the spin stott stops right here because we are definitely looking out for you. >> sean: this is a fox news alert. fox news is projecting mitt romney to be the winner of the illinois republican primary. the polls closed exactly one hour ago. for the latest on the mitt romney victory, we go to chicago where bret baier is standing by tonight. bret? apparently, we might have lost him. but mitt romney did have a big victory. we'll check in with bret and update you with all the latest on mitt romney and his speech and rick santorum's speeches. the republican national committee is turning up the pressure on the president over the bill maher donation from the super pac. the powerful rnc ad is touching on some controversial elements from a book by author, ron

suskin. take a look at this. >> bill maher, host of "real time with bill maher" announcing he has donated $1 million to about the obama's super pac. >> bill maher, of course, had used the "c" word to refer to sarah palin. >> what is the evidence that i am a misogeeanist. >> every single thing you say about women. >> the blonde twink asking the question, i don't know who that is on fox, but she's not bright. >> if someone called me a cr "c" -- >> some robberies are saying hypocrisy. should they give the money back. >> no, look. >> understand the words that maher's used in the stand-up act are a little bit different. >> journalist ron suskin call its a boys club. >> all the classic requirements for a genuinely hostile

workplace. >> ruskin says that women are ru10ly sidelined. >> they have talked about the fact that this white house, especially in the early days ux was a challenging place for women to work. that is no secret. but it does seem, wolf, that this whole fig leaf, they have put on on whether or not you are saying something vile whether or not she is a public or a private figure, there is a real inconsistency there. >> sean: we will get to that ad. but we have bret baier, back, in chicago with the latest on illinois primary. bret. >> reporter: thanks, sean. it's a big night for republican presidential candidate, mitt romney. he jumped out to an early lead and fox news projects he easily wins the illinois primary. neither newt gingrich nor ron paul put a lot of effort into the bid here. so this was a head-to-head confrontation between romney and santorum, with romney winning

comfortably. 54 delegates are at stake. santorum failed to get in the paperwork for 10 of them. there were a few surprises today, according to the exit polls. romney pulled the support of groups he has generally won, moderates, college graduate, voters earning more than $100,000 a year and he won the vote of tea party supporters here in illinois. a group that went for gingrich in albam spamississippi primaries last week. and santorum has done well as well. voters in the prairie state think that romney's top quality is that he can beat president obama. a full hour wrapup at 11:00 p.m. eastern. a big win for mitt romney. we don't know how many delegates, but we will before the end of the night. >> sean: thanks so much. now, with reaction to the video, steve mcman, former speech writer to secretary of state condoleezza rice, elyse jord arnis here. you know, it's amazing -- here's

the first lady on letterman last night. they won't give back. they are threading the needle, parsing their terms. david axel rod is a smart guy. why are they stuck in this position of not giving that money back? >> i think, why would they give the moan back? it's $1 million f. they did, it's the best thing that could happen to bill maher. he has a ton of publicity and he gets his million dollars back. >> sean: i don't think so. hereof's what i think, 41% approval rating, steve, look, put aside the democratic strategist leanings, 41% approval rating and you are up for re-election and you are upside down on the issues and to reach out or to alienate the base and risk the wrath of maher, which would be harsh, i don't think he has the political courage to do it. >> i don't think it's political courage. i think it's political wisdom. he's taking money -- >> sean: courage, wisdom -- >> super pac, taking big

donations from people -- bill maher is a comedian. vifour daughters and you know my wife -- >> sean: i love my wife. >> i am not suggesting what bill maher said is appropriate -- >> sean: stop. that's weak -- [overlapping dialogue] >> i give bill maher a pass on this -- >> i don't. >> he stands up for women in the middle-east. i think it's terrible -- >> sean: you give him a pass for the "c" word. >> he's quite brave when it comes to addressing -- >> sean: macking fun of governor palin's children and rick santorum's children. >> i think it's terrible -- [overlapping dialogue] >> sean: the president said he would lead by example. >> he's one of the few people in public life who stands up for women in the middle-east and he has gotten a ton of scorn from the liberals for it. >> sean: he can say anything he wants, make fun of children, of candidates, the way he has in the most vile, despicable -- >> he's known and he shouldn't do that -- i am not defending that. but i am saying with the overall, broader picture, i

