going on in this world and this campaign. i have had enough. we thank you for being with us here tonight always, good night from new york. neil: well, they up the ante for this, this is the spin room it almost has will feel of a postdebate. predebate, a lot of advocates for mitt romney and barack obama, were out in force, singing their candidate's praises, sometimes lowering expectations, they are apt to do then afterwards they are heroes, you know how it goes it is part

of pot ses a dead even race, this is florida, this is for 29 eelectric rall roll votes, righw the trend of late is mitt romney's friend. marco rubio, find senator from the fine state, to show you how popular rubio is, i somehow mistake this with fans of mine. but he is is always here early and prompt, that make you stan out among your colleagues. he made the mistake of showing up early, not good, he was deluged but police and gracious -- poly the and gracious. >> my favorite question can you react to the debate, pretend the debat has happened. i am a cyc-- i am not a psychic. neil: what did you think? >> romney did great. neil: the argument is more on

the president. because this is his strength, foreign policy, right? not mitt romney. do you agree? >> i don't. i think that the president is an experienced debater, our problem is not he does not give good speeches but his torn policy is not concise, he has not articulated a clear view of america's role in the world. i think that is part of the problem with his for own policy it is not organized around a coherent view of america's role in the world. i saw that will be a question. the president will have to answer that. neil: and mitt romney will have to articulate his view. the argument is he botched it when trying to explain the libyan thing. >> look, i think important thing is not -- i don't know why people say he botched it. reality is barack obama spend 15 days telling the american people that what happened in benghazi

was a spontaneous uprising from the streets. neil: that does not cut it for you. >> after he said it one time, he said for 15 days it was not. it was a spontaneous uprising, and sent his united nations ambassador it took 5 sunday shows to say that. he poke before united nations and said, that they spent two weeks on, that evidence of clear and mounting, in open source and intelligence that showed it was not the case. neil: economic issues cannot come up, mitt romney could frame them in context of our debt is a national security issue, as generals and joint chiefs of staff have said, do you think he does or should? >> i think that the foreign policy issue is interrelated with the economy, people will want to see is mitt romney capable of being commander in chief, he is.

he is a an excellent decision maker. he has made great decisions, most important thing you need from your commander in chief is, he is a good decision maker. and foreign policy issues are related. the question about latin america and western hemisphere, there is extraordinary opportunities that we've walked away from over the last 4 years. neil: do you include trade deals that the president has been hot and cold on. >> looking at free trade agreement with panama, it took years for a while white house not care, when about an energy platform to create the united states, canada, mexico, brazil, colombia, and it could displace the middle east as largest source of energy on the planet for years. neil: you say that mitt romney has to come up with bigger ideas, not just a critique? his vision.

>> i think tonight is an opportunity to say it in front of a broad audience, he has been talking about trade in latin america since early days of campaign, tonight i think that issue will get a lot of coverage, a great opportunity for mitt romney to talk about what he has been talking about from the beginning, big idea about foreign policy and in. neil: let's talk about your state, florida, polls show, governor has a slight lead, depending on the reading, but he is scoring surprisingly well with latinos that is divergent from polls in other states where his ticket is surging but still 65, 35, what do you make of that? >> florida has many hispanic voters who may be registered to one party or the other but vote for the best candidate and have been hurt by this economy and the downturn in the economy.

looking at statistics, the hispanic community is being hurt. you are seeing that in the polls reflected in florida. mitt romney is offering a solution, what is hurting the president is an outline governing the agenda for next 4 years. you look at outline could barack obama has failed to layout an agenda for the next 4 years, what is he doing different, to get right what he has gotten wrong. he does not talk about those, that has hurt him among all voters, but really hispanic voter who to not like negative campaigns. neil: tonight, rap against mitt romney she does not present a grand vision you allude. to does he have on, not say whether we would go to war with iran, because, to differentiate that, the only distinguishing

factor, does he need to present a bigger view. some people interpret is as bs. lou.es.>> this is a fact, we'lle that debate any time they want, as far admit mitt, i think there are two things purpose, one is that important to understand that many of reason why this situation has gotten worse, is because of the decisions of this administration early open he thought that by going to middle east, president would give great speeches and all of a sudden then middle east would turn into our favor he would be able to persuade them the way he persuaded voters in the u.s., he misread the situation. neil: they just hate us. >> not just hate, there is a conflict in place, between folks that want world to live like them, they see u.s. standing in their way, you don't want women to go to school, you don't want

