to any other entity of government. they gave no power to the president or governors. they gave legislatures the legislatures the unilateral power to propose and ratify amendments. we have gone too long without using article 5. our founding fathers had great faith in us. it is time that we had faith in ourselves. [applause] restoringfreedom.org. please come up and meet the senator and learn how you can be part of what they are doing. certainly, this week has remind us in the eurozone ruling and in the obamacare ruling that those of us who thought that judges were some sort of magic savior to get constitutional government back in america, it will not be that way. we are too for gagne. we have to save ourselves from the bottom up.

this effort will be part of it. what about the past we go if things do not turn around in this election ending the day by day, not just on election day, what is america's future? those who have lived under communism have seen america's future because it is their past. they fled in. they are amongst us as witnesses. martin fled communism not once, but ties. tell us briefly about how you hopeoncprized and what you delegates will seek you out? >> good evening. [applause] first of all, i would like to thank mr. dejon interest because he is the first and only man with courage to give me a platform like this -- i would like to thank mr. dejon interest

because he is the first and only man with courage to give me a platform like this. i am not a cookie cutter anything. i grew up behind communism. not like most that some of it, i became a rebel. i am still of travel. i still try to rebel against what is going on. if you think thursday was bad, bloomberg was bad, that is nothing. that is just the beginning. if you do not wake-up, you will lose it all. it is worse than you think. there is hope. you have the power. you have to start exercising it. your consent of the government. you do not like it, you have to work at it. you have to understand how dangerous the enemies of freedom with a new in this country is.

in november, that is its. >> tell us about your two escapes from the iron country. >> this is my country now. i am a proud american. [applause] when the russians invaded check a sabathia -- czechoslovakia in 1968, i was four. in 1973, my mother asked me if i wanted to fly to seattle to see my aunt. i said yes. of course. i was 9. i woke up behind the iron curtain again. i worked on it for 10 years. it took me 10 years to escape again just before the fall of the berlin wall. i demonstrated against the communist government in 1989. i know the enemy of the freedom

better than anybody. if you want to know them as i do, come and talk to me. thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity. that policy. thank you. [applause] >> the d is silent dzuris.com. martin and curtis -- come up here. i'm going to ask all of you to clear the room and take your conversations outside. put your belongings on your chair. make it easier for the servers to get the room set up for lunch. the exception to clearing the room is come up front and meet martin dzuris of curtis olafson. we are adjourned. the doors will open again at high noon for lunch. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please exit the ballroom promptly. remember, take personal items with you as there will be reset. thank you. doors will reopen shortly. ♪

>> next, mitt romney on the economy. then, president obama at a rally in pittsburgh. live at 7:00 a.m., your calls and comments on "washington journal." >> the department has announced that unemployment remained at 8.2% for the month of june with u.s. employers adding just 80,000 new jobs. republican presidential candidate, mitt romney, said the report shows the economic policies have not gotten america working again and the president is going to have to take responsibility for it. here are his comments.

>> good morning. we have seen the jobs report this morning, and it is another kick in the gut to middle-class families. it is consistent with what i have heard as i have gone across the country and met with families in their homes, in cafes and restaurants and in break rooms. american families are struggling. there is a lot of misery in america today. these numbers understate what people are feeling, and the amount of pain occurring in middle-class america. not only is the 8.2% number unacceptably high, and one that has been in place for over 41 months, but in addition, if you look at the broader analysis of people who are out of work or have dropped out of the work force, or that are

underemployed in part-time jobs, needed full-time work, it is almost 15% of the american public. there are those working in jobs well beneath their skill level, or working in multiple part- time jobs, kids that are coming out of college, not able to find work, veterans not being able to do anything but stand in an unemployment line. these are difficult times for the american people. there are other things that are troubling, the manufacturing reports of the last several weeks. manufacturing is not growing as we would have expected at this stage. that is a trend that is troubling. the president's policies have clearly not been successful in reigniting this economy, in putting people back to work, in opening manufacturing plants across the country. the heartland industries, where manufacturing occurs, are struggling by virtue of policies