salute anyone who will -- the problem today -- >> sean: we are talking about one little -- >> the feminists take up for white women. i care about women in the developing world. >> sean: i care about all women and steve's children and wife and i care about you and the women in my life. the problem here is that obama said he would lead by example and lectured the country on the issue of tone and civility and discourse and obama's wife goes on letterman and he takes a million dollars from a guy who uses the c-word against governor palin. if you don't call that hypocrisy, that's intellectually dishonest. >> he is a comedian. barack obama is a responsible -- >> sean: he's not a comedian. he has a political show. >> it's not funee. >> sean: that's a million-dollar donation. >> have you to admit, it's fundamentally different from a principle driver of republican party politics. >> sean: the head of the party is barack obama. >> i understand that. the figure head of the

republican party is rush limbaugh. >> sean: that's a talking point -- i am a registered conservative. >> none of the candidates, the republican candidates came out afterwards -- >> sean: that's not true. >> certainly ron paul came out and said it was silly. >> sean: wait a minute. mitt romney and rick santorum on my radio show, both said it was inappropriate, it was proper to -- excuse me -- he told me -- i interviewed them -- it was proper to apologize. >> how many days did it take them to do that? >> i think both sides are really guilty. peggy nunan -- >> sean: if they get a million dollars. >> i think both sides are guilty of the horrible talk against women. the way we talk about women, it silences women in public life. >> sean: newt didn't take a million dollars. >> the point is right. there is a coarseness in politics, on the left and on the right, that permits and forghifs

kind of action. and this kind of language. frankly, you know, i do think it's different between a comedian and a figure -- >> sean: stop when you are talking with the -- it's -- rush is not the head of the republican party. the head of the republican party -- the head of the democratic party is obam a. obama lectured the country on civility. obama said he wanted his daughters to be treated this we -- >> obama -- and the president who has two daughter, too, has never engagedin any of this kind of behavior and repudiated the words that bill maher used -- >> sean: took his million -- >> he said it was right for him to apologize, but they didn't repudiate him -- >> sean: it's embarrassing -- you ought to be embarrassed, so should david axel rod, you are threading -- >> i am not defending what bill maher said. >> i think, though i. i think they should give it back. they don't need it --

>> sean: ding, ding, ding -- you said the right thing -- finally! >> it doesn't make a difference. >> sean: it's principle. >> he should say, i will give it back, as soon as mitt romney repudiates rush limbaugh. >> sean: mitt romney office my radio program. he said it was inappropriate, rush should apologize, was right to apologize. >> repudiate his support. that's what you are asking the fot do with bill maher. >> sean: rush limbaugh has not been supporting mitt romney. >> oh, my god -- are you kidding me! >> sean: he's been very critical of mitt romney. >> wait and see what happens in the general election. >> sean: romney over obama -- no brainer. >> obama could learn a lot from hillary clinton. the way she talks about women's rights in the world -- it should be said, the way she has been sideline in the obama administration is a disgrace -- >> sean: you know who obama could learn a lot from -- you will be shocked. bill clinton. he could have had a sister soldier moment.

he blew it. >> i am not shocked at all,. >> sean: you are going to say, "hannity you are right"? go ahead. we are really long here. thank you both. we are awaiting mitt romney. he will take the stage and we will have that live. and we will be hearing, we expect to hear from rick santorum and our vetting of the president continues with the real obama. and that's the obama that makes excuses for everything, next tonight on "hannity." [ male announcer ] how can power consumption in china, impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy.

it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 1year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospecs or summary prctus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. and people. and the planes can seem the same so, it comes down to the people. because, bad weather the price of oil those are every airlines reality. and solutions won't come from 500 tons of metal and a paint job.

they'll come from people. delta people. who made us one of the biggest airlines in the world. and then decided that wasn't enough. ♪ when your chain of supply goes from here to shanghai, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ chips from here, boards from there track it all through the air, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ clearing customs like that hurry up no time flat that's logistics. ♪ ♪ all new technology ups brings to me, that's logistics. ♪

battle speech right? may i? capital one is issuing a venture double miles challenge. sh us how much you spent last year and we'll give you 2 miles for every dollar spent on your travel reward card. up t100,000 miles! hawaii, here we come. claiyour miles at capitalone.com today! wh's in your wallet? cayou play games on that? not on the runway. no.

