figure it out. i think you will manage it. martha: we'll figure it out. nothing is going on. what happened? want a picture is it? bill: would love to see you tomorrow. on radio coming up. martha: "happening now" is happening right now. jenna: fox news alert. close to our studios here in new york city. what you're seeing is aerial shots on a building on madison avenue and 44th street. this is courtesy of the fox affiliate, wnyw. what they're reporting some of our worst nightmares. it is an elevator accident. they are saying something happened in the elevator shaft that caused the elevator to drop at least two floors. initial reports say one person is dead. two others with minor injuries. you can see some activity on the street. looks like you can make out some emergency vehicles there. we'll try to figure out what happened here. but again, according to initial reports and they can

change, we have one dead in an elevator accident in new york city. more as we get it. we're going to turn back to some politics now. brand new polls in the gop race for the white house. we're glad you're with us this wednesday. i'm jenna lee. jon: i'm joan scott. here in the fox newsroom the gingrich surge is not slowing down. let's get to the numbers. a new "wall street journal/nbc" poll gives the former house speaker a commanding lead over mitt romney, of 23%. a different poll has gingrich with slim lead to the 40 to 23%. real clear politics average has is good news for former speaker. has him leading the former governor. 33% to 22%. charlie hirt, columnist for

"the washington times." he joins us now. for some republicans this is a nightmare. why, charlie? >> the numbers reflect more than anything else a real, real discomfort with sort of the presumptive front-runner or at least the man who has been the presumptive frontrunner the past several years, mitt romney. and as we're seeing with this, the latest surge with the newt surge, you know, people are dying for an alternative to mitt romney. and that's what, that's what we've seen, really extraordinary numbers showing newt gingrich so far ahead. but also i think that it's probably the most dangerous, the most difficult challenge for mitt romney so far for two reasons. one is, because newt gingrich has sort of outstripped all the other people who have sort of been kind of flavors of the month or what have you but also because it's so late in the game and if newt is doing

this well this late, you know, just weeks before the less than three weeks before the iowa caucuses it's going to, it spells real trouble for mitt romney. jon: republicans are thinking that this ought to be an election a year or so from now in which this president is extremely vulnerable. you've got high unemployment. you've got the president's personal popularity ratings below 50% and yet the president seems to be improving against these candidates according to a reuters-ipsos poll. romney is considered the republican best-suited to challenge obama but he now trails the president by 8%, 48% to 40%. that's a big shift from the one-point lead that mr. romney enjoyed in late october. can you shed some light on that? >> it's just amazing, jon. the idea that we're in the economic mess that we're in, that we have the troubles

that we have abroad, and the enormous dissatisfaction among voters of every stripe and disappointment in the promises, the unkept promises of the obama administration, yet the guy is actually, he is above 40% in approval polls, which is, which is a terrible position to be in but you would think it would be a whole lot lower. and you certainly would think he would be losing against any sort of match-up that republicans offered but the truth of the matter is i think this republican primary has been such a, you know, been such a circus, it has gone on so long and so many different people have sort of stepped forward to sort of challenge the main guy that, you know, there's kind of a lack of, a loss of enthusiasm at this point among a lot of --. jon: a bit of circular firing squad among republicans you're saying? >> exactly. jon: and when you look in that reuters-ipsos poll at

the guy who is the front runner now he fares even more poorly against the president. newt gingrich, 51% for the president, versus 38% for newt gingrich. that survey of voters nationally, if the election were held today, according to that poll, newt gingrich would not be able to do, wouldn't come close to mr. obama? >> yeah it's a funny thing especially in republican primaries or caucuses. you know, we like to sit around and try to do these matchups and things like that but, you know, primary voters really aren't big on the sort of the political jujitsu that we talk about where, you know, who would do best against which opponent. at the end of the day, they just kind of vote for whoever they like and at the moment as it's been all along, they're not comfortable with mitt romney. and so even though he probably would do the best against obama in a head-to-head matchup, if they're not comfortable with

him they will vote for anybody else. i don't think this thing is settled by the way. i think it is entirely possible you could see a very late-breaking surge from a guy like ron paul. there are a lot of numbers that remain fluid and if a guy takes off and everybody says, well, okay, i could get behind that guy, we could see a very different field in four weeks from now. jon: last question and i will try to make it quick but as support congeals behind one republican candidate, eventually we have to come up with a nominee out of this whole republican process. as that one person comes to the fore, does the support solidify? maybe republicans have to vote for somebody that is their party's nominee and it, the fractured vote ends and maybe then you see those mbers versus president obama go up? >> i think absolutely. and, i hate to keep harping on this but i think that the discomfort with romney, you

know is so broad that if somebody does start to take a clear lead in actual voting i think all, i think all republicans would quickly line up behind that person. and then as you say going down the homestretch i think that their numbers against obama probably would improve dramatically. jon: charlie hurt from "the washington times.". charlie, thank you. >> thanks, jon. jon: be sure to stick with fox news for all your political coverage tomorrow. it is a must-see event, the republican presidential debate from iowa, giving voters a final chance to hear from the candidates before they square in the caucuses. december 15th on the fox news channel. >> iowa caucuses are 20 days away. if that isn't added enough pressure if you are republican gop nominee, there are changing demographics. steve brown in sioux city, iowa. we talk a lot about why iowa matters but tell us a little

bit who makes up the voters there. >> reporter: well the republican party is lot more spread out throughout the state and it has the folks in western iowa a little pouty these days. normally they get a lot of campaign visits. but let's take a look at the video at last campaign visit in sioux city on december 5th. for the rich republican, red dirt area, this was the last campaign visit in the last eight days. it was the first campaign visit in 14 days. one visit in 20 two days. unheard of out here with such rock solid republican turf. the state party chairman says the campaigns may be making a mistake not paying close attention to western iowa. >> that may be a mistake. because one thing we know, the rock-ribbed republicans they turn out on caucus night. even though there are more republicans across the state the one thing you do know in northwest iowa those republicans will turn out and do whatever it takes to start the process to replace barack obama. >> reporter: it's believed the campaigns are spending a lot less time out here because of different kinds

of campaigning. telephone town halls and a lot of debates, one coming up thursday night. if you talk to folks on western iowa like being asked at the last minute to the prom. if you're coming into town late it may not seal the deal. jenna. jenna: we'll continue to watch that state for sure. steve brown, thank you so much. jon: new information for you now from capitol hill on averting a government shutdown. yes, we are talking about it again. members of the house and senate meeting right now and the situation is getting more intense. as the deadline to avoid a shutdown is friday. mike emanuel is live on capitol hill. mike, republican leaders, what are they saying after that passage of a payroll tax extension last night? >> reporter: well, jon, in the house the view it is time for the united states senate to do something. you're looking at a situation where the government is due to run out of money late night friday night. the house says they have already passed a payroll tax extension. here is house speaker john boehner at an event this