on the part of the president of have not worked. the highest corporate tax rates in the world do not create jobs. the highest regulatory burdens in our nation's history -- those do not create jobs. trade policies that do not open markets for goods, particularly in latin america, do not create jobs. failing to crack down on china for cheating and stealing jobs has not helped. the president's policies have not gotten america working again. the president has to stand up and take responsibility for it. he has been celebrating what he calls "forward." it does not look like forward to the millions of families that are struggling today in this great country. it does not have to be this way. the president does not have a plan, has not proposed new ideas to get the economy going. just the same ideas of the past that have failed. i have a plan.

my plan would get america working, and will create jobs, but the near-term and long-term. it involves finally taking advantage of our energy resources, making sure we create energy jobs and convince manufacturers that energy will be available and low-cost. he is opening new markets for american trade, particularly in latin america. the means cracking down on china when they cheat, making sure they do not steal our jobs unfairly. it means bringing our marginal tax rates down, and cutting out the exemptions and loopholes that are unfair, in many cases. in other cases, we are going to limit deductions and exemptions, so we maintain our revenue, but bring our tax rates down, so that our competitive and attractive. it means having a government that sees its role as encouraging enterprise, rather

than crushing it with the burden of new and unnecessary regulation, and without regulations that have not been cleaned up in years. finally, in means having a health care plan that focuses on bringing down the cost of health care for american families, not just adding new expenses and taxes. this is time for america to choose whether they want more of the same. whether unemployment above 8%, month after month, is satisfactory or not. it does not have to be this way. america can do better. this kick in the gut has got to end. i am happy to take a couple of questions. [inaudible] >> what about campaign planned -- >> i put up 59 steps for how we get the economy going. i do not think i have seen any

from the president that show what he is planning on doing. take a look at them. i think you will find them very specific. going through them one by one, taking advantage of energy resources, opening up drilling, taking advantage of oil, natural gas, coal, stopping these extraordinary regulations that are making those in the manufacturing sector feel they cannot rely on american energy. opening new markets -- the president has not done that. in 3.5 years, no new trade agreements. cracking down seriously on china, going after them aggressively and saying, you cannot continue to steal our jobs. how you go across pennsylvania manufacturing policies that make america more attractive for investment and growth? tax policies. i want to bring down the corporate tax rate from 35 to

tax rate, 20% across the board. >> president obama said in an interview with a newspaper in ohio that you were effectively abandoning your principal in the form of the individual mandate you supported because of criticism from the right and rush limbaugh. what would you say to that? >> i have spoken about health in massachusetts, and people said, should the supply of the federal level? i said the right course for the federal government is to allow states to create their own plans. the proof is that i was right, because obamacare is costing jobs in america. three-quarters of small businesses are less likely to hire people because of obamacare. you know the president has put his liberal agenda ahead of the interest of creating jobs.

for may, the first job of the president has to be about creating good jobs for middle income americans. of the sharpeville cuts if you are elected? how do you reconcile and what you will do with the economy with getting jobs going again? >> changes to programs would save more and more money over time, so we are able to get america to a balanced budget in eight to 10 years. in and henot in the first year. by virtue of taking those cuts, and at the same time, taking the pro-growth steps, you are going pick up about 4% or better. better. >> it you have criticized president obama for taking vacations and often.

you are taking a vacation right now, particularly at a grim economic time. >> i am delighted to be taking a vacation with my family. americans appreciate the children and grandchildren. i hope more americans are ableas president, i will work hard to make sure we have good jobs for all americans who want them. and then with their loved ones. >> [inaudible] you said there were a number of factors outside your control. why is that not the case for president obama? via>> and the jobs figures, there are going to be factors that come and go that you cannot control. the things you can control, you want to give right. of thethis is not a monthly

statistic, or even a yearly statistic. we have looked up almost four years of policies that have not gotten america working again. america. hire. his financial regulatory burden banks to make loans to businesses that need those loans to get started. his policies have not worked. that is not just a short time. that is over four years. the american people have had a chance to see whether his policies will help america and help them, and help people looking for jobs, or whether those policies are counterproductive when they come to jobs. i think the evidence is in again and again. remember, the president, at the beginning of his term, predicted that if he was able to put in place his stimulus and his other policies, the would be able to keep unemployment below 8%.