>> sean: breaking news, mitt romney has won the illinois primary. we will bring you his speech when it happens and we expect to hear from rick santorum, we will bring that to you live. we bring you another installment of the real obama as we continue to vet the anointed one's inability to accept blame for anything. despite being the leader of the free world, for well over 3 years now, everything is still, well, his predecessor's fault, except for gas prices. listen to who and what he has pointed fingers at since he has taken office. >> we were inheriting so many challenges. we knew this was going to take time because we have this big, messy, tough democracy. the previous administration and previous congresses created an expensive new drug program, passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy and funded two wars

without paying for any of them. if we had taken office during ordinary times, we would have started bringing down these deficits immediately. these are far from the best of times. by any measure, my administration inherited a fiscal disaster. there is no doubt this has been a sumultiuous year. we have -- timultiuous year. we have weathered the arab spring, the japanese earthquake and tsunami effect on supply chains, the extraordinary economic uncertainty in europe, and recently markets around the globe have taken a bumpy ride. iff we already had a big deficit that i inherited -- >> one of the main reasons our economy faltered is because some on wall street made irresponsible bets. >> there is a structure issue where a lot of businesses have learned to become efficient with

a lot fewer workers. you go to the bank and you use the at.m. and not a teller. or at airport, you go to a kiosk, instead of checking in at the gate. >> we inherited a big mess. >> sean: joining me, the co-host "the five," dana perino and start varny. i know you take it personally because, you know, when all else fails, you blame george w. bush. but he doesn't blame bush for the $1.79 gas prices. blaming kiosks kiosks and affild t.m. machines -- when did we invent them, 1980? >> before i was born. high gas prices, blame the oil companies and you tax them. regulate the banks. high drug prices? blame the drug companies and tax them some more. but what have you to do at all costs is shield your record. blame somebody else when failure is all around you. that's what the president's doing. >> sean: the amazing thing is he

got everything he wanted with reid and pelosi, got a stimulous, got all of his trillion-dollar deficits. he got everything he wanted, his health care plan. nothing worked though. >> imagine if president bush had for the entire time after 2001 and the 9/11 attacks said that he had inherited the problem because bill clinton didn't kill bin laden. how would that have united the country. >> sean: there's some truth to that. >> every president inherits a big plate of things from the previous plate, including a recession. president obama happened to be worse than the one president bush inherited. but president obama has not been able to get beyond the blame game because that's how they won the election in 2008. -- >> sean: bob beckel is mad at me.

>> he gets mad at everything. >> sean: that's a good point. >> he just lives mad. >> sean: when i play -- we just made this -- this is a new one. we put this together in the vetting of obama. we are going to do it every night. beckel is mad because i say, he's president cry baby. i think he needs to man up, put his pants on, sit at the table and take responsibility. >> he's president divisiveness, that's divisive. if you are constantly pointing the blame, that's what you are doing. >> sean: we have to come back and dana said i would not get an interview with obam a. we will get to that. but governor romney who won in illinois is taking to the stage. we'll see what he has to say. >> thank you, guys. so many great friends in this room and across illinois. what a night. thank you, illinois. what a night!

and of course, i would like to congratulate my fellow candidates on a hard-fought contest here. i would like to thank in particular, the volunteers and our friends across the state and in other states who have been working hard. i appreciate their unwaiverring support through good times and bad. tonight, we thank the people of illinois for their vote and thr this extraordinary victory. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] >> and you know, elections are about choices. and today, hundreds of thousands of people in illinois have joined millions of people across the country to join our cause. and this movement began on a small farm in new hampshire on a sunny june day. we were surrounded by a small group of friends and some supporters and family. we shared a conviction that the america we loved was in trouble

and adrift without strong leadership. and three years of barack obama have brought us fewer jobs and shrinking paychecks that many of us believe we were in danger of losing something more than the value of our homes and 401(k)s, after years of too many apologies and not enough job, historic drops in income and historic rises in gas price, a president who doesn't hesitate to use all the means necessary to force obamacare on the american public and leads from behind in the world. alternates time to say these words -- this word: enough. we have had enough. [cheers and applause] >> we know our future. we know our future's brighter than these troubled times. we still believe in america. we deserve a president who

believes in us. and i believe in the american people. now, you know that yesterday i was giving a speech at the university of chicago -- [cheers and applause] >> not very far from here, not very far from where professor barack obama taught law. [boos from crowd]. >> it was a speech on economic freedom. as i was writing the speech, i thought to my lifetime of experiences. i have had a lot of opportunity to learn about the unique genius of america's free enterprise system. it started with my dad. he didn't graduate from college and he would tell me about his dad, who was a contractor. you know about construction -- up and down years. he never quite made t. but he never gave up and raised great kids. later, i helped start companies.

