general election? -- host: right now, are you favoring barack obama in the general election? caller: for him to move the country forward, he needs cooperation from the other side. it does not seem like they want to help them. he has accomplished a lot of things, but in order to make the country and the economy build up, we need help. he needs help.

host: if newt gingrich or mitt romney win, ultimately, and they start to talk more about the highlight of their record from when they were public officials and how they work across the aisle to get things done, do you think you would favor them more? caller: " would dissuade me is if they were asked they would sign the grover norquist ledge to never raise taxes. i think that that would shun me away. right now, i would have to vote for obama. hopefully we would get a democratic house to help him go forward. i think that the republicans are forgetting what happened to the deficit and the debates that went on about raising the tax ceiling. a lot of these may not be there and the democrats cannot possibly take back the house.

host: here is an e-mail this morning -- host: i want to show george and others a piece in "the new york times," this morning. a federal tax credit for ethanol expired. host: if your interested, go ahead to our video archives and punch in robert means.

zachary, good morning to you. your take on the 2012 presidential race? caller: the only one that has no chance, from what it looks like, is michele bachmann. possibly rick perry. it seems that the others are doing well. in the end, i think that mitt romney is going to get the nomination. i believe that his argument is valid and that eventually his support base will realize that. host: in a hypothetical general

election back up -- matchup, who do you vote for, as an independent? caller: i would have to go with obama. while mitt romney is more electable, i do not think that he is much more desirable. obama has done quite a bit, but no president ever does everything they want to do. host: that was factory, from california. our candidates will be all over iowa this morning. caucuses begin tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. their time. of course, we will be covering two caucuses today. here are some of the campaign events that we are covering. ron paul will be joined by his son in des moines.

rick santorum is in altoona. mitt romney, this evening in the campaign grassroots rally. and -- in a campus -- in a campaign grassroots rally. we will go to our studio in des moines iowa,, a des moines -- -- des moines, iowa, coming up. host: -- >> tuesday, c-span coverage of the iowa caucuses continues, talking with political experts and taking your calls. later at 7:00 p.m., our preview program on the process and the state of the republican presidential race. 8:00, our live coverage followed

by caucus results and speeches. we will have another one from western iowa on c-span 2. it is also available on c-span radio, as well as online, c- span.org/campaign2012. >> there's no debate that copyright infringement is a serious problem. we have a system for dealing with now. there are ways that we can improve on it on a bipartisan basis. but the fundamental difference is that we would not to all of the damage to the architecture of the internet. >> tonight, the different versions of legislation in

congress, from senator ron wyden. >> it is essential that our spending habits take a 180 degree turn starting right now. tonight at midnight, the government will shut down if congress does not pass the continuing resolution. forecasters and goldman sachs have wanted to shave off growth every single week. in there have been warnings on the shutdown impact for u.s. economic recovery. caller: this -- >> this senate session was deceased and video library's most watch video of the year. watch for yourself on your home page. click on the most watched tab to view other moments from the past year. it is what you want, when you want. >> "washington journal" continues.

host: we are back, a iowa from. -- we are back, a from iowa. and on your screen is robert haus, for the campaign for rick perry for president. let me bring up the poll that shows that your candidate is in fifth place. your reaction? caller: good morning. this race has been unlike anything i have ever seen before. it has been very fluid and flexible throughout. yesterday's survey even showed the up to 41 to 42% of the people in iowa were willing to make a different choice in the caucuses. i think that any survey is really dated the minute it comes out of the field. this race has been very fluid.

i expect the results on tuesday night to be quite a bit different from what the survey showed. host: your prediction for tuesday night? guest: anyone that would make predictions is pulling numbers out of thin air. there have been a lot of changes over the past several days on the ground. governor harry has been in the middle of a bus tour. our crowds have been fantastic. he converts people every time that he meets them. host: can he finish in the top three? guest: our senior senator laid it out clearly over the weekend. the top three analysis is historically an antiquated. there will be four candidates coming out of iowa with seals of

approval. i am pretty confident that we will be in the group. caller: what is your role as the co-chair? what are you responsible for? -- host: what is your role as the co-chair? what are you responsible for? guest: a lot of things. helping the campaign to shape its message, keeping an eye on the nuts and bolts of the campaign identification efforts. where should we go on a bus tour? how can we get the governor in a position where he can succeed and sell his message, meeting as many people as he possibly can. host: rick perry was on fox news, sunday. he was saying that he got into the race late. what does that mean for trying to get your candidacy up and running in a state like iowa?

what are the challenges? guest: there are challenges not just in iowa, but nationwide. there is not a campaign on the planet that would ever ask for less time, but he got in on the 14th of august and we really hit the ground running. i would challenge any other campaign in the country to have shown the level of accomplishment that his campaign and his team had done in those early months. they organized not only iowa, new hampshire, south carolina, but they raised $17 million and set up a national campaign headquarters and went through a series of debates. it was an incredibly tight schedule. when he got in in the middle of august, he accomplished some very important goals. host: when did you join the team? guest: i would have joined at his first event, august 14. i have been proud to be on his

team ever since. i will be proud to see him on tuesday and beyond. host: what do you like about rick perry? guest: there are a lot of things. i think that his appeal to the people of iowa, and nationally, is really due to a number of factors. me, personally, i like him because i know that he is a conservative. he has governed the 13th largest state and economy in the world very effectively for the pet -- for the last 11 years. he has created an environment where the state of texas has created over 1 million jobs while the rest of the country has lost 2.1 million jobs. he reached across the aisle, and one of your earlier callers talked about that. he has reached across the aisle to speak with the opposing party to get very important things done, like tort reform, medical malpractice reform, and

important, landmark pieces of legislation that have set the state of texas apart in terms of becoming a job-creating machine. he is often known as the american job governor. i think it is a very appropriate term. in addition to that, there are things outside of the policy realm that i really appreciate about the governor. i would say that his commitment to veterans, which is very important to me, speaks volumes about his service in the air force, as well as how he would use members of our military men and women when they return home from battle. and then there is just one very personal thing. he is a very humble and sincere man. it does not matter where we are, what the environment is, or how bad the food is, he stops and give thanks for what he has been given.

he is a humble man who is deeply rooted in the state. he is a strong individual. the kind of man that i want as my next president. >> he said the spent the last 20 years in iowa, advising federal and state republicans on their different runs. can you give us an honest assessment of the challenges that the perry faces with iowa voters? guest: time. getting in in august was a bit of an element. campaigning has really changed, i think, over my history. it has changed dramatically from four years ago. it is a much more national campaign, now, running for president, then you have seen in the past. i think that some of our opponents have maybe misjudged

what it will take to run a serious national campaign starting wednesday morning. host: on that point, we have heard analysis of late, and there have been articles on it as well, that retail politics in iowa are dead. in the polls, mitt romney only spend one dozen days or so in this state. but he is leading in the polls. he has become more of a national campaign with a debate that has had more of an impact the that actually shaking hands. do you think of that has hurt your candidate, rick perry? guest: the dynamics of the campaign have changed a lot over the last several years. i will remind your viewers that mitt romney and congressman paul have run before.

that have invested substantial amounts of time in iowa, in 2008. that has paid off handsomely. they have identified supporters and have done a good job of keeping in contact with them. let's not lose sight of that. the debates will likely have a larger role this cycle. i have always said that i will voters, republican or democrat, are pretty in tune with what is going on nationally. they get their own sources of information and are active voters. what happens really impacts each and every stage. we will see that throughout the rest of the race. host: david is a republican in

victorville, california. caller: nice to talk to you. i do not understand why rick perry has not gained more traction. he reminds me of a combination between ronald reagan and george w. bush. i do not know what more you could want in a president. he has been governor of texas for 10 years. i have not been so excited about a president since reagan, probably. caller: i appreciate your comments and i agree. remind hastened to people that this is a very long nomination process. iowa is the first in the nation, but this is a very long process. as the governor steps from the states of texas up to the national stage, it takes a while for people to get to know him. he has been very active in the

state with retail politics. our goal has been to get people to know the governor and his great strengths. he is a very multi-dimensional candidate. he has got a lot of appeal across party lines and issue lines. host: david is a republican -- i'm sorry. we will go to david in dover plains, new york, democrat. caller: good morning. i keep hearing you sort of scouting -- you tauting toward reform. it is the most horrible piece of legislation ever. it shows how corporations can do

you in for pennies on the dollar. if that is what we are doing to create jobs and calling it a wonderful, we have to readjust our way of thinking. thank you. host: any thoughts on that? guest: i appreciate the comment. the tort reform, but the governor has said on the stock and around iowa is it is part of creating the environment in which private companies, the job creators, ca n risk capital. -- ca n risn risk capital. it is to make sure there is legal certainty. when you introject problems in any of those areas what you see