41 months above 8% pretty much defines lack of success. it has been a failed series of policies. the prediction was unemployment would be at 5.6% now. instead, it is 8.2%. millions of families are struggling and suffering, because the policies of the president have not worked for them. i represent a different course, a better path, one that has been demonstrated over our history to encourage job growth in our country. that is a simple strategy. keep the burdens down from government. encourage the dreamers to invest in america. we do that again, you will see america working again. thanks so much. >> good to be with you.

kah >> component responded in his remarks by saying a ... policy still before. it but yes. if he spoke at a rally and its purpose. this is 40 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states.

>> hello, everyone. i want everyone to know one thing. i will be two minutes. but i have just two questions. the first question -- i know you are ready for this -- are you ready to win in 2012? [cheers] and the second question, even if you are not from pittsburgh or southwestern pennsylvania, but i know most of you are, how about those pirates? we meet here today in pittsburgh in a region that is known for so many things, known for winners, hard workers, and we are also known for history and a heritage of hard work and sacrifice. we know in this region

generation after generation has had to struggle and face those struggles, but ultimately triumphed over those struggles, whether it was job loss or economic dislocation, whenever it was. the people of pittsburgh, allegheny county, and all of southwestern pennsylvania have overcome so much because they know that the only way is forward, the only way we should focus is on the future, and so the people here today know that in pittsburgh and allegheny county, the people of this region did not wait for the future, they invent the future there's only one candidate for president who is going to move us into the future and move us forward, and that is barack obama.

let me conclude with a thought about the man and a person. this is a person of integrity, of a remarkable commitment to public service, he is a person and a leader of strength and compassion. he is a husband, a father, a man of faith, president barack obama. [cheers] ♪

>> hello, pittsburgh. it is good to be back in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. a couple of people i want to acknowledge. first of all, one of my favorite people, one of our finest united states senators, give it up for bob casey. i think we have in the house as well your mayor, and congressman mike dole is in the house. the allegheny county executive is here, and we want to thank others for the free programs. great job. great job.

[applause] now, first of all, before we do anything else, before we do anything else -- >> we love you! >> i love you back. let's also be clear about a very important situation that has arisen. the white sox and the pirates are in first place. so we may be in the world series together. >> go pirates! >> we love each other and can root for each other until we get to the world series. then it's every man for himself. i know is hot, i know you guys have been waiting for a while,

so i want to just say thank you to everybody for taking the time to be here. >> thank you! >> i hope everybody had a great fourth of july. we had some folks over for a barbecue in my backyard, had some fireworks. it was also malia's birthday on the 4th. she is now 14 years old. i used to be able to convince her that all these fireworks work for her, but she no longer believes me, but she sends her love. michelle, sasha, and bo all say hi. we have been on the bus tour for the last couple of days.

i have been traveling through ohio. we just came from beaver, pennsylvania, and everywhere i go people have said, mr. president, you are getting too skinny, you need to eat. [laughter] and so we have been eating a lot, and i have had a chance to talk to folks everywhere i go. and people are aware of the fact that we are now in full campaign swing. i know that sometimes modern campaigns are not pretty to watch because, basically so much of it involves millions of dollars on television, most of the ads are negative, and at a certain point people get discouraged, start feeling like nobody in washington is listening to what is going on to ordinary folks all across

the country. but i have got to tell you, despite the cynicism, despite the cynicism and the negativism, what i think about is my first race, when i was running for state senate, i could not afford television commercials. and michelle and i used to go door to door with fliers that we would print out at kinko's. we would march in fourth of july parades, and i did not have air force one back then. [laughter] when i think about my first race, i think about why i got