and those began with just an idea and somehow they made it through the difficult times and were able to create a good return for investors and thens of jobs. and those jobs helped families bay their first homes, those jobs put kids through school. those jobs helped people live better lives. dream a little bigger. for 25 years, i lived and breathed business and the economy and jobs. i had successes and failures. but each step of the way, i learned more about what it is that makes our american system so powerful. you can't learn that teaching constitutional law at university of chicago. all right? [cheers and applause] >> you can't even learn that as a community organizer.

the simple truth is that this president doesn't understand the genius of america's economy, or the secret of the american economic success story. the american economy is fueled by freedom. >> the history of the world has shown that economic freedom is the only force that has consistently lifted people out of poverty. it is the only principle that has ever been able to sustain prosperity. but over the last 3 years, this administration has been engaged in an all-out assault on our freedom. under this president, bureaucrats prevent drilling rigs from going to work in the gu. they keep coal from being mined. they impede the reliable spliff natural gas. they even tell farmers what

their kids can do on their farms. this administration's assault on freedom has kept this so-called recovery from meeting their projection, let alone our expectations. now, by the way, the president is trying to erase his record with new rhetoric. the other day he said, we are inventors, we are builders, we're makers of things, we're thomas edison, we're wright brothers, we are bill gates, we are steel job it's wait. i missed that. we are steve jobs. that's true. but he's still barack obama.

>> under barack obama, those pioneers he mentioned would have had a very difficult time trying to ibovate and invest and create new jobs. under dodd-frank, they would have found it almost impossible to get a community loan. and the regulations would have shut down the wright brothers for dust pollution. and of course, the government would have banned thomas edison's light bulb. by the way, they just did -- didn't they? [cheers and applause] >> all right. now you know that the real cost of these misguided policies, these attacks on economic freedom, this intrusion of the government into our freedom-- the cost of that are the ideas that are not pursued. and the dreams that are not realized. and therefore all the businesses that don't get start and the

tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of workers who don't get hired. for century, the american dream has meant the opportunity to build something new. some of america's greatest success stories are people who started without nothing but a good idea. in a cornener their garage. too often, today, american who is want to start of a business or launch a new venture, they don't see promise and opportunity, they see government standing in the way. i am going to change that. we are going to get government out of the way. you know, we once built an interstate highway system and the hoover dam. now we can't even build a pipeline. i mean -- we once led the world in manufacturing and exports and investment. today we lead the world in lawsuits. you know, when we replace a law

professor with a conservative businessman as president, that's going to end. i think -- i think you know this. every great innovation, every world-changing business breakthrough begins with a dream. and nothing is more fragile than a dream. the genius of america is that we nurture those dreams and the dreamers. we honor them. yes, we reward them. that's part of what is uniquely brilliant about america. but day by day, job-killing regulation by job-killing regulation, bureaucrat by bureaucrat, this president is crushing the dream and the dreamers. and i will make sure that if i'my ends -- that finally ends.

[cheers and applause] >> you know, the proof-- the proof of the president's failure is seeing how tepid this economic recovery is. i mean, this administration thinks that the economy's struggling because the stimulous wasn't large enough. [chuckles] >> the truth is, the economy is struggling because the government is too big. you and i know something the president still hasn't learned, evenav 3 years and hundreds of billions dollars spending and borrowing. it is not the government that creates our prosperity. the prosperity of america is the product of free markets and free people and they must be protected and nurtured. [cheers and applause] so tonight was a primary, but

november is the general election. and we are going to face a defining decision as a people. our choice will not be about party or even personality. this election will be about principle. our economic freedom will be on the ballot. i am offering a real choice and a new beginning. i am running for president because i have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess. we don't -- [cheers and applause] >> look, we know what barack obama's vision is. we have been living it these last 3 years. my vision is very, very different. you see, i sea an america where the prospects for our children will be better than those we have enjoyed during our lives, where the pursuit of success by all of us will unite us, not

divide us. when the government finally understands -- [cheers and applause] >> i see a time when we will have a government that understands it's better for more people to pay less in taxes than for a very few to pay a lot more. [cheers and applause] i see an america where the values we pass on to our children are greater than the debts we leave them. i see an america where poverty is defeated by opportunity, not enabled by a government check. i see an america that is

humbled -- excuse me -- i see an america that is humble, but it is never humbled. that leads but is never led. i see an america that is so unquestionably strong that no one in the world would ever think of testing the might of our military. today, today, we took an important step toward that america. tomorrow, we'll take another. each day, we move closer, not just to victory but to a better america. join us. join us. together, we are going on insure that america's greatest days are still ahead. thank you! [cheers and applause] god bless the united states of america. >> sean: there you have, mitt romney, his victory speech.