is capital freezes up. in america right now we have a lot of capital, billions of dollars of capital, sitting on the sidelines waiting to be reinvested, but not being reinvested because there's not a certainty in those elements. the tax code is a mess. governor rick perry is laid out a bold plan on how to get that under control. regulations, the regulatory environment, he has been very aggressive on what he wants to do there. malpractice, thepracti legal system needs to be certain so people can know there will be a return on their investment. once they do that we will be able to hire people and get them back to work. that's job number one for the 2012 campaign. host: robert haus is the iowa state co-chair for rick perry. we want to hear from iowa

residents as well. so start dialing with your questions or comments about the rick perry campaign strategy in that state. robert haus, mitt romney on the campaign trail in the ottawa is making the argument that he is the candidate that can sustain the nominating process and beat barack obama. -- in iowa. talk about your candidate's resources coming out of iowa. guest: you have to give governor romney credit. he has been through the process one time before. he has been effective in setting up a national campaign. besides him there's one other campaign and that is governor rick perry that is set up a national operation. with state leadership and campaigns credit to a turn the switch in a dozen or more states with the financial wherewithal to go the distance, i think that governor perry with executive

leadership and a great record is probably the only other campaign that can run a national campaign. host: milan is joining us from the independent line. caller: tell me if you know how rick perry feels about the republican party trying to turn the elephant symbol upside-down? i recently wrote a certified letter to the rnc chairman asking three specific questions. , who didthis donewaswh this, and why? host: why was this important to you? caller: i don't believe the country knows this happened. why don't they turn the 50 flags on the america -- a 50 starts on the american flag upside down?

why don't the dallas cowboys inverted their star? the upright star the picks goodness all through history. guest: i had not seen that order of that. thanks for bringing it to my attention. host: david is a republican in bel air, maryland. caller: i was just wondering -- good morning -- i was wondering perry canhink rick stack up against president obama in a direct the bay it? as i have listened to some of these people speaking, i think newt gingrich would be the best candidate in terms of facing off against president obama. -- against president obama in a direct debate. someone said that are noromney d

not present himself from the heart and i was wondering how you feel about your candidate. guest: great question. i have complete confidence in governor perry's ability to debate anyone on any stage in any part of the country. i think you've seen the last three debates, specifically the foreign policy debate and the last two in iowa where he has said fantastic debate performances and was very good at presenting his message and really making the sale for his candidacy. he has laid out a bold vision for where he wants to take america. he was very good at presenting that. i don't have any concerns about his capacity to debate president obama. i say that because i think there is a level of humility and sincerity that comes through

when the governor speaks as well as a very stark contrast with where president obama has taken our country. in the end analysis i think americans would rather have someone who was a little more like them who understands their life and can relate to the struggles they go through every single day and ultimately want the dignity of a job and they want those qualities and characteristics in their next president. i feel quite confident. in the governor's own words, he is looking for to those debates with president obama. he will come early and stay late and is looking forward to except. host: governor perry has admitted to gaffes in the past when he was debating. were you part of any working sessions with him on improving his debating skills? guest: i was not directly involved in those sessions.

it i think what you've seen all cabinets -- all candidates and all campaigns go through this -- a maturing process. he was good and is now a lot better. he came to the campaign in august as a very successful candidate and has got an even better. and so, can as the stakes have risen, governor perry has risen with them. i think what you see now on the campaign stump is a man on a very quiet mission in almost his own historic military terms to try to really help america right the ship and get america working again. host: we have been covering all the candidates for "road to the white house" coverage. c-span.org has more. richard is on the air, a

democrat from texas. caller: happy new year. the gentleman who just called really hit on something i was wanting to bring to your attention. the debate problem that governor perry has. the only person that really could stand toe to toe with barack obama and taken a situation, and his sentence, any word and go it back in his face is newt gingrich. but this election in iowa has been about the super pacs. rick perry and mitt romney have the most money, so it has been a one-two punch against newt gingrich. rick perry and the analysis i can present his rick perry reminds me of the big kids on the bench at the basketball game. when the coach wants him to go in then and knocked the heck out of somebody, the cannot double, cannot score, cannot be bound,

but he can beat people up. that is what rick perry is doing. if you look at the money spent against newt gingrich, you can see that -- i feel the super pac has made all the difference in the world. last but not least, newt gingrich 20 years ago made some silly mistakes. and he has admitted this. he has asked god to forgive him. he has or very hard to try to correct some of the problems. but i promise you the only person that can beat barack obama is newt gingrich. host: have to leave it there. guest: thanks for the call. we have covered a lot of real estate. let me try to respond. on the issue of super pacs, i think that issue is here to stay and will affect the race going forward.

i guess, in my personal analysis, at this stage in the game of any campaign there are two types of campaigns. you are either a winner or a whiner. none of the issues brought up about super pacs is except ron paul. one his campaign has been the most aggressive. while the former speaker may not like to see that stuff on television, you can be assured that if he were the nominee, that president obama would have it all over the television. the primary process and caucus process is about vetting the candidates and their records and their capabilities to go on to the next level. if speaker gingrich is

complaining at this stage, then he is really in serious trouble going forward. host: we will speak with a supporter of speaker gingrich coming up in about 15 minutes iowa as well as coverage continues of the iowa caucuses. voters will vote tomorrow night,, 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. our time on the east coast is when our coverage begins. we will cover it all. a little bit about how the caucuses or. if there's a piece in the baltimore sun that says there's about 1--

can you explain this? guest: yes, absolutely. each one of the precincts will organize itself and the campaigns really have a goal of trying to have a representative from the perry campaigns because of back about the governor. why that is critical this time is even back to the most recent poll with 41% of the people saying that they may still change their mind and are open to a second choice, having someone local speaking up and giving their testimony as to why they are supporting governor perry is critical. this still is very much a

neighbor talking to neighbors and organization. those social networks are very important. we-- obviously there are some precincts that will be larger than others. our goal is to try to get a perry representative in as many of those precincts as we can. host: our viewers will be able to see that in action tomorrow night. we will be covering a couple of caucuses. as our guest is explaining, you will be able to see the present representatives talking to caucus goers and trying to get them to vote for their candidate. stephanie is next in cedar rapids, iowa. caller: i just have one statement. whether gentleman mentioned that governor perry was more like the people that are voting, he does not resemble the vast majority of people.

there are more people that are involved. people consider iowa as the heartland, but this is not an audition for a play. we need to put aside the what are you doing and how big is your campaign, and this and that. people are the casualties of whatever happens. so there needs to be accountability before you even have actuality. that's all i have to say. guest: i had a little trouble hearing the comments and questions towards the end. host: she was just saying that rick perry does not represent all of iowans. guest: i would remind everyone

that this is a republican nomination, that governor perry and other candidates are trying to seek the republican nomination. and so, primarily the message at this point is a broad vision for america, but we are specifically talking to republicans at this point. i think governor perry has the capacity and his message has the vision and best to attract a lot of independents and some conservative democrats as well. the bottom line is our next president needs to have a very clear focus of how to get america working again. governor perry has done that. the ability to have a job and the dignity that comes from having a job really knows no partisan lines. i think his agenda to get america working nearly will transcend any of those partisan boundaries. host: bill is a libertarian in sarasota, florida, an independent. caller: good morning.

nice to have you on. guest: good morning. caller: big thank you to c-span alternative ton the pop culture major media. ron paul and michelle bachmann mention the constitution frequently. gingrich and romney want to force americans to live by their ideas, so republican-style fundamentally transforming america. i was impressed with governor perry's understanding of the constitution imposes limits on executive power in a speech i saw on c-span recently. would a president perry repeal any executive orders? and what plans does his campaign after place constitutional issues higher in voter consciousness? guest: thanks for those questions. as to the first one, in terms of

appealing prior executive orders, that may be a little out of my jurisdiction. i am reluctant to wade into that because i don't know -- have no personal knowledge there. if you want to go to rick perry 's site or contact his campaign in austin, i'm sure they can give you very good details. on the second one, i'm glad you have noted that. i think what has been so refreshing to me is governor carries a small pocket- sized constitutions. delivered and speak about the 10th amendment hand his allegiance to the 10th amendment to allow states to be the laboratories of experiment for policy and new ideas going forward. whether that is social security reform or medicaid, all those

programs, and especially education policy, he feels very strongly that this federal government has gone far outside what our founders envisioned. it is operating well outside the bounds of the constitutional principles. he wants to rein that bin. one of his favorite lines on the stump is he wants to make the as inconsequential in our lives as possible. -- he wants to rein that in. i think people really get that. host: patricia, democratic caller in dallas, tx. caller: i just heard the gentlemen's last comment. if they want to make the government's inconsequential, why are they ready for government? does not make sense. and rick perry has taken our tax dollars and is having his entourage and we are having to pay for that. half of us in texas to not care

for rick perry. instead of using that money for his entourage like he is already president with his own private security, he needs to put teachers back to work and quit letting teachers off, and quit giving all these illegals the city and state jobs. host: let's get a response. guest: the was a recent article about the cost of the security details coming out of texas. he is the sitting governor of a very large state. the people of the state have decided to give him security protection wherever he goes. that is a very tight and relatively small group of people that provide the detail. they are exceptionally professional. i've had a great honor to meet many of them and get to work with them. the campaign is also provides other logistical support.