into politics. the reason i got into politics is because this country is blessed so much, and i thought about my own family, how my grandfather fought in world war ii while my grandmother was working on an assembly line. when my grandfather came back, he was able to go to college on the g.i. bill. they were able to buy a home through the fha. then i thought about my single mom, because my dad left when i was very young, and how despite all the struggles, she was able to get a great education, because that is the kind of country this was, and she was able to pass on a great

education to me and my sister. then i think about michelle, and the fact that their parents did not come from a wealthy family. her dad worked at blue-collar jobs at a plant in chicago, and my mother-in-law stayed at home until the kids got older and she ended up becoming a secretary, and that is what she worked at most of her life, a secretary in a bank. none of us came from privileged backgrounds, none of us had a lot of wealth, but what we understood was that in here, in america, no matter what you look like, the matter where you come from, no matter what church you went to, no matter what region of the country, if you were willing to work hard, if you were willing to take

responsibility for your life, you could make it if you tried here in the united states of america. [applause] basicat basic idea, that bargain that says here we all deserve a fair shot, and everybody should do their fair share and everybody should play by the same set of rules, the basic idea that says if you're willing to work hard and take responsibility in your own life, then you can find a job that pays a living wage and you can buy a home and you will not go bankrupt if you get sick. maybe you can take a vacation with your family once in a while, nothing fancy. you can go out, visit some of our national parks.

i remember my favorite vacation when i was a kid come up traveling with my mom and grandmother, sister, and we traveled the country on greyhound buses, or trains, and once in a while we would rent a car, stay at howard johnson's. it did not matter how big the pool was. if there was a pool, i would just jump in. i was excited to go to the vending machine and get the ice bucket and get the ice. then the chance to retire with dignity and respect -- that dream of a strong middle class -- that is what america has always been about. [cheers] that is what led me to get into public service. that is what led to my first

campaign, making sure that access to that middle-class, that growing, driving heartbeat of america, that that was available for everybody. it was not just available for me and for michelle, but it was available for every kid across this country. and that is what led me to run for president of the united states, and that is what led me to ask you for a second term as president of the united states, to fight for america's middle class, and everybody is trying to get into the middle class. [applause] >> four more years! four more years! four more years!

>> you know, that idea has been getting battered a little bit over the last decade. part of the reason i ran in 2008, the reason you came together to work in that campaign is we had seen a decade in which those middle- class dreams were under assault, folks were working harder, but making less, the cost of everything from health care to college to groceries to gas kept on going up, but your salaries, your wages did not. we had put two wars on the credit card, and it culminated in the worst financial crisis we had seen in a lifetime.

so what we came together to do it 2008 was to start this process, to turn this country back towards those core values, to turn this country back to our best selves, our best ideals, and we knew we would not be able to do it overnight, because these problems were not created overnight. but we believed in this country and we believed in the american people. we understood that this has never been a country of folks looking for handouts. but what they do want is this, a fighting chance. for the last three years, when some folks said that detroit should go bankrupt, we said we

are betting on the american worker, we are betting on the american industry. and now gm is back as number one and chrysler and ford are back, and we have started to see manufacturing come back to our shores, more manufacturing jobs created than in any time since the 1990's. we saw people go back and get retrained for jobs, getting jobs for the future, advanced manufacturing, advanced technologies, and new industries. we have seen small businesses who almost had to shutter their doors during the crisis, but sometimes the owners did not take a salary so their workers would remain employed, and they have been able to come back and

are now starting to hire workers again. over 4.4 million jobs created over the last 2 1/2 years, over 500,000 manufacturing jobs. we have been fighting back, but what we all understand is that we have got so much more to do. too many of our friends and family members and neighbors are still out of work, too many folks are still seeing their home property values underwater. so the question for all of you at this moment is, how will we determine our direction, not just for the next year or five years, but for the next decade, the next two decades? because this election is not just about two candidates or

two parties. it is about two fundamentally different visions of where we could take america, and the stakes could not be higher. and ultimately the way we are going to make this decision is you. there is a stalemate in washington right now because there are different visions on how we should move forward, and you have got to break that stalemate. let me briefly tell you what the choices are. you have got mr. romney and his allies in congress -- [boos] and their basic vision is one that says we are on to give $5 trillion of new tax cuts on top of the bush tax cuts, most of them going to the wealthiest