morning. >> it's time for the senate to act. and, when the senate acts, you know, they can take our bill and pass it. they can amend it. they can pass their own bill. but it is time for the united states senate to do their job. >> reporter: for now the house is in a holding mode to wait and see if the senate will vote on the boehner bill that was passed last night or an alternative. they're also waiting to see if democrats will allow the compromise that has been struck to fund the government beyond friday night. if they will allow that to be taken up either in the house or the senate, jon. jon: but the white house doesn't like this bill that the house passed, promising to veto it. seems like congress is not really going to get anywhere, right? >> certainly feels that way. there is a lot of gamesmanship going on at this point. senator harry reid suggesting he would like to kill the boehner bill. there's also been some suggestion from republicans and some democrats that the compromise on funding the government beyond friday

night has been finalized. all we need to do is bring it up for a vote. here is senator reid on the house gop payroll holiday plan. >> we already know this bill is dead. we need to begin real negotiations on how to prevent thousand dollar tax hike on american families. the sooner we get this vote, the sooner those negotiations can begin in earnest. >> reporter: now republicans seem reluctant to allow reid to just kill that payroll tax holiday package. so they have shifted the focus to saying the government will run out of money friday night. we're looking at a government shutdown. we need to deal with that first. taxes don't go up until the new year. jon? jon: here we go again. same merry-go-round in washington. keep covering it, mike. thank you. >> reporter: thank you, jon. jon: all right. check this out. a police cruiser on a pole? how did it get there? jenna: you don't see that every day, do you? jon: no you don't. what happened to the cop behind the wheel. jenna: we'll dig into that.

tell you more about it. digging into the money. one day after the jon corzine headed up the bankrupt made it clear he didn't authorize miss use of billion dollars in customer fines. we have brand new developments that could well, maybe shed a little light on this. we'll see. why investigators are looking at jon's phone rorz. not this jon. jon: jon corzine. let's make that clear. >> we'll take you to ancient egypt. you nope the mysterious doors at the great pyramids? scroll down. we have a poll for you today. we'll talk to a egyptologist who will tell us about a new finding. we will ask. we want you to weigh in. what do you think the scientists will find behind those secret doors? now is your chance during the next couple minutes to log onto the "happening now" homepage and log onto that story and more "happening now" after a quick break. don't go away. 25 grams of protein.

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crews responding to a cat up a tree? how about a car up a pole. how about that? right now a miami police officer with a whole lot of explaining to do. hopefully rick has some explanation for what we're about to see. >> we have had our share of distracted drivers stories this week as you know, jenna. this is another one. a police officer apparently bent down to pick up a pen he had dropped and wound up hanging by a wire. the officer was on patrol in this miami neighborhood early yesterday morning, when he took his eyes off the road to grab that pen. he veered off the side and literally drove right up it that pole. his car somehow became entangled in the wires of the street light. the officer was not hurt. he was actually able to slide out of the cruiser and get onto the ground without anymore problems. once everybody knew that the officer was okay, well, people in the neighborhood were able to laugh about it. this guy took pictures and put them on facebook. >> i have to let the world know that a police car had went up on the pole on my

block. >> to look and see him come out of the car without a scratch on him. he didn't look shook up. he was laughing. >> a little embarrassed maybe. see that sheepish grin. he is okay. parently no picking up pens either. jenna: i wonder how many of our viewers believe the story about picking up the pen and that is what caused that? do you believe that, rick? >> i've done it. haven't you ever dropped a pen and --. jenna: wound up on a pole? >> i could get this. jenna: well, all right that's the story and he is sticking to it. glad he is okay and everyone else. rick, thank you. jon: i can't speak on that one. i really can't. just in, the fbi director is testifying before the senate judiciary committee, facing some very aggressive questioning about the detention of suspected terrorists on u.s. soil. our chief intelligence correspondent harnl herridge live in washington with more. what is it all about, jon?

>> reporter: we're half hour into the question answer session and the chairman of the committee, patrick leahy wants the fbi director answer questions about related to darrell issa that the third gun was found at the scene of the brian terry's killing. >> there is an ongoing investigation. there are documents that have been filed that under seal and it is ongoing, ongoing strong investigation and we will bring to those justice those persons any way involved in the killing of officer brian terry. >> reporter: a few minutes ago a very come pat tiff exchange between the senior republican jeff sessions on committee and the fbi director. sessions saying there was no question in his mind all terrorism suspects should go into military custody. if the fbi wants to get involved in the investigations they can. >> giving them miranda warnings. presenting them to courts in very short order. providing them with lawyers

within hours of arrest. allowing them to make phone calls to coconspirators, that civil law prosecution requires is not helpful in a war. >> reporter: and within the last few minutes, mueller was asked if he supported the release of documents that justified the killing of the cleric anwar al-awlaki, the first american on the cia killed or capture list? this mug shot was from 1997 when he solicited a undercover cop for sex in san diego. mueller punted that response to the justice department and said it was their call whether those controversial legal memos should be released. jon: catherine herridge keep an eye on that for us. >> reporter: i will. jenna: staying in washington we have new investigation into the collapse of mf global. investigators are now examining the phone records of former ceo jon corzine to see if he misled investors into the days leading up to the company's collapse. the former new jersey governor is expected on capitol hill again tomorrow to face more questions about more than a billion dollars in missing customer money.

they still haven't found it. chief washington correspondent james rosen is live with more. james? >> reporter: good morning. as jon corzine braces for his third appearance of sworn testimony on capitol hill in a week's time the investigators from the house financial services committee are preparing a very different line of questioning than the embattled former ceo of mf global endured in his first two sessions with the house and senate agriculture committees respectively. specifically they're zeroing in a on a statement corzine issued october 25th less than a week before mf global attached to the firm's dismal second-quarter earnings statement which said, quote, over the course of the past year we have seen opportunities in short dated european sovereign credit markets and built a fully financed, laddered maturity portfolio that we actively manage. corzine continued, we remain confident that we have the resources and expertise to continue to successfully manage our european sovereign debt exposures to what we believe will be a positive conclusion in

december 2012, unquote. yet by 11:30 the next morning phone records obtained by fox news show corzine was reaching out to top level officials at the new york federal reserve including new york fed president william dudley. sources with knowledge of substance of those conversations tell fox news, corzine despite the optimism he projected in the statement the day before already knew mf was headed toward collapse and was seeking dudley's help to find a pier for the company. this phone records the last chaotic week in the lifespan of mf global 10 phone calls between corzine and dudley and two e-mails. that is not accounting for contacts corzine had in the same time frame with top dudley aides. for his part he was focused on winding down mf global in order early way and containing fallout from what ultimately became the 8th largest bankruptcy in american history. jenna. jenna: thanks can change overnight sometimes in the business world. we'll continue to watch the

story and see what happens next, james, thank you. >> reporter: thank you. jon: here is a question for you. what would you do if you couldn't use your cell phone while driving your car? we're not talking about texting. no phone calls even with a hands-free device? that is the what should be the law according to one federal agency they're high in vd potassium. and idaho potatoes are now certified to carry the heart checkmark from the american heart assoction for foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. so they're good for my family, and for yours. heart smart idaho potatoes. always look for the grown in idaho seal.