the cost of those services were borne by the campaign. that is really what you were asking about. there is a protective detail that goes with any governor, be it governor chris christie or governor bobby jindal, governor brown from california. any of the big states, they have security details and they follow them wherever they go, be that on official business or campaign business. host: a viewer tweets -- guest: again, this is a long process. it starts in iowa and moved to new hampshire and south carolina and that other states will be coming quickly. it is a process that begins somewhere. that is what this nomination process is, to begin to focus

the number of candidates that voters can choose from, to really set the nomination battle and policy differences ultimately between the president and our republican nominee. and so, it is just the very beginning of the process. it is a long process, a wonderful process. it is grueling, but it is a process that begins here and is ultimately the preparation for what i think is the toughest job on the planet. and that is being president of united states. host: i think you said earlier governor perry has raised 17 million, is that correct? guest: that was in the last or rather the third quarter. 2011. i don't have accurate figures or estimates in terms of the fourth quarter. host: can you estimate how much he has spent in iowa? guest: you know, i know that

there have been several million dollars spent on television. our organization has had basically every resource that we have asked for, they have been a great at. but i would caution you that there is a very serious operation in austin. they count every penny. the governor is a big fan of lean budgeting and watching his pennies. he knows very clearly than the work it takes to raise -- he knows very clearly the work that it takes to raise that kind of money. we have not spent wildly. we have spent the for their strategic purposes and can we hope to be able to justify that at the end of the analysis. host: what is it like to be inoperative on the ground helping to run a campaign in a state that goes first like iowa? what sort of resources are you

asking for from the national campaign and in austin, texas? guest: the first and foremost and single most valuable resource you can ask if the candidates in his or her time. that time, especially when you get in relatively late, when you have this national campaign to try to establish, the resources of the candidates's time is exceptionally valuable. the governor has been here a lot. he has been here especially the last month on extended bus doors. tours.s this time and his family's time is the most precious resource. beyond that there is direct mail, the ability to staff volunteers with phones that they can use, down to the mundane things like voter lists.

so it is quite an operation. there are a lot of moving parts. and our campaign has been very good at that giving us the resources especially the candidate 's time. host: where will he be today making closing arguments to iowa voters? guest: he's doing a media event right now. then he goes to the northwest part of the state and then to carol and then we will be closing naupa in the iowa town -- closing in the iowa town on perry. we will end the campaign with a flourish this evening. host: don in blue springs, missouri. caller: happy new year.

i have a question on the electability issues everybody is talking. i have heard that romney is the number-one elected a candidate. but when i see romneycare and that he's only been elected to one elections. daniel everett santorum, who -- and then you have rick santorum, who has a spending problem and lost in his own state. i don't see how people get the message that rick perry is more electable -- is not more electable? he hasnever appea -- never lost an election and has balanced several budgets. why is that message is not getting out? guest: thank you. the message has clearly gotten out to you. i appreciate the call and the comment. that is what this campaign has really been about.

governor perry is the candidate, in our opinion, that can really bridge a lot of fish gaps -- issue gaps. he talked to both sides of the aisle. he has a great record of success. going forward as well. what we have tried to say is many candidates can stand up and talk about things. many candidates can say what they want to do. there's only one man on that stage that can not only lay out a broad vision but back in and out with success he has had in texas. his record in texas is second to none. not just in terms of job creation but a lot of fiscal and conservative issues. he has been fantastic. that record really will resonate across the country. host: robert house, you have had a role in creating radio, tv, and web ads.

i wonder if you have been part of that work in iowa? -- robert haus. guest: we have a really fantastic team, based on messaging and media specialists. i've been involved in some of those teams. it is quite a collective creative concept that has put our message out. host: 1 last phone call. michelle, independent in michigan. caller: happy new year. i just want to make a comment. there was an earlier caller who said that rick perry did not represent iowa. your response to her was this is a republican caucus. i just wanted to make a comment, if you want to reach the people who feel that he does not

represent them, you cannot just assume that she is not willing to vote for a republican. that is a quick comment, because i think that what happens if a is a lot of the campaigns are in campaign mode. if you are not -- you just must be a democrat or something. but she did not specify what she was. she only said she did not feel he represented her. host: michelle is an independent in southfield, michigan. appeal governor perry's to independent voters? guest: i appreciate the call. i may have misstated it. thanks for calling me on the carpet. i was trying to just make sure that we keep things in perspective. i do think and firmly believe that the governor's message and his vision for america will reach across party lines. there will never be a candidate

that will attract. attract. this is about a choice. ultimately, the general election in 2012 will be a very stark contrast between a president, president obama, whose economic record and foreign policy record have been abysmal, i think, at least in our opinion, and a republican nominee who will lay out his or her broad vision of how to get america working again. i believe that will be governor. . i think his vision for getting america working again willie will attract a lot of people, especially independents and conservative democrats -- who his vision will really attract a lot of people. host: thank you, sir, for your time. guest: thank you. it's been an honor. host: we are all iowa all the

time on washington journal. coverage continues for the next 35 hours. we will stick with newt gingrich's caucus chairman, linda upmeyer. first, back to des moines to catch up with our c-span 2012 campaign bus and learn more about a program that is giving college students a firsthand look at the iowa caucuses. >> the campaign bus is right outside the iowa state capitol in des moines traveling across the nation to educate students particularly about the political process. today we are hosting students from vanderbilt university. they are part of something known as the iowa caucus roling seminar. guest:it began as a robust and co-curricular experiential learning program that provides an opportunity for students to take what they ever endured about and written about in their

classrooms and take it out and see it applied in real time, to apply what they learned, and to get a context for their education apart from the classroom. it is sort of taking the classroom and putting it on wheels and bring it for the caucuses. host: when you get here, you divide the group into teams. guest: 3 teams. we have a team of students working for governor romney and a team working for speaker gingrich, and its third team called team america, the independence, an affiliated voters. host: you probably seen the background. all the students from the program in joining our c-span resources. tyler bishops is a student. guest: i signed up because i've always had a passion for politics and others would be a great opportunity to get my feet in the water a in the field, and it's been an experience of a lifetime. host: what team?

guest: i am part of themed america, an affiliated on this trip. i thought this would be a great experience to see how it works and experience the grass roots of an american presidential election. host: what have you done since you have been here? guest: we had an opportunity yesterday to me to newt gingrich in ames, iowa at a busy event. -- at one of his events. after that we experienced iowa, drove around des moines. last night we went to a speech of a journalist. host: what have you learned? guest: i have seen the passions that people here have for their system. they're very proud. right fully so. it is an intricate system. to see how the candidates truly go out and make their case face- to-face with candidates.

it is very interesting. host: what do you hope they will gain from mcnall? guest: research has shown that the earlier students are engaged in civic participation and voting, the sooner they will likely become lifelong habits. that is one of the key things we want students to come back with. it's a passion for public service, involvement. also, a good way for students to begin thinking about their lives post vendor build and what they want to do in terms of their careers. i had a conversation with a student yesterday talking about possibly working in a campaign management. and drinking experience in. a long-term goal of this is to have students have a context for their education and an ability to apply it . in real life it host: have you done this program before? guest: yes, 2008. we had such a great time and there was such a great student response that it was easy to do again. host: was experience different?