women to drive, they hate our freedoms and they hate our democracy, they see u.s. as a force for of that the world they try to dreyfus out, but -- drive us out, but the president bought into this notion, the way that middle east of the way it was because we were mean to them, and they don didn't like george bush. and what happened, president obama did nothing, he said i'm not going to interfere. neil: what should mitt romney do to distinguish himself there moving forward we want to avoid war, armed conflict should be last solution. the last alternative. and the firmer you are in leaving that option on the table, the less likely you will have an armed conflict. let's go back 6 months, as we worked in senate on trying to

get a bipartisan package of sanctions against iran, white house was trying to water them down, every step of the way, every concession that senate and house made are in ca sanctions , ran -- iran, white house of watering them down. if we had a president to lead the antions wtion sanctions we e in a stronger position? final question, what did you think of the debate. >> i thought first two were great. neil: thank you senator marco rubeo rubio. neil: we want to let you know, i am on fox, news, auditorium, they will go at it, you might notice the table and in this venue, it will be similar for as -- as it was in kentucky for the vice presidential debate, by that two will be sitting the

table with bob schieffer between them. what was supposed to lend itself to a polite exchange proved anything but. so the table does not guarantee that. but it is one thing to watch tonight. it is broken up to 6 segments tonight. pretty. the format of denver but foreign policy and sitting down. i think that covers it. with me again. dick durban from illinois, good to have you. >> good it be here. neil: a lot of your colleagues have said, not now this whole libyan thing, what happened to benghazi what they knew and when. requests for documents, but now it is his achille's heel. >> i don't think so. a dangerous world, these things occur.

we had sscontrol and other like -uss cole, and others like this, but some say someone on a president's watch lost their lives is a condemn nation of his foreign policy. neil: you can understand it seems with the weapons of mass destruction issue, president bush many democrats did not waste a second, wanting to know, where did you screw up, how it was done this involved immediate loss of 4 american lives, it is at least similar is, it not? >> similar to war in iraq? neil: similar to what an administration knew. >> i can tell you that there was something close to deception with weapons of mass destruction, there were none. in this situation. neil: that was information that everyone had at same time. >> it turns out it was bad information we had that led us into a war.

neil: maybe bad information here. >> we don't know that that is why the investigation is underway. what troubles, is what congressman issa did a document dump on the internet, of sensitive information including identities of many libyans who are risking their lives to help us it may be good political fodder, but not good when it comes to security of united states, let's find out who was responsible, and as president said, hold them accountable. neil: if the appetite in senate now such that, funding for libya, or funding in middle east, period, will be hard to come by in this environment among democrats and republicans. >> it is very delicate. it is a very important and good and timely question. we're trying to figure out who our friends are, the cast is change. neil: senator mccain was with me, he said let's not give up on our moderate friends but many

other conservative colleagues, like ron paul said to hell with it not another penny. >> you put your thing or it, that is the debate in the senate perhaps america. we have to take care, many of these countries are going through a transition, they will decide their future, values and alliances to walk away from them because of a demonstration or something said by a leader may be short-term thinking, long-term is that middle east continues to be important part of the world with valuable allies like israel, and major countries like jordan who made great sacrifices to stay with the united states in many important areas. neil: this whole fiscal cliff thing, you told me last time we were here, in kentucky. maybe that better part of valor to extend rate, cuts, sort it out whether barack obama is elected or mitt romney. i think i got the gest of that.

is it your sense something like that will pan out? >> i little different, the gang of 8, 4 democrats, 4 republicans, we feel we have to step forward, agrre on how much deficit will be cut, and 4 trillion is the right target from my point of view. neil: the president said that tax hikes o on the rich are not included it is not happening. >> i agree, we have to find the way to buy the time necessary to putting it that 4 trillion-dollar dial there, needs to be a down payment to show we're sincere. neil: thank you very much. we can't keep meet could like this. >> i think this shaf last debat. neil: we have a lot more coming up in the prespin room, you can see many in the debate hall this is busy for a before debate environment for them to be here. i did get a kick out of marco

rubio. the questions they were asking him, how do you think the debate went? we'll have a lot more after this. music is a universal language. but when i was in an accident... i was worried the heth care system spoke a language all its own with unitedhealthcare, i got help that fit my life. information on my phone. connection to doctors who get where i'm from. and tools to estimate what myare may cost.