jenna: what is new out of washington, slamming the brakes on all cell phone use period while you drive. the national transportation safety board recommending a ban on all cell phone use even with a hands-free device and any sort of texting that happens behind the wheel. that exceed any state law currently in place. ntsb making recommendation after a deadly pileup on a missouri highway linked to a texting driver. we showed you some of that footage yesterday. justin from aaa joins us now. what is aaa's stance on

this? what do you think of this recommendation? >> we think it is an important marker for people to take responsibility what they do behind the wheel. we know cell phones texting play a role in more than 3,000 fatalities every year. steps we can take to address this are positive. from aaa's standpoint legislatively we're focusing on distracted driving under 18. something more tenable and in the grasp what we can do with state legislatures. jenna: you said 18 is the age you're working at least in ledge slate tiff level. why is that age range and why not go for the full thing across the board for legislation nationwide? >> as we work with state legislators we're not just finding the appetite yet for full cell phone bans. across the last decade we've seen eight states enact handheld bans. in the last five years we seen 35 enact texting bans. or for all wireless devised

under age 18. there is not as strong public support. there is recognition pretty broad in the public people talking on phones while driving are a significant safety hazard and the data bear this out however there just isn't quite a momentum there at the states to go as far as the ntsb has suggested. >> we're showing some footage where we have pictures of the crash in missouri that really sparked this recommendation from the ntsb. they say 3,000 plus distracted driver deaths every year. the question comes to enforcement among other things. also just, people making the right choices, justin. i'm guilty of this. at a stoplight. i don't talk on the phone when i drive. i can't do that but i, at a stoplight i pick up the phone and start texting. do you do this? do you personally talk on the phone while you drive? >> well, it is important that drivers take responsibility for their behavior behind the wheel. have i talked while driving? certainly. i think we're all guilty of that to some degree but --. jenna: justin, interesting

only two out of 10 admit they ever done that, ever texted at least. that is interesting i thought as we look at video of people on the phone while they're driving. >> certainly we're finding that texting and e-mail on the road and other mobile apps on smartphones seems to be increasing in part through people reporting what they do. also there are so many more devices out there. five years ago we didn't have smartphones for people to access e-mail while they're on the road and now we do and more and more have them. it is important from a legislative standpoint and messaging standpoint we try to get people to rein in their behavior because there are real lives at risk here. jenna: curiously from aaa's stance you're a service that responds to accidents on the road. statistic i have you seen a huge leap in distracted driver accidents? >> there is real challenge at data collection level to understand how big a role distracted driving plays. federal government just this year recalibrated what it thinks fatal crash related

to distracted driving. they have over 400 cell phone related fatalities in 2010. more than 3,000 distracted driving crashes that were fatal in 2010. it definitely is a real issue. it has been real issue. people arguing with kids in the back of the car. talking to spouses, trying to read maps, other things. electronic devices really brought it to a head in the eyes of many people. important discussion to have. jenna: at least we call attention to it. you can't put your kids in the trunk. car but can put your purse and cell phone or anything else if it is a distraction. maybe that's what you have to do. there are some distractions out there today. justin thanks for joining us. we appreciate it. >> have a good day. jon: i'm guilty. jenna: it is so easy to do. you think you can do it. it is interesting, bill hemmer was talking to the chairwoman of the ntsb last half hour, she said if you look down and check a text message you can travel the length of a football field that is extraordinary. that one look you're moving

that fast. jon: i did it in bumper-to-bumper traffic. hit the suv in front of me. thousands of dollars damage. never again. >> thank you for that. jon: new information how far our falling market has fallen the past few years. the extent of the pain hidden until now. spending bills, tax cut extensions all with fast-approaching deadlines. a lot on the congressional plate leading up to a holiday break. can congress make a deal? we'll talk with that man right there, new jersey congressman bill pascrell coming up [ male announcer ] in his eyes...a race needs no finish line.

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jon: fox news alert. we are getting some new details about that elevator accident that jenna told you about at the top of the hour and they are chilling. in a city like new york which virtually every building has an elevator this is something people are not going to want to hear. apparently a woman was stepping own to a elevator in midtown manhattan, 41st street and madison avenue. originally it was told that the elevator plunged two floors. in fact what happened according to the fire authorities, the elevator suddenly shot up as she was in effect stepping on board. it sandwiched here between the floor of the elevator and the ceiling of the elevator entrance. she was killed. two other people already on board that elevator were injured. it is just a very disturbing

accident to tell you about. as you can see fire authorities are still there in midtown ma opinion hat tan where one come was apparently killed stepping aboard an elevator that suddenly shot skyward. as we get more information we'll bring it to you happening now. jenna: that is so scary. grand central station is right up here if you're not familiar with manhattan. we'll keep you updated about that. we'll talk about what is happening in the housing market, just when you thought housing had reached a bottom it has come to light that new information says that the maybe the housing market was worse than anyone realized a major housing group said it botched the numbers. it is now saying far fewer homes were sold over the past five years than previously estimated. all of this is built on stiltmation in effect. liz macdonald is here with more. liz, tell us a little bit about who made the mistake and how big after revision are we talking about? >> that's right, jenna. the numbers come out of the national association of

realtors. this is market moving data. the stock market really tends to focus on the data when it is released. now the nar is essentially saying that the numbers seem to have been overstated since 2007. that is four years worth of data. for the viewers out there, the nar will tell you that they will not release next week detailed information for every city or every urban area or suburban area an individual may be living in. they will release data going back four years for the four biggest metropolitan areas in the country. the biggest four sections of the country. they're essentially saying that there will be a meaningful revision to the numbers. that coombs from the chief economist of the nar and jenna, when we asked them if they could give us any percentages in terms of the swings, they won't do that yet but we have data from an outfit called corelogic. corelogic is saying that the revision could be as much as 20% depending on the year. for example in, 2010, there were about, according to nar,

five million existing home sales. not so according to corelogic. actually 3.2 million existing homes sales for that year, jenna. so the swings could be big. jenna: liz, did they say why they were so off if indeed that is the case? >> reporter: that's an important question. they did say why. they essentially relied on outdated census information going back to 2000. they also, accidentally double counted sales for different areas of the country. and they counted accidentally new home sales data in with the existing home sales data. the existing home sales data is a big number. that is important. that is 2/3 of house sales out there, jenna. also they are telling fox business that they vetted the data with the federal reserve and the department of housing and urban development. also freddie mac and fannie mae. they're moving quickly as they can to give the markets fresh data come december 21st. that's what we'll be looking for it by 10:00 in the morning. >> that is interesting a feeling housing hasn't

gotten better. we've seen some improvement maybe in the numbers. we wonder if the feeling is actually accurate in the numbers. maybe not. >> reporter: that's right. jenna: we'll continue to follow this story. thank you very much. >> reporter: sure, delighted. jon: there is a showdown on capitol hill as congress heads for another end of the year blowup and possible government shutdown over the country's spending plan. democrats and republicans did have a handshake agreement on the issue we're told that is until the payroll tax cut battle heated up. now there is an effort to link that to the spending plan. speaking of linking, the house bill which passed last night tied the extending of payroll tax cuts to the keystone oil pipeline which the president doesn't like. now it heads to the senate despite the president's veto threat. congressman bill pascral, a democrat from new jersey, is a member of house ways and means committee. i'm guessing, sir the as a democrat you don't much like the version of the tax cut plan that the house passed last night? >> you're right, jon.