guest: yes, for me. one of the big difference is this year is this is predominantly a republican race in 2012. the last time there were more candidates on both sides. the democratic race was very hot that year. in that sense it is been different. but in terms of the passion of the caucus goers, the intense interest, that is there as always. it is a very special place. host: what is your interest as far as a career? guest: mostly corporate law. i've always wanted to get into that field. i am not interested in politics, opportunity presents itself, i would be interested in that sort of career. host: say hi, students, say hi to your parents. we have 10 to 15 students here

on the campaign bus. the last word about the program? guest: it's a great program and a great privilege for me to have the front row seat to american political issues being made and to have some of the brightest students in america. host: students from vanderbilt and their director, thank you. host: washington journal continues this morning from our studio in des moines, iowa. joining us is linda upmeyer, the iowa house republican leader expands the iowa caucus chairman for newt gingrich. let's begin first with why you are supporting the former speaker newt gingrich. guest: good morning. the reason i am supporting newt gingrich in this election is because i believe that 2012 election -- that the 2012 election and campaign will be about jobs and the economy and ideas and solutions for that will rebuild the kind of america

that we all love. i just could not think of a better person to accomplice that than newt gingrich. host: if you look at the des moines register poll which came out yesterday, it shows your candidate in fourth place. theres leading the polls bea earlier in november. now he has fallen back to fourth place. what do you make of that? guest: we were leading the polls earlier on. we had a huge momentum, lots of volunteers came on board. that poll ended on friday night. three of scene numbers move. we have seen lots of people getting on board. we think we are in an upward trend. so we are very optimistic. it is very clear that the negative ads have made an impact. when used in the amount of money that has been spent and the time

and energy beating up on someone, it has an effect. the speaker is working very hard to respond to each of those attacks. to make sure that the truth is available iowan and americans in setting the record straight. host: we just heard from rick perry's representative in iowa. he said that there are winners and there are whiners, talking about newt gingrich responding to negative ads. how do you respond to that about your candidate? guest: i believe newt gingrich is absolutely a winner. i don't consider it twining when your response to ads that are factually incorrect -- whining. it's his responsibility to do that and that is what he's doing. host: what your responsibilities as caucus chair person for newt

gingrich? guest: i have been able to help him with the original networking and have worked with him to be in front of people at various times. my responsibilities are not day- to-day operations. being here and working with the campaign in the final days really kind of on the ground is fabulous. i've spent time at the headquarters with volunteers, which is something i love. it's what the grass-roots campaigns are all about. that is what i do mostly. host: what is newt gingrich's closing argument to voters over the next 35 hours or so? guest: i think that he will absolutely talk about jobs and the economy. the reason he's the best candidate to put the united states by contract and rebuild america, as well. when you look back at the history that he has had in congress, in the 1990's he helped create 11 million jobs, he moved us from a deposition to

a surplus, those are important andgs for opwwaiowans americans. we also need him to reopen the foreign policy. these are critical times for us to direct relationships, to correct decisions in foreign policy. he has a fabulous background in that as well. this is a time we need an experienced leader where he will press congress to do the things that need to be done. he knows how to work with congress, casinos the relationship between congress and the president, and work will get done. the job will be done will get completed under a . deal would a host: tells about his organization efforts in iowa. -- the job will get completed under gingrich.

host: tell us about his organization efforts in iowa. guest: erick candidates will try to have a speaker at as many precincts as they can. i did not spend a lot of time at the headquarters yesterday, because it has been amazing. we have tripled and then tripled again the number of people that will be speaking at precincts. we aren't merely there to having the precincts covered. we think it's going to be an exciting night. host: let's get some phone calls. mark, an independent. caller: good morning. i want to know how newt gingrich is going to help the american people with jobs when he was involved with the nasa -- nafta and shipping jobs overseas. this interest is about foreign countries and not the american people. the same goes for romney and

rick perry. host: let's get a response from linda upmeyer. guest: speaker gingrich has done a wonderful job of creating jobs. he has his strong record of creating nearly 11 million jobs when he was the speaker of the house over his term there. he also moved the country from a deficit to surplus. i i think we have evidence that jobs can predict that that job can be completed. we also have evidence that he has worked very well with foreign leaders and tents across the table and complete that work. so i think we have history that shows that can be done. as far as immigration, the first thing the speaker intends to do by 2014 is have the southern border secured. that's the first up here is making sure that employers are employing illegal immigrants. he has been very clear about the importance of doing just that. host: niki is next, democratic

caller in norwood, conn. caller: thanks for taking my call. hi, linda. i've been a 40-year registered democrat. i was really unhappy in 2006 when they got the democrats in. i like newt gingrich, but i think that a lot of people are thinking about giving him a second chance based on stuff that happened back in 1994. basically, what i'm about to do is i am going to call -i have called for scott brown from massachusetts, but i am going to call for rick santorum in connecticut to call be a iowa people. i believe in rick santorum. i like what he's doing. i do like what newt gingrich is doing. i like michelle bachmann. i definitely don't like mitt romney. if but if mitt romney is the one that wins, anybody but obama.

so that is where i am going. i can give you all the reasons why i don't like obama. it's not because he's black. it has to do with a lot of issues that he's doing backhandedly while he is doing nice things in front where everybody thinks he has done more than any other president. host: ok, that was nikki, a democrat in norwood, conn. guest: thank you for that question. you are absolutely right. americans embrace diversity. i absolutely understand where you are coming from. i think we have a lot of good candidates in the field. there's no doubt about it. many of them could make a good alternative to president obama. i think that the speaker's real strength is the fact that when this is over, when the people -- after iowa and new hampshire, as

the crowd thins out a little, i think the support will come behind newt gingrich. i think in the end we will at a race that is between governor romney and speaker gingrich. that at that point there will be a very clear contrast between a more moderate and a true conservative. between experience that we can move forward and make sure that we have the history and someone that is going to actually go to washington and get the job done. host: denise, independent in new hampshire. caller: i was so thrilled i got on. first-time caller. i am a c-span listener all the time. i wanted to let you know i am independent and my husband is republican. when we watch newt gingrich every time and are undecided, we keep going back and saying this guy is smart, intelligent, can definitely win against obama. i just wanted to say, go, linda,

keep at it. i will see newt gingrich when it comes to new hampshire. i think we will get out to see him. we keep going back to him behind all the other guys. i am very independent. i could even vote democrat. newt is a good guy. he has proven everything and is a good man. host: denise in new hampshire. linda upmeyer, tell us about how you can to support speaker gingrich and when. guest: you know, i have known the speaker for some time and have gotten to know him better and better over the last four years. i wanted him to run for president four years ago. he decided not to. so this time i was thrilled when he was toying with the idea of very early on. he happens to be happened to be in the iowa in february and i was privileged to introduce him

that day. at the end of the speech i just realized that this is a man that has the ideas and the solutions that will carry this country forward. and so, when the speed n, iluded, i said i am it want to support your campaign. i told the crowd i thought this would make a fabulous president. since february this is what i have been doing. host: i read on your website that you do extend an evangelical church in iowa. some social conservatives have been hesitant to support the speaker because of his three marriages. i was wondering how you came to terms with that and whether it matters. guest: i think it matters. it matters to people because they want to know the answer. and so, that was one of the questions i asked. i knew it would be asked

regularly along the campaign trail. this is what struck me. the absolute sincerity and authenticity he answer the question is heartfelt. when i listened to him talk about the choices he made, if we had a duel over, he would do some things differently in his life. i think all of us would. we all recognize there are things we would like to change about our personal history over the years. so when he talks about that, and talks about his daughters and grandchildren and the importance faith has played in his life and the fact that he has reconciled ,his past failures with god with his family, and in his heart, when people hear that they go, that's right, we accept that and we need to move on. host: here's a tweet from one of

our viewers -- guest: that might be a great combination. i had not heard that. it is early to talk about vp candidates. host: raleigh, north carolina, democratic line. caller: i have been listening to you talk about how newt is going to create all these jobs. and when he was speaker of the house, president clinton -- every program that he could do. newt was such a great leader that members of the republican caucus that he put into office threw him out. if he could not lead the republican caucus, which he created, how can he lead our

great country? guest: thank you for that question. thank you very much for the question. i think j.c. watts probably frames that better than anyone i have heard. and he was there. he was one of the folks that came to congress and was very early engaged as a share of the subcommittee, got to do important work. that was something new and different in washington. newt gingrich appointed bright young people that came to washington to make a difference and made them committee chairs when some of the folks that had been there long time did not get those committee chairs. it is not surprising to me as the majority leader -- it is hard to keep everybody friends all the time. so you disappoint some people on occasion and some people are

much more pleased with the outcomes. but i don't think it is surprising that some of the people that perhaps were passed over for important work at that time, or did not get to play the exact role they wanted to play and maybe were disappointed with the outcome. but i think history and the record clearly stand. even if people were disappointed and washington insiders think that newt would be a choice that's much more formidable than they would like to have right now, the record still stands. host: murray, a republican in bethlehem, georgia. caller: i absolutely agree with what linda said. newt is the only one that has a record of success in congress. i mean, it was a republican takeover. he h balanced the budget hee drag -- he balanced the budget. he dragged president clinton.