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neil: all right the debate hall here in boca raton, florida. a good view of the table here, some people are under impression it will reduce tensions and tempers. but we learn from biden/ryan debate, that not always the case. we have former governor of pennsylvania. joining you, what is at stake, tom rich? foreign policy, you can weave a lot into that. what should governor romney do. >> we mine president obama his own chairman of joint chiefs of staff sailed number one national security issue is the deficit,

he can weave importance of a strong economy and strong military and strong foreign policy all together. strong military, a appropriate foreign policy. neil: i read admiral michael muellen said that nation with our current level debt cannot hope to sustain for very long our superioriorty. >> that is a opening for governor romney to talk about his vision. he has a stronger vision from the economic point of view, tonight he can articulate his vision, with america's role, global leadership. a challenge for president obama tonight. is he understands difference between foreign policy and counterterrorism policy, that. how you deal overall with the

situation in libya, and syria, and et cetera. how you deal with russia, the list goes oendless, he does not seem to have rhyme or reason his involvement in foreign policy issues seems to be spur of the moment. no over arching vision. neil: but president will say, hurd, osama bin laden is dead, and al qaeda on the run. but, would to be wise for romney to get knee deep in this? oral ways bring it back on the economy and the jobs this, is been a slippery slope for him whether it was his trip to europe or, just note his strength, he has to cool it. >> i think he needs to appropriate balance, neil. i think, this is an administration that thinks that al qaeda is an organization, they don't appreciate the challenge that western world has an ancient mind set they are

dealing work al qaeda is on the run, running to yemen, somalia, and pakistan. neil: you are in that karl rove camp, take their greatest strength anddthrow it back at them. >> well their perceived greatest thing. the fact is that president so focussed on domestic issues and frankly the work. the wrong antidote. neil: this is not the top 5 -- it not as big an issue as the economy and jobs and debt. >> they need to use libya and pivot to a broader issue, this is systemic of this administration failure to articulate a policy to deal with middle east. you can point this things that president obama has done or failed to do, that has demonstrated weakness or indecision in this part of the world, and militants are

iinclined to take advantage f that perception, and i don't think that is is perception it is real. >> governor thank you so much. neil: an open letter, united states today, -- "usa today," one of people who signed that is with me, and only me, after this. the capital one cash rewards card

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neil: a lot of people ask me, neil, we love you, we love watching on fox business, what is the edge we get with you, you can look at lower right portion. the futures market react, as it happened and foreign market reaction as it happens, we might throw in in baseball scores for you, a particular game that is a big deal tonight, only if you

behave. other thing for you are sweets. your instant reaction as you watch this. also, our web site, as you get this. you can call yourself anything on twitter, i'll leave the name out, i made the decision. tonight's debate could make a difference for many others. >> still more. coming in. i want barack obama to get grilled about benghazi and how mitt romney to say how he would handle it differently. all good points. learned all i need to know about both candidates from each of their books and watching fbn . demand it. this i want good honest debate, no name-calling, lies, interrupt interruptions, i agree but i think they could get nasty.

we're in middle of this. is it my information, rich, or is spin room, unusually. hectic today and loud today? it picks up 15 minutes be before the debate is over, but they are getting word out now. >> reporter: everything in this campaign season has been rushed ahead, debating, and campaigning and discussion, and spinning in the spin room hours before, senators and congressmen from both parties coming in uing in s ahead of time, they are still here, a lot are going back, getting their on message meetings. here, media, all throughout the spin room it has been happening for last few hours, and you are right, at a level that i have not seen this has been a strange

year for the election. you talk about for so many years people said, the debates don't matter. if there is ever a year debates do matter, this is the year. this is a unique elect season, it is all starting early, that is true with the spin. neil: you know, rich. i don't know whether your camera can do this, but both camps have positions set up for interviews, and serogate to talks there is the obama section and romney section, i noticed in first debate. it was interesting like obama people were caught off guard. almost like a makeshift corner with a camera thrown in there. and then the romney camp had to cut class, they have the same, i would say, engineering. they recognize how important

this spin room venue is to get their people out. >> right, you know you see obama set up here, to be fair this was more done up a couple hours ago with live television equipment, and live interviews. you go to the vice presidential debate, romney set up looked like this for all 4, but in vice presidential debate they had almost like -- people said like a high school pep rally, they had signs of what change meant, and handwritten this is the most professional obama set up as luck. a massive improvement in the two corners. about par now. but it was lop size -- lopsided in their professionalism a couple debates ago. >> thank you very much, rich. one thing that will be interesting we'll go to rich after the debate. is what happened in the spin

room, soon as it debate is out, about 15 or 20 minutes before it. like the march of the wooden soldiers. i am dating myself. you get each camp coming up. the red signs indicate romney supporters sir gat. blue sign is obama supporter serogates and all reporters take note and count, as do we. in what will be the final encounter of the candidates this season, more than two weeks to go. when we come back. a man with a message for the world for voters. look at these past 4 years, look at rhetoric, look at our this president has addressed the job creators. you wonder why they are not create anything jobs. an open letter he and two dozen similar minded colleagues signed on behalf of i guess the 1% for the lack of a better word, they

are sick and tired of if and you should be too it started in "usa today," and now it has gone viral, and the guy who signed on to it, is here.