but what's more interesting within the last hour republicans in the senate rejected it. would not allow it to come up with a vote. i find that to be very, very interesting. what amazes me in this whole thing, jon. that mr. boehner and the leadership within the republican party, i have the greatest respect for them, they're hard-working people, have switched 180 degrees as to what the republican philosophy was. they didn't pay for tax cuts in 2001 or 2003. they didn't pay for the tax cuts, insisting that when we had a compromise in december of last year, 2010. and now what they're saying is, we need to pay for them. the point i find most interesting, is that their own rank-and-file membership had many questions about this resolution and obviously in the senate they don't even want it to come up for a vote because they know it will be rejected. we need compromise. how do you think we put a constitution together? nobody has happy with the final result. even james madison had

questions about what the final product was. we need to compromise. why does mr. boehner say he doesn't want to hear the word compromise? that's how you come to a resolution of a problem. neither side is ever perfect. you come to a resolution. you come together and democrats are sticking to their guns to hope that we can sit down and come to that resolution. but if you come in with a full deck and then you say, we can't use these cards, you're not really dealing with a compromise. jon: you talked about 2001 and 2003 but, fair to say, in those years we didn't have a federal deficit approaching what, $15 trillion? >> no. but we neither did we have any proof that those tax cuts produced any kind of increase in jobs. what i find most interesting is that the republican philosophy now is, that we don't have to pay, or those tax cuts will pay for themselves. if we keep going the way we're going, jon, by 2020, the greatest portion of our

deficit in this country will be because of those tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. i might add this. in december of next year, 2012, the republican party is going to have to make a big decision because we're talking about $6 trillion, that's what you add up the tax cuts for. you say, are you going to pay for these $6 trillion? are you going to add to the deficit? i want some consistency here but there always has to be room for compromise. there were some pay-for in the republican bill i can support but they're trying to add on. they don't want this to pass. they don't want to succeed to have american people and middle class, yet those things that are deserved. that is what we're talking about in a payroll tax. that is 1,000 bucks per person. you can't sniff at that. and get, yet those people unemployed, who deserve unemployment compensation, who are looking for a job, who are in training or

looking for a job, we want people to put the american dream to the test and we need to have those rules. they need to be tough. they need to be followed. but if you're out of work and you're looking and you're sincerely doing it and we understand what you're doing, then that person should, has the right to an unemployment check. i don't mind it. i want to shrink the weeks, shrink the weeks. jon: isn't bigger not the reduction in unemployment benefits, term but isn't the bigger issue the fact that the republicans tied it to the extension of the keystone oil pipeline, which the president has, well, he doesn't like and promised to veto? >> well i think that was a strategically dumb idea for them to do that, regardless how you feel about the pipeline. i eventually intend to vote for that pipeline to be very honest with you. i think there are a few more environmental things we have to move towards but i don't think that was the smartest, actually the smartest thing to do, jon. i don't think that brought us closer to a compromise. jon: all right. congressman bill pascrell of

new jersey. is a government shutdown coming this weekend, friday? >> no, i think we'll have a budget for two or three months. this is how we're doing things. we have not passed a budget. here we are in december. i think we can get to that point. the question is, the pay room tax cut continuing it, and also unemployment compensation. we can not simply bail out banks without trying to help the american to look for work. that is my final position on the questions you're asking. and i appreciate being here today. jon: congressman pascrell, we enjoy having you on. thank you. >> thanks, jon. jenna: more on that as we get it. developments over the next couple days. jon: it is a fight. jenna: they said we'll figure it out. we'll do the play-by-play until then. meantime a disturbing new report that says venezuela and iran are plotting against the united states right across our border in mexico. we have the disturbing details in this bombshell documentary just released straight ahead.

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jenna: right now "time" magazine out with its choice for person of the year. and it's well, causing a little controversy, rick. >> that's true, jenna. this pretty much happens every year. "time" magazine announces its person of the year and every year there is controversy over whether the right person was picked. this year there aren't likely to be any protests because that who has been named, the protester. apparently all the protesters. the cover shot knowing anonymous face. you can only see the eyes. the rest is covered as you can see with a hat and scarf. the magazine's managing editor says the protester was chosen, quote, capturing and highlighting a global sense of restless promise, upending governments with conventional wisdom, combining oldest of techniques with newest of technologies to shine a light on human dignity and finally steering the planet on more democratic although sometimes dangerous path for the 21st century. it is hard to argue it

hasn't been the year of the protester. beginning with the fruit vendor credited with igniting the arab spring. the occupy movement, no matter what you think of it moved to cities all across the country even to europe. pros testers were out in moscow this weekend to provoice their anger wit prime minister vladmir putin. with political conventions and a presidential election in store for us in 2012 i bet we haven't seen the last of them. jenna: maybe we should take nominees for person. year. "happening now" at foxnews.com. jon scott eligible. jon: my nominee? seal team six. that would be my nominee for person of the year. jenna: e-mail us. "happening now"@fox news. jon: sounds good. we're live at fort bragg, north carolina. we're awaiting president obama. he is set to address troops there, marking the end of the iraq war. the president's remarks and

that tribute coming up.

always look for the grown in idaho seal.

jon: a moment in history for you now in this fox news alert. the president and mrs. obama at fort bragg, north carolina, home to the 82nd airborne division. they are there to salute the troops and especially the families who have been supporting them during the long iraq war, a war that is winding down at the end of this month. the president and the first lady will be offering their tributes. let's listen in. >> i get to start you all off. i want to begin by thanking general anderson for that introduction but more importantly for his leadership here at fort

bragg. i can't tell you what a pleasure and an honor it is to be back here. i have so many wonderful memories of this place. a couple of years ago i came here on my very first official trip as first lady and i spent some great time with some of the amazing military spouses and i visited again this summer to help the, put on the finishing touches on an amazing new home for a veteran and her family. so when i heard that i had the opportunity to come back and to be a part of welcoming you all home, to say i was excited was an understatement. and i have to tell you that when i look out at this crowd, i am simply overwhelmed. i am overwhelmed and proud, because i know the level of

the strength and commitment that you all display every single day. whenever this country calls, you all are the ones who answer, no matter the circumstance, no matter the danger, no matter the sacrifice. and i know that you do this not just as soldiers, not just as patriots, but as fathers and mothers, as brothers and officers, as -- sisters and sons and daughters. and i know while your children and your spouses and your parents and siblings might not wear uniforms, they serve right alongside you. [applause] i know that your sacrifice