newt does not want to follow these socialist programs. we know he can do it. i wish him the best of luck. guest: thank you. host: houston, texas, nancy, an independent. caller: good morning. i was calling about newt gingrich. i am an independent but really leaning toward him. he reminds me of churchill, that he will get done what needs to be done and will fight with everybody, and will probably only be a one-term president, but i think our country would be better off if he were offit. that's all i have to say. -- our country would be better off if he were leading it. guest: thank you. many people along the campaign trail have compared him with churchill. if it is important to recognize

this is a candidate who will go still to go with whoever needs tube to defend a country and make sure, comerica is the greatest country in the world. -- with whomever he needs to in order to defend the country and to make sure america is the greatest country. host: michael, democratic caller, bloomington, illinois. caller: question. good morning and happy new year. what policies that president obama initiated that you do like or what can your candidate do to improve upon it? if your candidates gets to the

white house, what will he do to sustain some of the policies? thank you. guest: that requires a very long answer. so this is a good time for me to point out that i would encourage each of you to go to newt.org and click on the solutions tab. he fleshes out every one of those policies very effectively there, much better than i could do on a few moments on the program this morning. he was very clear that on a thursday there's a long list of things he would do. one of the first things would be to get rid of all of the czars than a been appointed. legislative branch and executive branch have very clear and separate roles. he would make sure that those cap back in place. we donated czars making policy.

czars don't need making policy. the fact that young people today on college campuses are rallying so that they can own a piece of their own future by having savings accounts and investment accounts that would substitute for social security, i think, it is very clear the changes he would make on an immigration as well. obamacare would be repealed first thing, because we know this is a system that is going to be so costly and cumbersome that we simply cannot afford it. what he has said is that we need to focus on the cost and quality of health care instead. we need to further investigate the things that keep americans helping. if we need to tackle the research going down the path of brain science, the enormous cost of things like alzheimer's

disease to the public. when we can tackle some of those things and when we can put the doctor patient relationship back together, those are things that will save us a great deal of money in the health-care system. tackling fraud and abuse. such a long list. i apologize for not being able to cover everything new this morning. i encourage you to go to newt.org and look at all the solutions. host: a tweet from a viewer -- guest: you know, that is a situation that he was acting as a consultant with a consulting business in washington, d.c. whether you argue that consulting businesses are valid or not, it is perfectly

legitimate business and it's perfectly legitimate -- a perfectly legitimate practice. he did not lobby. he had a strategy sessions with fannie mae and freddie mac and pointed out that they needed more regulation, that they needed to do things differently if if there are going to maintain a viable housing program. viable housing is an opportunity to encourage people to own housing and that remains something the speaker supports. you do not encourage people to have their own home by getting them in a situation where they are upside-down in the market and cannot make their mortgage payment. so he advised them how they could do this more effectively. the facts that they did not take his advice is disappointing. but at no time did the lobby. watts was thet chair of the cost of committee

that provided oversight to fannie mae and freddie mac and has testified repeatedly that at no time did newt gingrich ever call and discuss it with him. he simply pointed out to the organization the opportunities they have to have a good program. host: linda upmeyer on the screen for our viewers is a photograph of speaker gingrich in the christian science monitor's latest edition. the headline is -- what do you make of that as an iowan? guest: we all need iowa. it's a great place to work the bugs out and to do retail

politics. iowans are very tune in to the political process, they are smart people and they care about iowa and the country. it is a wonderful place for the candidates to come to get that job done. if it is a good place for some candidates to decide maybe this is not the thing they want to do. and for other candidates to really get comfortable and moving forward to all the other states and we end up with a president that is thoroughly vetted by the people. all host: 20, new york, liz, an independent. caller: i heard you say you want to appeal obamacare. so, i will tell you how i v iew the handling of health care to this point and i would like to know what the speaker's opinion is. gave in the early 2000's

seniors additional benefits without making any effort to control costs. costs -- cost probably associated with small oligarchies of health insurance companies. we did not prevent health insurance companies from making more money. we we throw more money at reimbursing these companies at higher rates. i saw obama attempt to address this. in the end, we did the same thing. we are increasing tax their responsibility on higher costs. the same goes for pharmaceuticals. i have seen both parties deliver additional tax funding to insurance companies, and i think that is where the main cost of health care is being

driven to. i want to know what the speaker's id on that specifically is. guest: a couple of things, without rehashing history. i am a nurse practitioner, so i am living the world in my day job and i followed health care for a long time. one of the biggest reasons is important to repeal obamacare is that every state knows how do provide services best to their own citizens. as an iowan, i know we were working hard to move forward and had done a very good job of making sure there was a safety net, but making sure that we had one of the lowest cost, highest quality systems in the nation. i am very concerned that as a not atl system, we're

liberty to provide the best care to iowans but get burdened with some of the same problems that states like new york, new jersey, california, florida, a very large states have. i want the ability to make those decisions in the state and iowans services to guest: speaker gingrich supports that. one thing that is true -- i think we all agree that one size doesn't fit all. having some flexibility, trading opportunities for affordability, the ability to afford some consortium with a regional entities, other states nearby, would serve our population very well. we know that we can save

hundreds of millions of dollars if we tackle the issue moving from a paper system to an electronic billing system that is more effective and efficient. people would move forward with that, as well as making sure we are addressing the growth in medicare, not moving any of the benefits that seniors are enjoying, but rather, making sure they are provided much more effective and efficiently and providing more choice. if the current system is going to -- hfa's aren't allowed, and yet we know that they are one of the best things that has ever happened to health care, when people can make choices about their health care. the incentive to remaining in good health as opposed to illness. host: thomas, republican in

kentucky, go ahead. caller: thanks for taking my call. my question is why hasn't mitt romney's performance in the private sector been examined by the news media? fox, hln, cnn, msnbc, no one asks the hard questions of mitt romney's performance. this man has bankrupted companies. he has put workers out of jobs. he is very negative. he has never had a positive -- anything positive in his career. exposed. i want to know when the news media is going to expose him to the voters of the united states. he is very weak. when he has asked a question, he is very nervous and scared and

borders on being a coward. he could not stand up to these foreign presidents. host: thomas, i think we got your point. linda upmeyer. guest: well, i cannot answer that question. the media does not come to me and asked for tips. they do, i will pass that along. host: william is next in kentucky. william, you are on the air. caller: thank you. longtime listener, first time getting through. i have a question for the lady there. when mr. gingrich, if he were to be elected, could we expect more of the same policies that have been articulated by obama, like tarp, can we expect it a little more of him digging into fannie mae and freddie mac for a little bit more money than got before?

host: caller, you are asking about newt gingrich? caller: yes, ma'am. guest: i am not sure i heard all of the question, but i will answer the parts i did here. speaker gingrich's been very clear that it is important to break up fannie mae and freddie mac. it needs to be broken into chunks that can be much more closely examined and create much more transparency. i think that would be different than what is going on today. i apologize some of the early part was cut out. host: i think you answered it. ray in richmond, indiana. caller: good morning. i've been getting conflicting reports from cnn and everyone else. i got a report yesterday saying that the final tally -- [unintelligible]

possibly be counted in illinois -- host: hold on, ray, you are breaking out. you are hearing that the final tally from iowa would be counted in illinois? caller: yes, that was a report on capitol radio. i read that this morning on the internet. with her having the title of the republican leader, i want to know where the votes are going to be counted. are they doing anything different this time? iodate being touted behind closed doors? host: let's talk about how the caucuses work. go ahead, linda upmeyer. guest: sure, that is requested every individual boat will be counted at the caucus -- sure, that is a great question. any individual vote will be counted at the caucus. each of the candidates has the opportunity to have an observer

what the count. they are called into a central location, and all that is tallied. typically, that is at party headquarters in des moines. i'm not positive if that is exactly the location in this year, but it will be a central location in iowa, and that is when the votes will be added together and we will have results. host: you will get to see the caucuses unfold on c-span and c- span2 tomorrow night. our coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. connie, democratic caller bank in maryland. caller: to be a christian, i don't understand how you can sit there and say you are for newt gingrich. you need to read the bible in mark, luke, and john. you should go down to where newt lives. he was sitting in a driveway

having oral sex with a lady -- host: connie, we are going to move on from there. margaret in shreveport, louisiana. caller: good morning. hello? host: you are on the air, talking with linda upmeyer. caller: good morning. i am so, so happy that you like newt gingrich, because he is a great man. i am 78 years old. i have followed newt since he worked for ronald reagan. he is a great man. he is so smart he is so just intelligent. he would make our country a great president. i think he could really, really work with both parties. i think that he would be able to put mr. obama down.