americans. they will not be paid for, or if they are paid for, they will be paid for by slashing education funding or making college loans more expensive or eliminating support for basic science and research, the kind of work that is being done here at carnegie mellon, or making medicare a voucher system. that is one part of their plan, and the second part of their plan is let's eliminate regulation we just put in place to make sure that wall street does not act recklessly and we can prevent a bailout when the financial system goes out of whack, regulations that protect our air or water, regulations that protect consumers from being taken advantage of. that is it. that is their economic plan.

do not take my word for it. go on their website, the republicans in congress voted for this plan, and you know what? it is a theory, an idea of how you might grow an economy if we had not just tried it for 10 years before i took office. we tried it and it did not work. why would want to go backwards to the same theory that did not work before? they are banking that you do not remember what happened when they were in charge. the last time they were in charge of the white house and house surpluses became deficits, and job growth was more sluggish than it has been

in 60 years. and we ultimately ended up with the worst financial crisis since the great depression. pittsburgh, i want you to know that i have a different theory. i have got a different idea. let me be honest, it is not a silver bullet, it is not going to change completely in the next day or week, but it moves us in a direction that is true to our tradition, by building not from the top down, but from the middle class up. it is a vision that says we do not need to just bring automaking back. we can bring manufacturing back to america. we can invest and advanced manufacturing research like what is being done right here at carnegie mellon, and we can change our tax code to make sure instead giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas, let's give those

breaks to companies that are investing right here in pennsylvania, in pittsburgh, right here in the united states of america. [applause] that is my vision for the future. my vision is one that says we have got to invest in our young people so they get the best education in the world. [applause] i want to hire new teachers, especially in math and science. i want to keep on making college more affordable. we just prevented congress from raising student loan interest rates, and we need to bring tuition down and give americans the chance to study at colleges for the jobs in the 21st century, because a higher education is not an economic luxury, it is an economic

necessity, and i am committed to making sure that everybody gets that chance for the skills and the training they need to succeed. my vision says we ended the war in iraq as i promised and we are winding down the war in afghanistan. let's take half of that money we're saving in war and use it to pay down the deficit. let's take that money and start building broadband lines, wireless networks, and high- speed rail. let's invest in the basic science and research that helped to send a man to the moon and create the internet.

that is what makes america great. we are innovators and risk takers. i believe in an america in which we control our own energy future, where we are producing more oil in the last eight years, we're importing less, but we can do so much more. we have got to bet on not just an oil industry that is already profitable, but we have to bet on a clean energy industry that can create jobs and help our environment and free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. i have got a vision that believes that everybody, all families who are responsible, be able to have the basic security of health care.

[cheers] the supreme court has spoken. the law we passed is here to stay. if you have health insurance, the only thing that changes for you is you are more secure because companies cannot drop you when you are sick, they do not have a lifetime limit where they can drop you even though you are paying your premiums. we have millions of young people who can stay on their parents' plan right now because of that health care law. [applause] we have got millions of seniors who are seeking cheaper prescription drugs, and if you do not have health insurance, we will help you get health insurance. [applause] i believe it was the right thing to do.

that is part of making sure the middle class is has arrived in this country, that they do not have to fear when somebody in their family gets sick, that they are born to lose everything they have worked for all those years. i make no apologies for it, it was the right thing to do, and we're going to keep moving forward. that is why i am running for a second term as president of united states. [applause] >> obama! obama! >> we are not going to go back to a vision that somehow thinks when a few wealthy investors do well then everybody does well. you know what -- we need to deal with our deficit, we need to deal with our debt, and part themerica's character is understanding that the

government cannot solve every problem. we do not expect it to. some folks cannot be helped if they do not want to help themselves. not every government program works. we have already cut $1 trillion in spending that was not helping families succeed. we will do some more, but we are not just going to cut and balance the budget on the backs of middle-class families, asking them to pay more taxes, asking them to suddenly not get help when they are sending their kids to college. we can ask wealthy americans to do a little bit more. we need to have a tax code where secretaries are paying a lower tax rate than their bosses, and there are a lot americans across the country who agree with me on this, because they understand the only reason