is their sacrifice too. so when i think of all that you do and all that your families do i am so proud and so grateful but more importantly i'm inspired. but like some americans i never feel like i can fully convey just how thankful i am because words just don't seem to be enough and that's why i've been working so hard alongwith jill biden on a campaign we call joining forces. it's a campaign that we hope goes beyond words. it's a campaign that is about action. it's about rallying all americans to give you the honor, the appreciation and the support that you have all earned. and i don't have to tell you

that this hasn't been a difficult campaign. we haven't had to do much convincing because americans have been lining up to show their appreciation for you and your families and in very concrete and meaningful ways. businesses are hiring tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses. schools all across the country and ptas are reaching out to our military children, and individuals are serving their neighbors in their communities all over this country in your honor. so i want you to know that this nation's support doesn't end as this war ends, not by a longshot. we're going to keep on doing this. we have so much more work to do. we're going to keep finding new ways to serve all of you as well as you have served us. and the man leading the way

is standing right here. [cheers and applause] he is fighting for you and your families every single day. he helps more than half a million veterans and military family members go to college through the post 9/11 g.i. bill. he has taken unprecedented steps to improve mental health care. he has cut taxes for businesses that higher a veteran or wounded warrior. and he has kept his promise to responsibly bring you home from iraq. so police join me in welcoming someone who is your strongest advocate, someone who shows his support for our military not only in words but in deeds, my husband, our president, and your commander-in-chief, barack obama. chooup chup

[cheers and applause] >> hello, everybody. hello fort bragg. all the way. why i don't like following michelle obama. she's pretty good. and it is true i am a little biased but let me just say it, michelle, you are a remarkable first lady. [shouting] >> you are a great advocate for military families. and you're cute. [laughter] i'm just saying. gentlemen, that is your goal to marry up. [laughter]

fort bragg, we're here to mark an historic moment in the life of our country and our military. for nearly nine years, our nation have been at war. have about been at war in iraq. and you, the inconsider -- incredible men and women of fort bragg have been there every step of the way, serving with honor, sacrificing greatly, from the first wave of invasion for some of the last troops coming home. so as your commander-in-chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, i'm proud to finally say that these two words, and i know your families agree, welcome home. [cheers and applause] welcome home. welcome home.

welcome home it is great to be here at fort bragg, home of the airborne and special operations forces. i want to thank general anderson and all your outstanding leaders for welcoming us here today, including general dave rodriguez, general john mulholland, and i want to give a shout-out to your outstanding senior enlisted leaders including command sergeant major roger howard, darren bond, perry bear, and give a big round of applause to the ground forces band. [applause] we've got a lot of folks in the house today. we've got the 18th airborne

corps, the sky dragons. we've got the legendary all-american 82nd airborne division. >> we've got america's quiet professions, our special operations forces. from pope field we've got air force. and i do believe we've got some navy and marine corps mere too. and though they are not here with us today, we send our thoughts and prayers to general helmut, and all the folks from the 18th airborne and bragg who are bringing our troops back

from iraq. one of the most humbling moments i've had as president is when i presented our nation's highest military declaration, the medal of honor to the parents of one of those patriots from for the brag tpw-rbggg in afghanistan, robert miller. i want to satisfactory sleuth linda anderson, melissa helmut and all the inspiring military families here today. we honor your service as well.

and finally, i want to acknowledge your neighbors and friends who help keep your -- this outstanding operation going, all who helped to keep you army strong, that includes representative mike mcentire and dave price, and governor bev purdue. i know they are proud to have done so much for military families, so give them a big round of applause. [applause] today i've come to speak to you about the end of the war in iraq. over the last few months the final work of leaving iraq has been done. dozens of bases with american

names that house thousands of american troops have been closed down or turned over to the iraqis. thousands of tons of equipment have been packed up and shipped out. tomorrow the colors of the united states, the colors you fought under will be formally cased in a ceremony in baghdad. then they'll begin their journey across an ocean back home. over the last three years nearly 150,000 u.s. troops have left iraq. and over the next few days a small group of american soldiers will begin the final march out of that country. some of them are on their way back to fort bragg.

as general helmik said, they know that the last tactical road march out of iraq will be a symbol, and they are going to be a part of history. as your commander in chief i can tell you it will indeed be a part of history. those american troops will move south on desert sands, and then cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high. one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the american military will come to an end. iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. america's war in iraq will be over. we knew this day would come. we've known it for some time. but still, there is something

profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long. nine years ago american troops were preparing to deploy to the persian gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. many of you were in grade school. i was a state senator. many of the leaders now governing iraq, including the prime minister, were living in exile. and since then our efforts in iraq have taken many twists and turns. it was the source of great controversy here at home with patriots on both sides of the debate. but there was one constant, there was one constant, your patriotism, your commitment to

fulfill your mission, your abiding commitment to one another. that was constant. that did not change. that did not waiver. it's harder to end a war than begin one. indeed, everything that american troops have done in iraq, all the fighting, all the dying, the bleeding, and the building, and the training, and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. iraq is not a perfect place. it has many challenges ahead. but we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant iraq with a representative government that what's elected by its people. we're building a new partnership between our nations.

and we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home. this is an extraordinary achie achievement. nearly nine years in the mang. and today we remember everything that you did to make it possible. we remember the early days, the american units that streaked across the sands and skies of iraq. the battles from karbala to baghdad, american troops breaking the back of a brutal dictator in less than a month. we remember the grind of the insurgency, the roadside bombs, the sniper fire, the suicide attacks, from the triangle of death to the fight to ramadi. to mozul.

we remember the specto r-frbgs sectarian violence. al-qaida's attacks on mosques and pill grams. they carried out campaigns of intimidation and assassination. in the face of ancient divisions you stood firm to help those iraqis who put their faith in the future. we remember the surge, and we remember the awakening, when the abyss of chaos turned toward the promise of reconciliation, and by battling and building block by block in baghdad, by bringing tribes into the fold and partnering with the iraqi army and police you helped turn the tide toward peace. and we remember the end of our combat mission, and the

emergence of a new dawn. the precision of our efforts against al-qaida in iraq. the professionalism in the training of iraqi security forces, and the steady drawdown of our forces. in handing over responsibility to the iraqis you preserved the gains of the last four years and made this day possible. just last month some of you, members of the falcon brigade turned over the anabar operation to the iraqis in the kind of ceremony that has become commonplace in the last several months. in the area that was once the heart of the insurgency, a combination of fighting and training, politics and partnership brought the promise of peace. here is what the local iraqi deputy governor said, this is all because of the u.s. forces'

hard work and sacrifice. that is in the words of an ira iraqi. hard work and sacrifice. those words only begin to describe the costs of this war, and the courage of the men and women who fought it. we know too well the heavy costs of this war. more than 1.5 million americans have served in iraq, 1.5 million. over 30,000 americans have been wounded, and those are only the wounds that show. nearly 4500 americans made the ultimate sacrifice, including