very pointed comment, directed directly at barack obama, saying he is crushing the american dream and dreamers. we continue now with dana perino and stuart varney. i think this was a very pointed speech directed right at barack obama and it's obvious, this is a big win for him. >> the new theme, at least, it's starting to resonate, economic freedom. what he gave was a speech longer and a lot -- more enhanced from what he gave in michigan. remember that? it was considered pretty good. the economic freedom speech. three sentences. oh, wait, that's the message. i think he hit it really well. >> sean: you were commenting at the speech was going forward, stylistically there were things that you saw that you liked. >> the delivery was much improved. i often think that mitt romney speaks too rapidly. he's very infectious speaker. he gets out -- a bit too much -- i am doing it mite myself.

he speaks too rapidly. tonight, it was much more measured. the pacing was better t. sounded better. it sounded presidential. he wrapped it up very, very nicely. i thought it was a fine victory speech. >> he talked about the victory freedom and bringing the country together through economic opportunity, he sounded more like what people are looking for, inspirational and i thought that he sounded authentic. he seemed to believe what he was saying. you can't manufacture that. >> sean: do we have a regional battle in terms of alabama, mississippi, this is chicago -- michigan and ohio were close. what does this do in terms of him getting to the 1144 delegates -- we will talk to newt gingrich in a few minutes. he is saying he may want get to that number. >> i don't know what the delegate count is, but surely tonight gives the man momentum. it's a big state. this is illinois. this is a billbig state. there are delegates at stake. i think he gets momentum now.

>> sean: do you think that the republicans made a mistake, proportional distribution, versus winner take all. >> yes. >> i think they did and they let the calendar go way too long. people are tired of t. they want to get to the battle against barack obama. mitt romney may not have been their first choice, a lot of people are saying, you know, he's probably the best choice that we have to go against president obama. as much as santorum and gingrich had put up a great fight -- and no one thought they would get as far as they have -- also, can i mention, in illinois, chicago is one thing, but it's a long state and a bellwether and more representative of america than votes in the south. >> sean: now we go to louisiana -- >> the regional thing. >> sean: here we go, back and forth. it's, for a lot of people, this is topsy turvy. >> it is too long, drawnout. a lot of republicans say, enough, already. i want to get to the main event.

>> sean: but the point was made, when you look at the delegates, it's about half time-out. >> yeah. >> it's too prolonged, isn't it? enough, already. come on. let's get on to the the main event. >> when it comes to the states where gingrich has not won. so i think that he believes, if the delegates -- if it's not clear cut and then why not go ahead? -- >> sean: that a bad thing for republicans? or that would potentially be a good thing? >> the gut instinct is it's bad. but people ask, how do you know that? well, i don't! but i think it's fwort marshal the even it's. >> sean: you said there is a 9:00 show that barack obama would never go on -- this is the show? >> 9:00. i mean, who rules 9:00 p.m. across television! >> sean: great. okay. she's backing right out of this. >> she's flattering you, sean.

it's working. >> sean: she flatters you with the accent. >> [imitating accent]. >> poking fun. that's another thing you can say. >> sean: a spot of tea? >> >> sean: why wouldn't obama come on this program? look, i think, there is a lot of people in the media, you watch nbc, they are sucking up to obama. they won't vet him because they want interview, right. >> when i was white house press secretary. >> if you were obam awould you go on your show? >> i would be respectful. he's the president of the united states. >> for example, when i would go to president bush and say, i have this great idea, i think you should do an interview with so-and-so. if he said, you are out of your mind, i would make the case. without a big risk, you can't get a big reward. i think you would do a great interview -- >> sean: it's very hard because i respect the office. you have to be respectful to the president w. that said, you

can -- what bothers me about the media. this is why we are vetting obama and showing the excuses as we did before governor romney's speech. what is frustrating to me is he has made all of this excuses, people don't put it together. i figured,im going to do this now until november. we did things that the media wouldn't do in 2007 and '08, it's frustrating. >> have you to move it fast. you can't allow the president to run out the clock with a 3- or 4-minute answer. if you want to be respectful to the office, that's difficult. >> sean: i think one of the best was bret baier. >> i agree. >> there was one moment in that interview where bret pushed back on a point and the president thought he was disrespected and interrupted and that's what got all the coverage. bret's point was a good one. the people are saying, have you