i thank you very much, linda. guest: thank you, mary. i think the debate between newt gingrich and president obama would be absolutely the most interesting debate. there is no doubt that the speaker has a great talent for very effectively communicating ideas and solutions that we all understand very well. that is one of his real strength. very clear, very transparent. it is really a welcome change. host: we are talking with linda upmeyer, state house leader, talking about newt gingrich's strategy in iowa. we spoke earlier with a

representative for rick perry tomorrow, ron paul's campaign director will be on "washington journal." as you can see on our twitter page, michele bachmann will be on "washington journal" tomorrow, 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. eastern time. transport,o louisiana > -- shreveport, louisiana. indiana, bob is a republican. caller: the health care, not the obamacare, but the health care, sounds a lot like the massachusetts health care that mitt romney set up. i would like to basically say that i am retired of the c-span doing this iowa caucus day after day. i hope you all are going to something else. they are not going to make it

too much difference in this country to people of this country are fed up with all of the politicians. we want to see the discussions of how the oil companies are just raping people with prices so high. we spend a lot of money donating to c-span, so we would like to -- host: i will stop you there and clarify a few things. c-span is paid for by the cable companies. you pay a few cents in your cable bill every month so that we can provide this public service to you all, brought to you by the cable companies. second, we covered those issues a lot here on c-span. we are covering the iowa caucuses in iowa, have been four weeks. linda upmeyer, if i could have you respond to the comments about the relevance of iowa. guest: i think iowa is very

relevant in that we have the opportunity to meet and talk with these candidates and share the experience with all of you. it is a great opportunity for us, and we hope a great service to you as well. i am sure you have had people on who are not necessarily directors or tiers of campaigns, but rather, regular iowans and how this influence is their lives. business people in town and all over iowa, where candidates, to the coffee shops and shake hands and talk to people having coffee there, it is a great opportunity to read sharing that with america, letting you know what our impressions are, is very valuable. and to the energy issue, let me say the speaker gingrich has a clear message on energy as well. he is for all kinds of energy in making sure that we are energy independent in this country.

host: let me get one last phone call in for you here. this is a democrat in michigan. -- lucas is a democrat in michigan. good morning. you are on the air. caller: thanks for my -- good morning. how are you doing? this is my first time of calling c-span. i want to tell you you are doing a tremendous job. host: all right, i'm going to leave it there, because you have to turn down your television when you call in. you have to listen through your phone. otherwise we get the feedback and it is confusing for everybody involved. where will the campaign be today in iowa? guest: he was headed towards independence -- gosh, greta,

you got me a little off-guard there. i use track of the days. -- lose track of the days. i know i will be working here in des moines at campaign headquarters and with some of you folks to rise today. host: what are you going to be doing? making phone calls? guest: i am going to be making phone calls, and going to be talking with volunteers, getting ready for the caucuses tomorrow night. yes, taking phone calls. host: linda upmeyer, iowa caucus chairman for newt gingrich, thank you very much. guest: thank you very much. i enjoyed it. host: our coverage continues from iowa. coming up next, we will talk to the governor of iowa, terry branstad. first, the campaign 2012 bus is in iowa, today hosting students

from vanderbilt university who are getting inside it looks at the caucus process. >> the way they do that is by participating in something called the iowa caucus rolling seminar, coming and splitting into three teams, team romney, a teeming gingrich, and team america. participating in the process. tell us what team you are on. >> i am team mitt romney. . newt.am >> team america. >> what are the standouts since you arrive for the caucus process? >> meeting the people, meeting iowans directly involved, being here and experiencing the caucus. they have been alarming as to how dedicated they are to their causes. >> what did you learn that you did not know before? >> i did not know how different

it could be at each county. different people provide different insights. they operate the caucuses entirely differently. >> all of you have participated in this process via twitter. they took photos of their expenses and posted them on their twitter account. why are you team newt. >> i am a supporter for several reasons, and being able to participate, talking about white they are for certain that it's come why they are undecided, that is interesting as well. >> did you learn something specifically about the candidates since you have been here? >> i was able to meet newt gingrich, and he was really just very open and very kind and very loving, actually. he was laughing and joking in very personal. i learned a lot about how he

will interact, because there are youth voters out there, too. >> what about your experiences with team romney? >> it has been a great working with the romney campaign, seeing how disciplined the romney operation has been having worked on a few campaigns, it really is impressive seeing the people of iowa start to make their decisions. >> because you are also putting different causes, what is the feedback from these expenses? >> people are sometimes arguing about what candidate is better based on principle, how they are operating their campaigns, but there is also been a lot of argument on approach and how you approach a campaign and how you approach given issues, which is really interesting. >> and you? >> sam and i tended to debate on the candidate of all -- >> i am sure you have been doing that. >> it is fun, because we're both

republicans and we want to see a strong republican candidate. it is fun and entertaining to pope jabs at one another, the candidates -- poke jabs at one another, the candidates. >> at the end of the day, we agree on more than we disagree about. we see the polls changing and just how things are going to turn out. >> you are on break from school. white be in iowa -- why be in iowa for this? >> it is great to see this unfolds, how the candidates interact. >> what better way to spend your new year's eve than in des moines, iowa? this is maybe a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity. once in every four years. the chance to see the political realm and immerse yourself into it and interact with it and see

candidates any action is awesome. >> what do you take away from it? >> there are many more informed citizens in america than people give it credit for. >> if you go that way, they are hanging out in the front of our bus. wave hi to the folks at home. 10 to 15 students participating in the process. how many of you have learned something about the caucus process you did not know before? raise your hand. ok, most people are getting that experience at vanderbilt university. what is the last word you want to tell folks about your experience? >> team america. >> it specifically looks at the other candidates not represented by it team romney and team gingrich. >> we met with the "morning joe" cast, mike and joe, and we are seeing michele bachmann today and probably ron paul.

>> last word. >> there is so much you can learn about the political process and just about the candidates, and it is a great to be an active citizen. >> i know you want the last word, so go ahead. >> be involved in support mitt romney. >> students from venerable university. thank you. -- from a vanderbilt university. thank you. host: our "washington journal" coverage continues could we go to our des moines studio, where republican gov. terry branstad joins us. let me show you your paper, "the des moines register." "the final 36 hours. are you going to endorse? >> i am not going to endorse. i just want to be a good house, and i will go to my precinct caucus in ogden, iowa, to

participate tomorrow night i think we will have a great turnout. i take this very seriously. i am hopeful that we will have a wonderful turnout tomorrow night. host: why not endorse? guest: as governor of the first in the nation caucus, i want to make sure we have a level playing field and everybody has an opportunity. i think what rick santorum has done is show that even without a lot of resources who puts together an organization and goes to all 99 counties in iowa can do very well. mitt romney has come back here and put a lot of effort in in the closing weeks. early on, i was a little critical that he did not spend enough time, certainly he is spending a lot of time and energy now. they have been doing a bus torbit ron paul has spent a lot of time here. he, too, is doing well. we tell politics is important.

we know the debates, we know that social media and many things are important in the political process as well. you cannot beat meeting with real people and answering their questions, showing what your plan is. america just cannot afford it four more years of barack obama increasing the national debt $1 trillion a year, attacking the very entrepreneurs and business people we need to invest and grow gray jobs and the country we need a nuclear, and caucus goers will to -- and import -- we need a new leader, and caucus goers will play an important role in deciding the next president of the united states. if you are not part of the top three in iowa, you will not be a contender in new hampshire.

it is going to be who is going in newomney's rival hampshire. the real loser is jon huntsman, thekept >-- who skipped iowa caucuses. he will get no support here, and it is a failed strategy, and as a result, i don't think he will get attention in new hampshire, either. rudy giuliani four years ago decided to skip the early states and focus on florida to it by the time they got to florida, it was too late for him. i think the candidates about their time and energy and resources you will find some reward for doing so. we are appreciative of the role that real iowans play in this important process of choosing the next leader of the united states. host: if the "des moines

register" poll that came out yesterday holds, and it is mitt romney, followed by ron paul and it and santorum -- and then rick santorum -- let me show you the headline in "the new york times ." "santorum's challenge -- broaden his appeal beyond evangelical christians." you agree with that, that he needs to do that? guest: yes, but he has already brought in his appeal. people see somebody who is sincere, who has significant knowledge on foreign policy as well. obviously, romney, having been governor, having rested the winter olympics in utah, having a business background and experience, also has strength. it is up to the voters to evaluate who they think has the best experience and background, who they think will be the best leader of the country. contrast that with obama, who came here four years ago, campaigned as somebody who could unite the country.

instead, he has been a divider. instead of bringing the country together with a bipartisan plan to reduce the growing federal debt, he instead has attacked the very people that we needed to invest and create jobs in our country, and he has burdened us with a huge debt, increasing the size of government, more regulations and more taxes. we are going in the wrong direction, and we have to turn that around. the regulatory burdens are causing a lot of decision makers to have resources to choose not to invest in america. host: governor branstad, which of those three candidates, reported by "the des moines register as leading, as long- term sustainability to make it through the nominating process? guest: well, that is up to the voters to decide. i believe that iowa will take

the responsibility seriously and will choose the one and they think will be the strongest and best candidate. don't't plan to always -- claim to always pick the one will be the nominee, but there are candace you will go on to compete in new hampshire. the process has been shortened. new hampshire comes a week later, then you have south carolina and florida. it is exciting and we appreciate the tremendous interest and attention and effort that is being put up here. i expect we will have a great turnout tomorrow night. i predicting 140,000 people, which would be an all-time record for the republican caucuses. host: what do you make of ron paul's decision to go back to texas over the weekend and not campaign in iowa when there are many who have not made up their mind and to change their vote tomorrow night?