202 fallen heros from here at fort bragg. 202. so today we pause to say a prayer for all those families who have lost their loved ones. they are part of our broader american family, we grieve with them. we also know that these numbers don't tell the full story of the iraq war, not even close. our civilians have represented our country with skill and bravery. our troops have served tour, after tour of duty with precious little down time in between. our guard and reserve units stepped up with unprecedented service. you've endured dangerous foot patrols, and you've endured the pain of seeing your friends and comrades fall. you've had to be more than

soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen. you've had to be diplomats, development workers, trainers, and peacemakers. through all this you have shown why the united states military is the finest fighting force in the history of the world. [applause] as michelle mentioned, we also know that the burden of war is borne by your families. in countless-based communities like bragg folks have come together in the absence of a loved one. as the mayor of fayetteville put it, war is not a political word here, war is where our friends

and neighbors go. so there have been missed birthday parties and graduations. there are bills to pay and jobs that have to be juggled while picking up the kids. for every soldier that goes on patrol there are the husbands and the wives, the mothers, the fathers, the sons, the daughters praying that they come back. so today as we mark the end of the war, let us acknowledge, let us give a heart-felt round of applause for every military family that has carried that load over the last nine years, you too have the thanks of a grateful nation. [applause]

>> part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who fought it. it's not enough to honor you with words. words are cheap. we must do it with deeds. you stood up for america, america needs to stand up for you. that's why as your commander-in-chief i am committed to making sure that you get the care, and the benefits and the opportunities that you've earned. for those of you who remain in uniform, we will do whatever it takes to insure the health of our force, including your families. we will keep faith with you.

we will help our wounded warri warriors heal and we will stand by those suffered who have suffered the unseen wounds of war. and make no mistake, as we go forward as a nation we are going to keep america's armed forces the strongest fighting force the world has ever seen. that will not stop. [applause] that will not stop. but our commitment doesn't end when you take off the uniform. you're the finest our nation has to offer, and after years of rebuilding iraq we want to enlist our veterans in the work of rebuilding america. that's why we're committed to doing everything we can to extend more opportunities to those who have served. that includes the post 9/11 gi

bill, so that you and your families can get the education that allows you to live out your dreams. that includes a national effort to put our veterans to work. we've worked with congress to pass a tax credit so that companies have the incentive to higher vets. admonish he will hamichelle has worked with the private sector to get jobs for those who served. we are doing this not because it's the right thing to do by you, we are doing it because it's the right thing to do for america. folks like my grandfather came back from world war ii to form the backbone of this country's middle class. for our post 9/11 veterans, with your skill, with your discipline, with your leadership, i am confident that the story of your service to america is just beginning.

there is something else that we owe you. as americans we have a responsibility to learn from your service. i'm thinking of an exam he will, lieutenant allen shaw who was based here at fort bragg. a new years ago on a supply route outside baghdad he and his team were engulfed by flames from an rpg attack, covered with gasoline he ran into the fire to help his fellow soldiers and then led them two miles back to camp victory where he finally collapsed, covered with burns. when they told him he was a hero alvin disagreed. i'm not a hero he said, a hero

is a sandwich. [laughter] >> i'm a pair pair paratrooper. we could do tell to learn from alvin. this country needs to learn from you. folks in washington need to learn from you. policy makers and historians will continue to analyze the strategic lessons of iraq, that's important to do. our commander's will incorporate hard won lessons in future military campaigns, that is important to do. but the most important lesson that we can take from you is not about military strategy, it's a lesson about our national character.

for all of the challenges that our nation faces you remind us that there is nothing we americans can't do when we stick together. for all the disagreements that we face, you remind us there is something bigger than our differences, something that makes us one nation, and one people, regardless of color, regardless of creed, regardless of what part of the country we come from, regardless of what backgrounds we come out of, you remind us we are one nation. that's why the united states military is the most respected institution in our land, because you never forget that. you can't afford to forget it. if you forget it somebody dies.

if you forget it a mission fails. so you don't forget it. we have each other's backs. that's why you, the 9/11 generation, has earned your place in history. because of you, because you sacrificed so much for a people that you had never met iraqis have a chance to forge their own destiny. that's part of what makes us special as americans. unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory, or for resources. we do it because it's right. there can be no fuller expression of american support

for selfdetermination than our leaving iraq to its people. that says something about who we are. because of you in afghanistan we've broken the momentum of the taliban. because of you we've gun a transition to the afghans that will allow us to bring our troops home from there, and around the globe as we drawdown in iraq, we have gone after al-qaida so that terrorists who threaten america will have no safe-haven and osama bin laden will never again walk the face of this earth: so here is what i want you to know and here is what i want all our men and women in uniform to know. because of you we are ending these wars in a way that will make america stronger, and a

world more secure. because of you. that success was never guaranteed. let us never forget the source of american leadership. our commitment to the values that are written into our founding documents, and a unique willingness among nations to pay a great price for the progress of human freedom and dignity. this is who we are. that's what we do as americans, together. the war in iraq will soon belong to history. your service belongs to the ages. never forget that you are part of an unbroken line of heros spanning two centuries, from the

colonists who over through an empire to your parents and grandparents who faced down facists and communism, to you, men and women who fought for the same principles in fallujah and kandahar and brought justice to those who attacked us on 9/11. looking back on the war that saved our union, a great american, oliver wendell holmes once paid tribute to those who served. in our youth, he said, our hearts were touched with fire. it was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing. all of you here today have lived through the fires of war.

you will be remembered for it. you will be honored for it, always. you have done something profound with your lives. when this nation went to war you signed up to serve. when times were tough you kept fighting. when there was no end in sight you found light in the darkness. years from now your legacy will endure in the names of your fallen comrades etched on headstones at arlington and the quiet memorials across our country. in the whispered words of admiration as you march in parades and in the freedom of our children and our grandchildren, and in the quiet of night you will recall that your heart was once touched by fire. you will know that you answered when your country called. you served a cause greater than

yourselves. you helped forge a just and lasting peace with iraq, and among all nations. i could not be prouder of you, and america could not be prouder of you. god bless you all. god bless your families. and god bless the united states of america. ♪ [music playing] ♪ ♪ jon: fort bragg, north carolina, the president there addressing the assembled forces, many of them from the 82nd airborne in burgundy berets there. the president marking the end of the iraq war. as was pointed out in "the washington post" in a piece today it's actually a timeline that was established by his predecessor, george w. bush who had suggested that the war would

be winding down by now, but the white house is working to portray this as a promise kept by this president. 202 troops from fort bragg have died in the iraq war and another 200 or so have lost their lives fighting for this country in afghanistan. for some reaction to the president's speech let's bring in special report anchor bret baier. he is in des moines, iowa. he'll be moderating tomorrow's fox news republican debate. as bret gets ready to join us for this aftermath of the president's speech we do have bret? >> reporter: yes. jon: bret, you heard the president and hearty roars of approval when he talked about trying to help the troops get jobs as they transition into the civilian workforce, the unemployment rate among our veterans higher than the