2 minutes and that's it -- >> sean: they mean that, too. >> absolutely. >> has the president blamed the oil company, the banks and fox news -- >> sean: you can believe this, this david corn book coming out, suggesting that the president is claiming he lost white men because fox news 24/7 is reporting that he is muslim -- >> not a single host -- >> sean: by the way -- >> ever. >> sean: even if a guest said it, they were usually challenged. i don't remember a direct comment, he is a muslim. ever. >> ever. >> i don't understand -- i would machine that the book was fact checked. i know there are things that are written that are not necessarily true that are in books and it's a frustrating things. there is not a lot of push-back. >> sean: look, he went to the trinity united church of christ with jeremiah wright for 20 years. i am not doubting his faith. he did write that he did study the koran, one of the most

beautiful moments in life was prayer at sunset. so i mean, he does have that background. but he was obviously part of the christian church the trinity united church of christ. >> if there were a real interview of president barack obama, he would be forced to defend his record of the last 3, 3 1/2 years -- >> not his religion. >> of course not. he doesn't upon to do that. he will blame other people and avoid the place of his own record. >> sean: i am hammering the issue of the double standard with the speech. michelle obama on lettersman, the million dollars from bill maher. i think this is one of the greatest examples of hypocrisy-- the president says one thing and does another. i think this is legitimate, considering the level of vicious ness that was used. fair issue? >> absolutely, it's a fair issue. people love the hypocrisy. >> sean: rick santorum who came in second tonight in the illinois republican primary has

taken to the podium. we will dip into this speech. >> who couldn't get in here. we were just overwhelmed by the response here. i want to say, i feel welcome back home to pennsylvania. thank you very, very much. first, i want to congratulate governor romney. i gave him a call a little earlier and congratulated him on winning the state of illinois. but i also dopt say, i want to thank all the folks in illinois, all -- if you look at what -- what is going to happen tonight, we are going to win down state and central and western illinois. we won the areas that conservatives and republicans populate. we are very happy about that. we are happy about the delegates we are going to get, too. [cheers and applause] we wanted to come here tonight,

back to pennsylvania, back to a favorite place of mine in pennsylvania, the city and the town the gettysburg. obviously, it's so many memories come to mind when we walk her in the to and acrosshe street, whe raham lincoln finished the gettysburg address at the wllsouse and the great ections of our past. and i have gone around this country over the past year now d said, this ishe most important electi in our lifetimes and think it's the most importantlection since the election of 1860. the election of 1860 was about whether these united states, which is what it was mostly referred to prior to the election of 1860, would become the united state whether we a union, a country, bound together. touild a great and prosperous

nation, a nation bsed on a conct, a concept that we were rthedi, a conceptirthed when our founding document of the declaration of independence. i have said throughout the course of th campaign, that while other ises are certainly important, the economy, joblesess, national security concer, the family, t issue of life, all of these issues are important, but the foundational issue in this race, the one that is the cause of the maladies, whether it's in the economy or whether it's in the budget crisis. all it boils down to one word and that's what is at stake in this election, it's right behind me on that banner and that's the word freedom. [cheers and applause]

i was pleased to hear before i came out that governor romney is now adopting that theme in his speech tonight. i am glad we are moving the debate here in the republican party. i have been focused on this because i have been out talking to people across this country, doing over 1,000 town hall meetings. i know the anxiety and the concerns that people have in this country about an ever-expappedding government, a government that is trying to dictate how we are going to live our lives, trying to order us around, trample our freedoms, whether it's our economic freedoms, or our religious liberty. in addition to trampling that freedom, in addition, they are building a dependency, a dependency on government as we see government exscpand grow, now almost half the people in this down country depend on somm

of federal payment to make ends meet f. -- meet. if obamacare is implemented, every american will depend on the federal government for their health and their life. that's why this election is so important. this is an election about fundamentally foundational things. this is an election about not -- who is the best person to manage washington, or manage the economy. we don't need a manager. we need someone who will pull up government by the roots and throw it out and private the -- and liberate the private sector in america, that's what we need.