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uhhh. (cries) a maine can't give you what a person can. that's why ally has knowledgeable people there for you, night and day. ally bank. your money needs an ally. neil: we're now about 25 minutes away from start of final debate of 2012 election season. they are reading the riot act about what behavior is acceptable and not. can't talk while candidates are speaking. conditiocondition throw thing -t throw things or aflawed, can't flow food. i want to give that you backdrop, and also, something else today. open letter to voters, by some premier financial players on the planet. it was the in usa but it went

viral. a lot of executives say that enough is enough, is enough, and ending their remarks with a very telling if not damning statement. before you vote onic lur electi, think carefully about who kind of country we're creating for ourselves. among signatures of that letter, i guess i have to ask you what i have asked about those who felt the need to do this. why did you feel the need do this new. buzzy, why not? two weeks before the election. >> i think we have elections coming up that will change the face of the country, it is important for people continued

continued to we're divided -- to understand we're deserved. we need leadership to bring this countrying in, we have always come together in times of need, stress and problems. we have big problems in this country, we don't need lack of leadership, we need someone to say there is no 99% there is no 1%, this is one nation. we have to create an environment with those less fortunate have all of the opportunities to become very fortunate, that is what this cun v country is about for some reason, we have a president, that is punishing these who become successful that is not the way that america works. neil: do you think it could boomerang on you. you know, i was looking at lee cooper man on this. and so many others.

this is cream of the 1%, president might turn around, buzzy, and say, they are whining but i'm for you, i'm for you, the average common man. how would buzzy respond to that. >> first of all, it is not about being for us, it is not about being for them. it is about being what for what is good for america. what is good for the country, what is good for the cun vi all of to us come together, not to punish the rich and say you tor blame, for the plight of people less fortunate, it is about bringing everyone together, and saying this is one nation, one nation not divided but together. and we all, want the same thing for this country, we want to have opportunity, better education, more opportunity. my father came here in 1921, from poland, he came here because he said streets were lined with gold, not gold coins or gold chips but he meant

golden opportunity, that is what america is about. we still have goa golden opportunity. neil: if the president is reelected. what are you and the folks who signed this letter -- do you think, will it make your job tougher? hiring a lot tougher? >> i can't speak for the other people. but i can say for myself, there is no president that will ruin this country, president carter could not ruin is, barack obama won't, will it make it tougher in absolutely, we will still be a divided natton, as opposed to being a nation that comes together. we're going to have uncertainty, not been able it bridge the gap between democrats and republicans, i want to see a leader who can reach across the aisle, i'd like to so a

president who would have look add congress and said, republicans and democrats, he and none of us have a parties for 2 years we're all americans and executive, you are coming to camp david, pack your bags, you are not leaving until we come together and compromise and do america's,. neil: that is a good idea, get something done. not a bad idea, buzzy thank you very much. buzzy geduld . >> thank you very much. neil: office depot founder, mike mccurry talking to folks right now, rules, he is on the debate commission every seeing this, he wanted a free-wheeling exchange. he defended candy crowley said she was trying to move the process along, and he likes what

he as seen. the passion of the debate. here say everyone that has to behave, avoid applauding and talking to a crowd that is going to be made up of a lot of students, a hundred students have gotten tickets at lynn university. it was a lottery, and 100 lucky students won, they will be in the audience as well. they are about to witness history. you are as well. on basic cable. with running futures and running water.

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so switch to regions. together. and let's get going. oh, hey alex. just picking up some, brochures, posters copies of my acceptance speech. great! it's always good to have a backup plan, in case i get hit by a meteor. wow, your hair looks great. didn't realize they did photoshop here. hey, good call on those mugs. can't let 'em see what you're drinking. you know, i'm gla we're both running a nice, clean race. no need to get nasty. here's your "honk if you had an affair with taylor" yard sign. looks good. [ male announcer ] fedex office. now save 50% on banners. [ male announcer ] fedex office. i'i invest in what i know. i turned 65 last week. i'm getting married. planning a life. there are risks, sure. i want to be preparedd wfor the long haul. i see a world bursting with opportunities. india, china, brazil, hares, small-caps, large-caps, ishares. industrials.