population as a whole. >> reporter: this is a big concern. this is a big moment not only for this president but for the u.s. military. for all of the back and forth about the iraq war, at the end of the year the fact that u.s. troops will be out of iraq is a big, big moment. the hand over of camp victory there. the huge u.s. military base. it's actually unbelievable to think that all of the u.s. troops are going to be out. obviously there are thousands and thousands of u.s. contractors, and the state department will have a lot of presence there with the massive baghdad embassy, but it is a moment that the president chose to address the military directly, thanking them for their service and sacrifice. not mentioned, obviously president bush and the decisions made by the bush administration about the surge, and how effective it was to get to this point in the war, but that was expected from what we've seen and heard from president obama

before. jon: also not mentioned really during this speech is the turn around from candidate obama to president obama. i mean there was some certainly negative things about the prosecution of the iraq war that barack obama said as candidate that he -- well he seems to have flipped on as president. >> reporter: well, you know, he was asked at a news conference with iraqi prime minister nouri al-maliki whether he thought the war was still a dumb idea and he said he would let history decide that and rechanneled the question to the service and sacrifice of the u.s. troops and the u.s. military. he was much more aggressive about the war, how it was being fought, and that the surge was not going to work. folks in the military will tell you that that was the turn around in which iraq became a different place, and that enabled this point. there is obviously still criticism within the pentagon that they didn't get the total

numbers that they wanted to leave there on the ground to help trainee rack key troops and to help this transition for fear of what iran may do inside iraq, but the president is marking what is a historic moment, the end of u.s. troop presence in the country. no matter what your political ideology is, this is a huge moment for the country. jon: a lot of questions as you mentioned as to what iran plans to do in the weeks and months ahead. stick around we have a lot more questions about politics and the big gop debate for you coming up tomorrow night. and we'll be right back.

woman: my father came to america selling fishcakes from the back of his truck, and in 1942, of course, they were sent away. after the war, as a japanese coming back from camp, he started a little store on main street in seattle. of course they needed some money, and bank of america was the only bank who would talk to my father. and we've stayed with bank of america.

we have four stores now, three in the pacific northwest and one in oregon. my parents would not believe how popular it is now.

jenna: welcome back, everyone to america's, well, election headquarters on fox news. we have new polling on the race to the white house. it shows a big divide on the general population and republican voters. we'll look where the front-runners stand. this is according to a associated press poll that came out a phone survey randomly asked respondents who they want to win the gop nomination? this is the seven main contenders still in the running. more of the respondents chose mitt romney over newt gingrich. on republican leaning voters, gingrich has the edge. a little bit of a change there. a majority of those surveyed, 55%, say they're dissatisfied with the gop field but when those same

callers established themselves as republicans, they actually felt the opposite. the republicans felt they are more satisfied or totally satisfied with, well, who is being presented to them. chief political correspondent carl cameron is live in des moines, iowa, to work through the numbers with us. thank goodness for that. we're 20 days before the caucuses, one day before the debate. give us an idea what is going on the ground there in iowa. >> reporter: as those polls reflect there is battle going on with newt gingrich and mitt romney and it is back and forth. gingrich clearly leads in iowa, nationally, south carolina, just about everywhere except new hampshire where mitt romney lead. really as we get closer and closer to the caucuses at this point, jenna, the polls really become less and less important and in many cases less reliable. the undecided nature of this race is fairly pronounced. there are lots of people in iowa who intend to go to the caucuses who haven't made up their mind f they're leaning

toward a tick lar candidate they are likely to say but i could change my mind. more the case in new hampshire and south carolina which follow follow iowa. the result of that state will depend what happens here. there has been a few polls in the last few days that suggest a lot of criticisms and attacks newt gingrich sustained the last couple days have been to take a bit of a toll. suggesting his favorability numbers have begun to slip. the national poll by gallup, which is a daily tracking poll, because its a tracking poll it can pick up early trends before some of the polls that only come out periodically. it shows gingrich's lead which peaked at 37 is down to 31 and mitt romney is at 22%. in the last week mr. gingrich nationally lost a little bit of his lead in the daily tracking poll from gallup. he is taking serious hits from his rivals. this is may be the first indication that necessary numbers been will come back down-to-earth earth.

jenna: carl, how many times have you been out in iowa for an election. >> reporter: this will be,-, a lot of them. jenna: we can leave it at that i want to ask how it feels different. you've been on the ground a lot. how is this race or this time different than previous times? >> reporter: it is so much later, jenna. the intensity finally arrived in new hampshire, iowa and south carolina where the tvs are filled with ads and mailboxes are filled with mail and some of the people are engaged. at this point in the last campaign people were marching in the streets of new hampshire and iowa four years ago. this time around you could stand until the battery goes dead with your megaphone to actually find someone paying astute attention here in iowa. it is much, much later than ever before. part of that is a consequence of the debates which sucked up the oxygen of retail politics. part of it the candidates haven't had a lot of money to spend on ads until recently and the other part of the it, the american

public, particularly republicans spent the last year somewhat unenthusiastic about their field. we saw that with the massive surge for michele bachmann which then dropped and then rick perry and herman cain and now newt gingrich has surged all looking for an alternative to romney. which is to say they have been looking for someone who could excite them. that also slowed this race. now that it is here, there is a ton of catching up to do for caucusgoers and primary voters. that is part of why so many are undecided. it has been slow starting. they have to make up their minds. there is so much information and so much going on it takes them a little while. voters in the early states no better than anything, jenna, wait until the final scene of the movie. don't make the opening statement in first minutes of the movie what to decide on. often there is a twist at the end that will determine how they will decide. jenna: we're lucky to have you, carl,s that for sure. the best in the business. back to carl with all the latest news on iowa. a little bit more what we'll see tomorrow night. jon: i am not very good at

predicting the future but i can tell you what i'm going to be doing 32 hours from now and i hope you will too. tomorrow is the final debate ahead of the iowa caucuses. you can watch it here on fox news channel. let's bring in "special report" anchor bret baier. he is the moderator of that debate. he joins us live from sioux city, iowa. let's get back to the president's speech there at fort bragg just a moment, bret. did you hear any politics or anything that speaks to his desire to win re-election as he was addressing the troops about the end of the gulf war? well, sure, the end of the war in iraq, i think just the mere speech itself was enveloped in what the administration wants to portray on foreign policy. that the then senator obama, candidate obama said they would responsibly end the war in iraq and he is saying he is delivering on that. the administration is saying that, that they are solid on foreign policy and they're trying to take any

vulnerability about, you know, traditional vulnerabilities for a democratic administration, that they're not tough enough around the world and use that in speeches when he talks about foreign policy. it is all enveloped in politics when you get this late heading into 2012. jon: meantime we have a fractured country and maybe a fractured government right now. you have got the republican-led house doing battle with the democratic-led senate and in some cases both of those bodies doing battle with the white house. we've got the threat of another government shutdown coming up potentially on friday. what's question one for these candidates tomorrow? >> well, we're not going to give it away right here but i can tell you this. i know. i will tell you this, we've been fielding a lot of suggested questions from all kind of folks. by the way twitter,@bret baier, people can tweet me suggested questions. we'll try to incorporate that into some of the debate. but the most questions we