impel it's great to have wall street experience. i don't have wall street experience. but i have experienced growing up in a small town, a steel town npublic housing, in apartments and seeing how men and women of this country scraped and clawed because they had the opportunity to climb the ladder of success in america, a lot of those folks out there today feel like nobody in washington and no one in this debate is really talking about them. that's why this is a wonderful movement, as i travel around this country, and everywhere i go, i see people, people in work clothes, folks with children who are maybe not getting the educational opportunities that they had hoped for so they could climb that ladder of success, people who are look for someone to voice their concerns about how this economy is going to turn around for them, not just for those at the top of the

income ladder. that's why i have talked about a manufacturing plant, an energy plan, someone who believes that if we create opportunities by, yes, cutting tax, but reducing the oppressive regulatory burden that this administration has put on business people and people who want to drill for energy. we need someone who has a strong and clear record who can appeal to the votedders all across this country. and someone whom you can trust, someone that you know when they say they are going to do something, they are not saying it because well, that happens to be the popular theme of the moment, but someone who has a long track record of deep convictions, someone who is going to go out and stand and fight because it's not just what the pollster tells him to say or what's on their teleprompter -- i don't happen to have one here tonight -- [cheers and applause]

because they know in their gut, from their life experiences, from living in america... that this is what america needs, and america wants. they want someone who is not going to go to washington, d.c. because they want to be the most powerful person in the world to manage washington. they want someone who will take that power and give it back to the people of this country. it[cheers and applause] >> there is one candidate in this race who can go out and make that contrast, with the current occupant of the white

house, someone who has a track record of being for you, being for limed government, being for solutions that empower people. on the biggest issues of the day, whether it's obamacare, romneycare, they are interchangeable...: [chuckles] we need someone who understands that the solution to the problem with almost 1/17th of the economy is not government control over that sector, but your control over that sector of the economy. we need someone howho understands that we need to grow our energy supplies in this country and we need someone we can trust who in good times or in bad, when times are tough

tough and people thought all of this oil and gas and coal in the grown is a source of carbon dioxide and we can't take that oud out of the ground because there is a finite supply and it could damage our environment and cause global warming... [boos from crowd]. >> when the climate -- when those who profess man-made global warming and climate science convinced many, many republicans -- include it would go who are running for president on the republican ticket -- mitt romney and newt gingrich -- and one said, i know this isn't climate science, this is political science. [cheers and applause] >> and this was another attempt

of those who want to take power away from and you control your access to energy, your utilization, whether it's in your car or in your home of energy, because they are better to make these decisions about how you use energy than you do. that's what they believe. and unfortunately, just like in health care, governor romney and speaker gingrich went along with the ride. and guess what? when the climate changed, they changed their position. and now they are all for drilling and they are all for oil and gas and coal. i was for it because it was the right thing to do then and i will will be for it tomorrow and the next day and the next day -- i am not going on change with the climate. ladies and gentlemen, i grew up in this great state and this is the first day, this is the

launch, we wanted to come here to pennsylvania to launch our campaign here in pennsylvania. we have five week, five weeks to a big win and a big delegate swoop in pennsylvania. i have come as a son of pennsylvania, someone who grew up in western pennsylvania. everyone knows the story, i hope of my grandfather and my dad coming to pennsylvania to work in those coal mines. in somerset county. i learned everything, everything about freedom and opportunity and hard work from growing up with folk who is worked in the mills and the mines in western pennsylvania. and so when i speak and i speak from the heart, in the back of my mind are the pictures of those men and women who worked and scraped and clawed so their

children and grandchildren could have a better quality of life. yes, maybe even go to college and not have to work in tough manual labor. but most importantly, they fought for the things that the people in this battlefield just down the road fought for. they fought for big things. things that america's always stood for, that ronald reagan referred to at that shining cities on hill. things that i am fighting for here today, the reason that karen and i decided in the face of having seven children, ages 20 to 3, not exactly the best time to run for president of the united states, when you have children 20-3: but karen and i felt compelled. we felt compelled... because as ronald reagan said in one of his great speeches, we didn't want