they succeeded was somebody helped them. they gave them a hand up. this idea that we are all in it together, that we rise or fall as one people -- a theory of mine about how to grow the economy, we have tried that, too. we tried it as recently as when bill clinton was president, and you know what? we created 23 million new jobs and we ended with a surplus instead of a deficit, and we created a whole lot of wealth and millionaires all along the way. because that formula that says we're in it together means that everybody can do well. the reason we built the hoover dam and the golden gate bridge, the reason we sent a man to the moon or invested in the research that resulted in the internet, the reason we build

an interstate highway system -- we did those things not for any individual to become rich, we did so all of us would have a platform for success, because we understood there are some things we do better together. i continue to believe that. i think most americans understand that. that is the reason i am running for a second term as president of the united states. [applause] >> four more years! >> now, over the next four months, you're want to see more seen before, more negative adds. these guys are writing $10 million checks. >> boo! you will hear the same thing over and over again, because they know their economic theory

is not going to sell, all they have to argue is the economy is not moving as fast as it needs to, jobs are not growing as fast as they need to, and it is all obama's fault. that is their basic message. >> boo! i guess this is a plan to win an election, but it is not a plan to create jobs. it is not a plan to grow our middle class. you know what? i might be worried about all this money being spent if it was not for my memories of previous campaigns. that first campaign i ran, the last campaign i ran in 2008, i have been outspent before. i have had a lot of money thrown at me before. what i have learned is that when the american people decide on what is right, when all of

you decide on what is true, when you remember the story of your family, just like the story of my family, all the struggles of our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents went through, some of them maybe came over here as immigrants and started working in the mines or working in the mills -- not knowing always what to expect, but understanding there was something different about this country, looking out for one another, taking care of the community together, being responsible, adding those old- fashioned homespun values, believing that being middle class was not a matter of your bank account, it was believing that there was nothing more important than looking after family and being with your family and caring about your family.

when americans come together and tap into that spirit that is invested in us, all that money does not matter. all those negative ads do not matter. you make change happen. you inspire each other. you inspire me. [applause] in 2008 i told you i am not a perfect man and i would not be a perfect president. but i told you i would always tell you what i thought, and i would always tell you where i stood, and i told you i would wake up every single day fighting as hard as i knew how for you, to make your lives a

little bit better, to give you more of a fighting shot to succeed and live out your dreams. and i made that promise because i saw myself in you, in your grandparents i see my grandparents, in your children i see malia and sasha. i have kept that promise. i have kept that promise every morning and every night, i have thought about how we build an america and how we build america's middle-class, and how we give everybody a fair shot, and how we make sure everybody is doing their fair share, and how we make sure everybody is fighting by the same rules. and if you still believe in me like i believe in you, i hope you will stand with me in 2012, because if you do, we will

finish what we have started in 2008, and this economy will be moving again and we will remind the world just why it is that the united states of america is the greatest nation on earth. god bless you, and god bless the united states of america. [applause] ♪ ♪

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>> an enhancement of "washington journal. non- john alessi talked about her years in congress. we did next, nancy pelosi talking about her years in congress. >> we pulled in around 9:30 a.m.. >> the former commanding officer of the u.s.s. cole on the events surrounding al qaeda's october

2000 attack that left 17 dead and 37 injured. >> i was doing a routine paperwork when at 11:18 a.m., there was a thunderous explosion. you could feel all 505 feet and 8,400 tons of destroyer pushed up into the right. we hung for a second in the air as the ship was doing this three dimensional twisting. we came back down in the water. lights went out. ceiling tiles popped out. everything on my desk lifted up and slammed down. i grabbed the underside of my desk until the ship stopped moving. >> more with him sunday at 8:00 p.m. on c-span's "q&a." >> this morning, we discussed the latest job numbers with pedro de costa. then we speak abou