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firm company providing free beer. at every single debate, we're not sure whether this one was among them but, sometimes you notice at end of night, reporters, and anchors get punchy, you could blame anheuser-busch. as to whether that if actions s -- feces of performance of the candidate, we'll leave atheanheuser-busch thing out ofr line of questioning, do you it is rubber match. we describe it. do you need to win this one? >> look, global economy has slowed. there is no doubt about it, our growth, according to world bank, is under 3% this year, and issue is the united states collectively we're 5% of the

world's population but we're 25% of the global economy. our growth has not recovered from a few years ago. second is the e.u. who makes up 25%, their growth is flat. the developed world right now, is dragging the world economy down. the candidates tonight, need to describe how they will regenerate growth in the united states a to drive capital investment, and b to drive jobs, this is a big deal, not only for u.s., but a big dial for globe. i know we in u.s. like to look at you know does a person speak well, is hair in place. but in the world they are looking at us, say look, give us a leader who understands economics and that government spending needs to come down, and every dollar put in public sector is a dollar wasted and not visited and getting the mighmultiplier effect.

neil: how do you articulate that, that folks at home understand, in particular in a foreign policy debate. how do you translate that to folks where everything that has been on jobs, and jobs, how does he do that in what is prior it libya the president's strongest suit? >> well foreign policy is about how we relate to our debt, and our taxation policy for the foreign firms and american firms. are we going to advantage foreign firms because they have a better taxation policy than american firms, how much government spending is there going to be? we have communist nations lecturing us that government spending is out of control. we have to have a candidate that says foreign policy is about the interconnectedness of the global

economy and what happens in america, and our free trade policy, that impacts the ref of the world, they are listening for that tonight. tonight. >> pete thank you very much. sorry we're competing with so much noise. president of lynn university is addressing the crowd, a hundred lucky students who on a lottery to be sitting in this room. he also clarified, looking at michelle obama that is is boca raton. i think it will is fair to say, looking at ann romney among richest cities in the united states of america. you can say, filthy rich. n a fes

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>> what he wants to hear, and see out of both of these guys. robert what do you think? >> neil, president's job, and national security is not only to keep us safe. but also to advance our interest overseas, so our country can grow, economically. and pres prosper through competn foreign markets successfully, but looking at past 4 years, energy for example in 2008, we sent 400 billion-dollars a year overseas to buy foreign oil, today we're are still sending

400 billion a year oversea without a comprehensive energy policy to break the opec cartel, and enable to us put affordable gasoline at the pump, in middle east, by gosh, 4 years ago iran was on its way to a nuclear weapon, it has not been slowed down by engagement, which the president has tried, they are closer, and within a year, they are building a nuclear weapon, more broadly in middle east, it has been in flames for last almost two years, and today, today, this area. none of the opposition elements, know where the united states stands, we have to have people on the ground, competent to advance our interest and nurture what is a promising development in the middle east, to a more pluralistic system, i have to

tell you today, in a published report, we learning what actually happened in benghazi 6 weeks ago. it turns out a lot -- >> i have to jump you on, but if bob schieffer comes out to address the crowd. do you think that benghazi should play a big parts of this, many criticize mitt romney for not quite articulating a year alternative to president's strategy here. how big, how much of a part should it play? >> you were brought up by bob schieffer. again? bob schieffer drowned you out. neil: he is talking right now, do you think that, benghazi should be a big part of this discussion tonight? >> it has to be, because only now we are getting the fact its turns out, neil we have a drone

overhead, from time battle started on september 11 about 4:00 washington time. that was reporting from the get go. and that throughout, both people at the con-- conlet and our embassy were telling state department what was happening, think about this. neil, only an hour away. there were forces there special forces, f-18 squadron could have been there within an hour that battle went on for 7 hours, nothing was done to provide help, that could have saved lives. neil: i bet you are right it does come up tonight, i do apologize, bob for noise, and how loud it is, bob schieffer's level was yours and you were rightly confused. they are getting ready, we'll go to a cric quick break, more rigt after this. y small business credit card.

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neil: bob schieffer is not one to give to the audience that much. he's waiting at the table, the audience behind him. dignitaries in place, students in place, all seats roughly filled. rich edson, this is the quiet time; right? every debate, i feel like we're hunting rats here, like, it's a quiet moment. everyone -- you can hear a pin drop. what's the mood out there.

>> he turned around, but the room of reporters is silent. that could be the first time in history. what we'll have in a minute from now is 15 minute segments, six segments, bob schieffer asks a question, each can adapts with two minutes to respond, and then you have an attempt by bob schieffer to orchestrate a conversation between the two. for president obama, he's got questions to answer on what republicans charged, missteps, show he's a leader on foreign policy. goff romney has to show command of foreign policy issues, and you talked about the number of guesss on the show today, neil, he's bringing it back to the economy. economic power translates into military power, world power, and he has to show a better u.s. economy will lead to better u.s. foreign policy. also, an attempt to bring this back to