to have to sit down some day and look at the ice of our children and our children's children and describe to them an america where once men were free. we don't want to be that generation that lost the torch of freedom. that's why karen and the kids behind me, all of them born in pennsylvania, all of those folks who understand the great -- the greatness of our state and the greatness of the values of this state -- all of us understand what was the sacrificed in the mills, and on the battlefields. and that's why we must go out and fight this fight. that's why we must go out and nominate someone who understands not because some pollster tells them, because they upon in their gut, just like you do, all across this country, you know in your gut, big things are adrift

and at stake in this election. so i ask each and every one of you to join us, to saddle up like reagan did... >> sean: that's rick santorum now, finishing his speech tonight, as the republican primary is over tonight in the great state of illinois. we heard from former governor romney. we heard from senator santorum. joining me, the former speaker of the house, newt gingrich. you didn't really compete in illinois. there has been a choice that candidates are making. why not illinois? what are you looking forward to in louisiana? >> well, i am speaking to you from louisiana. we have had a great day today in cleave port, louisiana tech in monroe and i think that candidates have to pick the areas they think they can win. i think we have a much better

chance of winning in louisiana. governor romney had a pretty good day. i think he took a step towards clearly proving he was the frontrunner. senator santorum didn't have a particularly good day. this is the third time he has tried an industrial midwestern unit -- union state. and the conservatives have to think through the right strategy to stop rom niche we are faced, i think, with a very serious challenge, in terms of who can beat barack obama. that, in the end, is what this is all about. who can beat barack obama. i think that it's very difficult to imagine that the governor who used teddy kennedy as his adviser and designed romneycare as the forerunner to obamacare will do very well. frankly, senator santorum, who i like personally, i think has a hard time explaining why the guy who set the all-time record for losing pennsylvania, somebody who took a balanced budget, which i left behind and as part

of the leadership ran up a trillion dollars in deficits and was part of the largest defeat in watergate as part of the leadership. i think it's a question of who can beat barack obama. i think the case i'm making on gasoline, the case i'm making on an american energy policy, is effective. if you watch the white house, for two weeks now, we have had them responding. the president spent his saturday speech attack my proposal to get gasoline below $2.50, axel rod's campaign manager was attacking me permanenty on sunday. we have a program that would get gasoline below $2.50. i think here in louisiana, i am making the case that this is an administration which asked the saudis to pump more oil, when they should be asking louisiana and texas to pump more oil. obama's putting jobs in saudi

arabia that ought to be jobs in louisiana. he is sending money to saudi arabia that should be sent to louisiana. i think we can make a very strong case for beating obama. i have tried to apply it to a particular place, american freedom, based on american energy, creating much more oil and gas, driving down prices, and giving the american worker a fair break so the worker has freedom because he or she has a take-home pay after filling up the gas tank. >> sean: as we look at this particular point in the race nterms of delegates and state wins, you have been using an analogy issue this is half-time. you know, how do you shift that momentum dramatically enough, politically speaking, that you could capture the nomination, you even talked about the possibility that, well, there might be a situation where governor romney doesn't get the

1144 delegates to get the nomination outright? is that more the goal? -- >> well -- >> sean: i'm sorry, go ahead. >> sean, had itself to be a two-pointed process. obviously, if governor romney's able by the sheer weight of money. in illinois, by the way, turnout was down, once again. the romney machine can drive down turnout. it can run over oppons with negative ads. it doesn't seem capable of inspiring positive turnout. and the result is very, very worrisome, if you are thinking about the fall campaign. phase 1 has to be stopping romney because if he gets 1144 vote, he's the nominee. fair and square. it's over. on the other hand, if as voters look at this, as happened last week, for example in mississippi and in alabama, as happened the previous week in kansas, if people say, no, they don't want romney, then i think you get foa situation after june 26, where there is a 60-day conversation.

santorum won't have a majority, romney won't, ron paul won't, i won't, theb we will have a real conversation. i think that most republicans agree, if the key is to debate the president, he will have a billion-dollar campaign fund. if the key is who can take him on head to head, i think i am provings every day with this energy campaign, that i can take on obama, that i can design strategies that put him in a huge disadvantage. he is losing the argument over expensive gasoline. the absurdity of suggesting that if only we had algae that, algae was somehow going to be replacing drilling, that was so badly received by the country, he dropped dropped it it after e speech. you can see the white house beginning to respond. if i can convince the republican delegates of that, i think we have a chance to win the nomination at the c