guest: i don't know. that is a strategic position the candidate has made. you are right, there are a lot of and divided it voters. there are people who are really way in this important choice, recognizing the future of the country is at stake. we need to choose the best candidate. ron paul has found a responsive chord because of his stand on reducing the federal deficit, voting against manipulation of the currency, that sort of thing. there is a lot of questions being raised in the closing days of the campaign. host: there are questions in "the des moines register" about your political future, about you possibly being a vp. former senator bob dole called you over the weekend to say that he was endorsing mitt romney, and during the call, the two- time iowa caucus winner says he

would like to recommend you for veep. what you think? guest: i am honored and humbled by that. bob dole is a great friend. we call him the president of iowa, because he is so well loved by the people of iowa. i am focusing on my job as governor. we will deliver the state of the state address and work hard to get our state budget under control. we are focusing on jobs and education and revitalizing the iowa economy and we want a president who will share those views. i want to stay in iowa, but i will do everything i can to support a strong republican to win back the white house and get the country back on track. host: republican in florida. go ahead. caller: yes, good morning, governor. guest: good morning, ron.

caller: i was just wondering, your headliners' out there are newt gingrich, which has been , mitt to be a liar romney -- he just wiped out one after another company. rick santorum, and i am a catholic, have been an altar boy, but bible thumping is not what we need to have. and mr. paul is not what we need to have. i talked to my friends but nobody complained about mr. bush making all those wars and not paying for them, and now we get on mr. obama on trying to do the right thing and pay for them. republicans should of been hopping from day one. host: governor? guest: first of all, when obama

was elected, he had democratic control of both congress and he got what he wanted. he dramatically increased spending, he passed all these bailouts and stimulus, and that gave us this trillion-dollar national debt. i think many people are critical of bush for overspending and getting the country in trouble, but under obama, it has gotten worse, not better. the debt has gone up so dramatically to . we are going up $1 billion a year. we cannot afford that. then he pushed through this obama healthcare plan, which is on affordable, unsustainable. i know the governor of florida feels strongly about it. in my state, 150,000 people on the medicaid rolls. medicaid is already out of control. it is the fastest-growing part of our budget. the federal government needs to

give the states flexibility to deal with these issues. i want iowa to become the healthiest state in the nation, it to have people take control of their own health. we do not need a one-size-fits- all federal takeover of the health-care system. that is why we need to get rid of obama's health care and have a republican leader who understands that it is the free enterprise system, not the federal government, to revitalize the american economy. host: a tweet. guest: well, the way this happened is the republicans and democrats decided to get together to get more public participation. we set our caucus dates the same night, and as a result of that, the candidates saw this as an opportunity to have a real test of real voters, and started coming to iowa. we built this tradition along

with new hampshire and we have worked hard to maintain it. we are a relatively small state. intelligent, well informed voters, take the responsibility very seriously to is not like, say, florida, california, or new york, where it costs a fortune to run. you have candidates like rick santorum who don't have resources but at a time and energy and effort here and are doing well. this is a state that also launched jimmy carter, the unknown governor of georgia. some of us may regret that, but nevertheless, iowa voters to take his responsibility seriously, i think the caucus process is great. we want to keep iowa first in the nation. host: houston, texas. pat, independent. caller: i would like to correct the speaker, please do not interrupt me to number one,

president obama is not the divider. republicans made up their mind when he was elected that they were not going to participate in anything he had to do. no. 2, iowa does not represent the rest of the united states. 97% white? i don't think so. no. 3, the affordable health care act -- the free enterprise system, they refused -- you give them their money, and they refuse to pay your bills. that is how the free enterprise system works. the other thing -- you talk about regulations and taxes. taxes are the lowest they have been since after the great depression. what do you think -- why do you think that president obama has raised taxes? why did president bush a lower taxes when we had more expenses?

that doesn't make sense. host: i will leave it there and get a response from the governor. guest: there is a number of attacks she has made there. let me start out by saying that president obama was elected with the majority of democrats in control both houses of congress. instead of really reaching out and working with republicans, a massive increase in the size of the federal government, the stimulus plans the that increased spending dramatically. the result of that was the american people overwhelmingly rejected the democratic control the congress, and in 2010 elected a republican majority in the house. republicans picked up a number of senate seats as well. that is a rejection of the direction the president was leading the country. he had an opportunity last year with the state of the union address to put together a bipartisan plan to address the problem of the country, a

trillion-dollar increase in the national debt year after year. he had the simpson-bowles commission, bipartisan, made good recommendations, he ignored them, he pointed, he failed to provide leadership. the result is that we have had this conflict with the congress. the president is the one who is elected nationwide to lead the country but he has failed in leadership. we need a new leader, somebody who can bring the country together and will recognize that it is not the federal government, but the private enterprise system, that is going to revitalize the economy. and the tax rates are not the lowest they have been paid tax collections are low. tax collections are low because people are out of work and businesses are free to invest, because this administration wants to impose more regulations on our utilities, drive up costs for consumers, more regulations on business, making it harder to start a business.

we need to instead incentivize people to start business and create jobs. when i was governor before, canadian companies -- we were able to attract canadian companies to iowa. today, the canadian carbon tax is lower than ours. the financial system is stronger. we have american companies saying we are going to move to canada instead of canadian companies moving to america. that is what has happened in recent years, and that is why we need to the ship, not somebody to attack the very people -- that is why we need new leadership, not somebody who will attack the very people we need to create jobs in this country. it is the great private sector we need to have confidence again in america. when you have a president attacking the very people you need to have investing and

creating jobs, it causes people to be very concerned and leery about investing in taking that risk. host: alan, democrat in rhode island. alan, good morning, thanks for waiting. you are on the air with the governor. caller: good morning, governor. guest: good morning. caller: first of all, i am a little disappointed, i wanted to know your opinion towards separation of church and state. what i have seen yesterday, michele bachmann attending a church service, signing autographs, talking issues after the church service is over, people holding up "michele bachmann for president" signs right in church. then i saw this morning rick perry coming out of some service, and one of the first questions to him was "how were the contributions?"

i guess i'm a little disappointed in that. i have always been a firm believer in separation of church and state. host: governor? guest: think of jesse jackson. jesse jackson built his whole campaign based on black churches in the country. i don't think is wrong to say that just because you belong to a church or are active in church that you cannot read as bait in the political process. i am catholic -- that you cannot participate in the political process. i am catholic. we in the catholic church don't really permit that much political activity within churches. i think that is up to individual churches and -- up to individual churches to make that contribution. we have seen activists in both parties that have used their base in the churches to effectively mobilized people. certainly, martin luther king

used to the churches to help mobilize people in the civil rights movement. the chargers play an important role in this country -- the churches play an important role in this country. the idea is that you should not impose your religion on somebody else, but people should have the right to practice their religion, and just because they are religious people, it should not prevent them from also being active in politics. host: let me get your reaction to a headline in "the washington post" this morning. "for romney, a big hill to climb for conservative stockists to you agree with that? -- for conservatives." do you agree with that? guest: actually, we see romney coming back romney nationally is running ahead of obama in the national polls. the only poll that counts is the one they take on a election day. in iowa, caucuses are tomorrow

night. we will find out he was the strongest candidate. --. we will find out who was the strongest candidate. host: here is an email from pat in . jersey >> -- pat in new jersey. "i have learned that people can choose their registration for the few hours they needed to participate in the caucus. how does not not skew iowa to make it relevant to the process?" guest: i think that is true in most states. this is also true in our primaries as well. i am not sure what it laws are in new jersey, but in most states, if you choose to change

your registration and become a member of that party, you have a right to do that. if you want to change back the next day, you have a right to do that. this is america, i believe we are going to see a lot of republicans turnout in these caucuses. i am predicting it will be the biggest turnout we have ever had in the caucus. by the way, you have a great governor in new jersey, chris christie g. he inherited a great master at his predecessor actually is a car, -- involve -- he inherited a great mass. his predecessor is actually a crook with the wall street scandals. chris christie is an inspiration to me and many other governors who ran and got elected to do the same thing in our state. we need a president who's h -- thatas the same attitude government is not the answer it.

we need to unleash the private sector to create jobs and rebuild the american economy. host: republican in florida, you are on the air with gov. branstad. caller: praise thee for c-span. brian lamb is a santa claus for america. you put down earlier jon huntsman. china is a threat to this country paid he is the only one -- china is a threat to this country. he is the only one who can deal with that. he wants to break up the big banks, the main problem in our 2008 recession. he's the underdog, and he will become the top dog eventually . what can you folks in iowa due to show your support for the underdog will be the top dog eventually? you put him down earlier. what can you do to show support

for him? guest: he is the one that made the mistake of not campaigning in iowa and he is the one who put down iowa. he has a lot of good attribute to. -- attributes. he was a governor, ambassador to china. but if you want to become president of the united states, you don't do it by attacking one of the key swing states you need to carry to become president. i met with him in salt lake city during the national governors' meeting last summer and told him that he needs to campaign in iowa and let people know what his plans are. that is not going to be is strategy. by the time to get to florida, and he will be out of the picture. i understand he has already told his staff out of -- pulled his staff out of florida.