get, the biggest focus is on electability and the ability of whoever the nominee is to beat president obama in the fall and there are questions that, you know, we've been fashioning, you know along those lines that i think will really get to the moment. we are looking at a debate where it is the last time these candidates will get together before the iowa caucuses. after all this coverage. and carl does a fantastic job but we've been covering this a lot. this is the last time they will all be together and it should be an exciting debate. one thing we're noticing here on the ground is congressman ron paul is surging. jon: right. >> he has got organization. and he is making a move. so i would watch congressman paul for his, his movement. jon: that is borne out in a ppp poll, public policy polling i believe is the organization. it is a liberal or left-leaning organization but they put together a poll

taken they say among likely republican iowa caucus-goers. they show newt gingrich squeaking out a one percentage point advantage over ron paul and paul five points ahead of mitt romney. does that sound like the kind of thing you're seeing on the ground? >> just anecdotally i can tell you the airwaves are filled with ron paul ads and rick perry ads and michele bachmann ads but there seems to be this sense ron paul is doing very well here on the ground and some of the negative ads his campaign is running against newt gingrich appear to, in the latest polls, be having an effect as carl mentioned on the negative, the negative rating of gingrich. so we'll see. i think that this debate will be really a crucial moment and we hope to facilitate the ability for each of those candidates to differentiate themselves and also talk about why they think they would be best to beat president obama in the fall. jon: ron paul supporters are

among the most fervent of any political candidate i certainly have ever seen. bret baier, it will be fascinating to watch. we'll let you go get back to work. thank you, bret. tomorrow the republican presidential debate in iowa, moderated by that man you just saw there, bret baier. a final chance to hear the candidates squaring off face-to-face before the big iowa caucuses. that is tomorrow 9:00 p.m. eastern time right here on fox news channel. do not miss it. it really kicks off the 2012 presidential election and we'll be right back. hey, the new guy is loaded with protein!

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jon: a fox news alert. a new poll numbers just in on a possible head-to-head matchup between president obama and newt gingrich. the former speaker of the house. the news looks good for the president and not so good for republicans. 49% saying they would vote for president obama. 39% say they would vote for newt gingrich. 8% say they would support some other candidate.

independent pollster scott rasmussen is president of rasmussen reports. fill us a little bit on these numbers. was newt gingrich the only alternative, that is the only republican whose name was offered in that particular poll? >> in this poll, yeah. we're tracking every single matchup on a rotating basis in our daily tracking polls. what is significant here is about the trend. just as others like rick perry and herman cain, newt gingrich rose to lead the president by a couple of points but that was a few weeks ago. as soon as he became the front runner his numbers began to decline. a week ago he trailed the president by five. now he trails by 10. and, this is similar to what carl cameron was saying just a little bit ago. there appears to be, you know, some rising disenchantment with newt gingrich because that's what happens to all the front-runners this year. jon: so because this is the most fresh poll that you've taken, you can't tell us where mitt romney stands against the president right now because that's a poll

you will be taking again in the days ahead. >> yeah a couple days ago, mitt romney was leading the president by three points. it's worth noting while perry, cain and gingrich have all had one poll during this session where they have led the president, mitt romney is the only republican who has led more than one, led the president more than one time. essentially he has been a toss-up with president obama all year. jon: one of the hot-button issues of this presidential campaign is illegal immigration. i know that you asked voters if your state were to pass an arizona-type immigration law, would you approve or disapprove? 50% say they would favor such a law. 34% said they would oppose it. what's the message there, scott? >> well, it's, this issue of illegal immigration draws all kinds of misconceptions. americans aren't unhappy will legal immigrants. they are unhappy with the federal government. in fact 7% think there needs to be more done -- 73% think

there needs to be more done to prevent illegal immigration. 62% think you should check immigration status of someone pulled over for a traffic stop. at the end of the day there is limit how harshly they want to treat immigrants. they know we're a nation of laws and i am my grants. most americans want to honor both the traditions. jon: i was arguing this question with some of the folks on our chat. it seems to me right now when you have a number of republican candidates and there are still a bunch of them, that support will be a little bit fractured. once you get down to one or maybe two serious candidates because some will certainly drop out after iowa and new hampshire, does the republican support tend to coalesce behind one candidate? might you see one emerge with numbers higher than the president's? >> i'm certain that that will happen at some point, whether or not it will last through the summer into next november, we don't know.

last time around in the democratic party when barack obama and hillary clinton were shrugging it out for many, many months, large numbers of clinton supporters said they would never vote for barack obama if he was nominated but in the end they did. as soon as it became clear that barack obama was going to be the nominee his support did increase. i would expect something similar to happen this time. jon: nobody knows the numbers better. scott rasmussen, from rasmussen reports. >> thank you. jon: thank you. tomorrow the republican presidential debate from iowa. bret baier is the moderator. your last chance to hear the candidates square off face-to-face before those all-important iowa caucuses. it is tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. eastern time. two-hour debate here on fox news channel. more coverage with "happening now." apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream. reddi-wip us real dairy crm.

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jenna: no secret, companies across the country are trying to cut the cost of health care by offering workers financial benefits, get this, if they lose weight. dan springer live in seattle. first question, is fox news doing this? should jon and i know about this policy. >> reporter: you're way too thin, jenna. wouldn't work for you. jenna: good answer, dan springer. you can be on all the time. okay. is this working dan? is this policy actually helping companies save money? >> reporter: economists say it is too early to know because the problem is just too big. we definitely know the trend is growing. some companies are offering to pay health club memberships for employees. some are offering lower health care premiums if they get in wellness program. they are also dangling cash in front of employees faces if they lose weight. evidence shows that it is working. look at the five guys we interviewed at l.a. sky

chefs in texas. they paid a $6 fee to enter them in a nationwide competition. each guy lost at least 20% of his body weight and one dropped an amazing 100 pounds in 13 weeks. and the payoff, in addition obviously feeling lot betters, was a cash prize of $10,000. >> we're happy. we lost a lot of weight. we're healthier. motivating people, sometimes needs to come from different sources. >> reporter: of course the problem is a lot bigger than just five guys in dallas. this is a $2 trillion tab we have in this country for health care. obesity, one-third of americans are obese according to the cdc. $116 billion a year extra in health care costs due to diabetes which is now the number one health threat in america. it is a big problem. it will take a long time to change the curve. jenna. jenna: big problem as you mentioned, if you lose weight, you're healthier. you're getting some cash. that is a pretty good deal

from the company you mentioned. what about the opposite though? what happens if you're not losing weight or smoking or doing something that is knowingly damaging to your health? >> reporter: well in some cases it is shifting costs to you because your health care premiums, because they're offering a deal for people losing the weight, your health care premiums are going to be higher. some people are saying it is shifting costs to the peel who need the insurance the most. as an example in king county, washington, they're getting people into these programs. they have saved $61 million, the taxpayers that is, by getting people to lose weight on the county, employees. so it is working to some extent but will it shift costs away from people that really need it? that is the question, jenna. jenna: that is the question. right underneath we have lose weight, get cash. dan springer die at program. dan, thanks for the story. thanks for compliment. appreciate it. we'll be right back with more happening now