whoever is in the lead in iowa, and romney is in the lead in new hampshire, it will be those people competing in south carolina and florida. governor hunt's been made a tragic mistake by skipping iowa caucuses. host: "washington times" has this headline. gingrich has said that romney would buy an election if he could, saying that the former massachusetts gov. has spent too much money on this election. guest: is interesting, because one wallace spent the most -- because ron paul has spent the most money attacking gingrich. there has been a plan of attack on romney as well. some of those are coming directly from the obama administration. we need to choose a candidate we think is the strongest in the

best. i respect gingrich. i appreciate his ideas. i think he has performed well in debates. the voters are going to look at the whole picture and decide who they think is the strongest, who has the best record, and will be the best leader of our country. i have confidence in iowa caucus goers to make those decisions tomorrow night. host: john, independent in georgia. caller: governor branstad, can you tell me what business you had before he became governor? guest: i grew up on a farm, i practiced law in a small town. i was a senior partner in a two- member law firm. i was a financial adviser for our company and past the series 7 securities exam and was involved in a financial adviser for three years. then i became the president of a

private, nonprofit university, des moines university, where we have a medical school, a podiatrist school, a college of health sciences. i am proud to say that we grew the size of the school and became the first in the country to recognize the wellness council of america with the platinum level award for what we did for wellness with our faculty and staff and students. i have the goal as governor of iowa to make it the healthiest state in the nation. host: you are next with the governor. caller: huntsman is the only one who is not signed it in our quest to build -- not signed the norquist bill, which means that all the other politicians are bought and sold. obama had the first two years, but the republican congress has had the last two and has driven the country into the ditch.

the president has done everything he can to get jobs going in this country, to getting people working, to getting health care to people. all republicans have done, and this is the reason they have a 9% poll in congress, is because they have fought the poor and middle class all the way down the line. host: ok, pam. governor? guest: unfortunately, obama's stimulus did not work. we are paying for and will pay for it for decades because when you increase the national debt by $1 trillion a year, and he has done that for three straight years, he has done that with the democrats controlling the congress, republicans in control of the congress. people are looking for new leadership, and somebody who can bring the country together. obviously, we believe that the approached the president has taken, which is the government stimulus, hasn't worked. we need to attract private stimulus.

that is why reducing the regulatory and tax burdens -- there are a lot of people with money who could invest and create jobs, but they are free to do it in america because they seek penalties, and 8 c tax burdens, and they -- and they see tax burdens and that they see burdens on them, and they see the president attacking the entrepreneurs and business people that you need to have confidence and create jobs. it is the free enterprise system that made this country, and we need to reduce the tax burden on them. our neighbor canada has reduced the tax burden. canada has a stronger economy than we have in the united states. i think that is wrong, and why we need new leadership. host: howard is a republican in louisiana. caller: good morning, ma'am.

governor, i would like to make a comment and have your reply to it. there is one person in the race that has balance the federal budget, has worked to clean the the parties, independent, republican, and democrat. it seems like we're just trying to do this all out and him, and that is newt gingrich but if i'm wrong, let me know. guest: i think you make a good point. newt gingrich led the republican revolution in 1994 that got control the congress. he helped to reform the welfare system, he worked to get the federal deficit under control in fact, we had a surplus. he did work at cross the aisle with president at the time. i gave him credit for that i think iowa voters give him credit for that. but they are concerned about the other baggage he has in the past as well. people have to sort that out. the previous person on this was the republican house majority

leader, and the majority leader and speaker of the house, both republicans in the iowa legislature, who gained control of the house last year, have both endorsed congressman gingrich. iowa voters will decide which of these candidates they think is the best, and gingrich has his attributes and people can look at. they can look at the entire record of him and all the other candidates and choose who they think would be the best "washington journal -- who woue the best. host: governor, if gingrich comes in fourth in iowa, deceit lose momentum? -- does he lose momentum? guest: it would be better to be in the top three, but last time, the strong fourth was senator mccain, and he ended up becoming the nominee. the problem is he did not have the resources, and that is the problem that gingrich has now, but he then won in new hampshire and that turned it around.

obviously, it is not -- i guess -- i think you need to be in the top three or four, but if you are a strong fourth, is not the end of the cabinet of. -- it is not the end of the campaign at all. but it is obviously a strong setback. you don't have to win to go on from iowa, but if you are not in the top three or four, it becomes more difficult. host: independent in alexandria, virginia. caller: good morning, governor -- guest: good morning. caller: my question is this -- when will the republican party rejach out to minorities in a way that they would feel good about being republicans? guest: well, you may recall that

we did have a candidate who, unfortunately, has now suspended his campaign, who was a minority and had broadbased appeal. i can tell you that we have had other minority candidates do well in iowa before. if you have the right minority candidate, they can do well in the state of iowa. historically, a large share of the minority population has voted with the democratic party. as governor, i tried to be governor of the whole state, all the people, and work with everybody. i am proud of the fact that even though we don't have a large minority population, we have a growing minority population in iowa and they play and portugal in our state. we want to welcome them and incurred -- they play an important role in our state. we want to welcome them and

encourage more. host: republican line, rose in indianapolis. caller: governor, i watched you on fox news, and if you were running for president, i think the whole world would be so excited. i would vote for you in a minute. since newt is the only one that has amount to say what he thinks -- who has a mouth to say what he thinks, the only other one, i have to vote for newt. god bless you, sir. guest: thank you very much. i appreciate your very kind remarks. i think you said you were from indianapolis. mitch daniels is the governor of indiana, and he has done some great things and i admire and respect of the things he has done in his state. i am trying to do it similarly in the state of iowa.

host: can i get your reaction to the "baltimore sun" ps this morning about organization on the ground? rick perry's campaign says it will have 95% of the patients with representatives from their campaign. what is the impact of that? guest: that is encouraging for the campaign did he come early on, did not spend a lot of time in iowa, but he has put a lot of effort in the last month or so. he is very good at retail politics and he has made a good impression. he is coming back and could surprise people on caucus night. the fact that he has 95% of the caucuses covered with volunteers to make a difference. hopefully, time for a

couple more callers. kansas. caller: governor, you are extremely untruthful. first of all, we did not have a huge expansion of government under obama. about 100,000 census workers were hired and then laid off. that is about it. guest: that is not true -- caller: president obama tried hard to be bipartisan. he invited republicans it over to the white house all the time. they did not respond. it is republicans who refused to be bipartisan. host: ok, i will have the governor respond. guest: there was a lot more than the census workers. the census workers i believe were hired under the previous administration. the fact of the matter is that under obama, we have this massive stimulus, and the democrats controlled both houses of congress, so they just dramatically increased the size and cost of government. all you have to do is look at the dramatic increase in federal

employees during that period of time, and then the dramatic increase in the federal deficit ever cents. the fact is, they said this is going to prevent the unemployment rate from going over 8%. obviously, it didn't. the worst thing about it was the debt and regulatory burdens, the epa, many other agencies, and now you have federal agencies trying to stop private companies like bowling from putting plans in right-to-work states like south carolina. this has hurt our economy and put many entrepreneurs and private sector businesses to be fearful, when you have the president attacking business decision makers and the financial institutions, making people leery about investing in taking the risk to create jobs and growth the economy. that is what we need to change. host: i think we are out of time, but i want to ask you real quickly, as far as turnout

tomorrow night, what should our viewers be watching for? guest: well, i think the size of the turnout is going to be important. i am predicting it is going to be a record-breaking turnout for the republican precinct caucuses. last time four years ago, 119,000 people participated i am anticipating 130,000 to 140,000 trade that would be a great turnout for a cold night in january in the great state of iowa. host: governor, thank you very much for your time. guest: thank you. host: our coverage will continue on "washington journal " and on c-span. we will be back here tomorrow 7:00 a.m. eastern time with more of your calls, tweets. michele bachmann will be here, and we will have their representative from ron paul's campaign to thank you for watching.

see you tomorrow. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> the republican presidential candidates are crisscrossing iowa today. before the first of the nation caucuses. at 12:15 eastern, we will go to des moines, where ron paul will be joined by his son, kentucky senator rand paul. rick santorum will meet at a local meat and reached -- will meet at a local pizza restaurant in altoona. the iowa caucuses are tomorrow night, and live coverage begins at 7:00 eastern. we will bring you la