it's one small step for man one giant leap for mankind. >> gregg: an american icon is gone. word just a short time ago that neil armstrong the first man on the moon has died. hello, i'm gregg jarrett. >> heather: i'm heather childers. man that millions of americans watched step on the dusty surface of the moon nearly four decades ago has passed away. his family says that he died following complications from cardiovascular procedures. he was 82 years old. for a closer look and legacy of

the former here is jon scott. >> the eagle has landed. >> i think perhaps a plan plan to be sent to the lunar surface. it's very challenging. >> for a pilot it was a wonderful experience. >> reporter: on july 16th, 1969 neil armstrong blasted off to the moon. his voyage would take him where no man had ever landed before. traveling had women had edwin bus aldrin and michael collins. >> after landing they had hours to stand there 15 feet above the surface. long before we actually got out on the surface we already pretty good appreciation for what the moon was like. >> it's one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind.

>> armstrong made world history when he stepped off the eagle and set foot on the moon on july 20th. hundreds of millions of people gathered in front of television around the globe to witness it. they became national heroes. president praised the heroics with a special long distance call. >> hello, neil and buzz, i am talking by telephone from the oval room at the white house. >> neil armstrong was born august 5, 1930 in ohio, at 16 years age he had his student pilot's license before he drove car. he joined the navy and at the age of 20, flew 78 combat missions over korea. he graduated in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree with n aeronautical engineering. he joined the astronaut program in 1962. four years later he got his first taste of space as commander of gemini 8. two vehicles were docked in

space for the first time. however,, they ran into complications. armstrong made the decision to begin reentry early and the mission was cut short. risks were part of space exploration. prior to the launch, he was nearly killed while training in a lunar landing test vehicle. >> when neil decided to eject, looking at the pictures he got a few swings of the parachute before he hit the ground there. >> apollo 11 was the last mission in space. >> he accepted a teaching position in cincinnati. he taught aerospace engineering and became a spokesman for a handful of u.s. businesses. he served the boards of several companies. in 1994 he stopped signing autographs after finding out that it was selling for large amounts of money. unlike other astronauts.

he shied away from the limelight. >> if it has something to do with show business, naoe armstrong passes. >> nobody would recognize him. he hasn't put his face out there. >> probably 500 years from now we may be known as the age of armstrong, just like the age of columbus. >> we all like to be recognized for not one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work. >> gregg: joining us live is tom jones, a former nasa astronaut who work with neil armstrong on an advisory board. he is also a fox news contributor. tom, thank you very much. you were 14 years old in july 1969. take us back to that day? >> gregg, that is one i'll never forget.

i was with my family on vacation. we pulled off to the side. highway and listened to it on the radio. went to hotel and watch it on television the first moon walk. and neil and buzz dancing around on the lunar surface. that was one of inspirational things that got knee going toward the space program myself. to work with neil was truly and honor. >> gregg: it was one of america's proudest moments, wasn't it? >> with the culmination of eight years of intense effort, so many hundreds of thousands of people with neil and his crew put everything, their entire lives achieving the landing on the moon. marriages, broke up. people didn't see their children grown up because they were all in for that apollo program that president kennedy had challenged the nation.

with neil happened to be the person who commanded the mission that got the opportunity to do this. he always claimed that his position was nothing special that somebody else could have done the job had the timing worked out differently but the bosses selected him for his coolness under fire demonstrated on gemini 8. >> he had such a cool, calm demeanor which is why he was selected among the crew of astronauts that nasa had at the time. in the years since that day, he was not somebody who sought the spotlight, was he? >> he was very retiring, very modest. did not speak in public. rarely spoke about current events in the space program, only in the last five years did he step out and make his opinions known about current direction in space. he just recognized in order to live a life that was so much

closer to normal, he had to shy away from the publicity. that was the only way he was going to escape that spotlight of publicity. his colleagues admired the way, he was so modest about his place in history. >> gregg: in the history of space achievements, is his far and apart the most important so far? >> certainly in the space age, that was the milestone that everyone can point to. 500 years we'll still be talking about it. we have yet to equal that achievement. i think neil and his colleagues are rather surprised we have not gone back and put gone back to the moon and gone farther. it was his mission in the last few years to challenge the country and step up the efforts in space exploration. >> gregg: tom jones, nasa

astronaut who himself was inspired by neil arm strong. thank you very much for your thoughts. >> heather: back in 2010 fox news was there when neil armstrong and other astronauts held an event at the space museum in new york city. he discussed his career and the time he had recently spent time visiting troops in iraq and around the world. >> it was a great privilege for the five of us to be able to talk to them and see them at their work and what a great job they do. americans can be very, very proud of these young men and women that are out there defending freedom. [ applause ] >> heather: family of the iconic astronaut just issued this statement. on his passing which reads in part, quote, as much neil

cherished his privacy he always appreciated the expressions of goodwill from people around the world and from all walks of life. while we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits. to selflessly serve a cause greater themselves. we have a simple request. honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty and next time you sue the moon smiling down on you, think of neil arm strong and give him a wink. that from his family. let's go to scott horowitz, former astronaut and president and ceo of dock aerospace. thank you so much for joining

us. >> thanks for having me. >> heather: first of all, you obviously were an astronaut from 1992 to 2004. veteran of four space flights yourself. what did neil arm strong mean to you and your career? >> well, like tom said previously i watched neil land on the moon in the summer of '69 after my fifth graitd grade. on a black and white tv. i decided some day i should be an astronaut because that was the perfect job. so i was very inspired by neil and the entire space program. i grew up in the space age. it was incredible part of my life. i watched this happen and to grow up and to have the opportunity to fly in space and to work with and meet people like neil and all the ones that had gone before me.

they were phenomenal. >> we hear the stories where he was reluctant american hero. what was he like in person when you hung with him out during the day? >> i remember one time at dinner we were discussing different designs for landers because we're looking into cons at the liags program going to mars, consults liags program. you wouldn't know that was the first person to walk on the moon. he didn't can see the limelight at all. he was very kind and personable. yet he was very talented and very experienced, just a wonderful individual as well as being an american hero. >> heather: how did he feel about the current state of the space industry in the united

states. did you have a chance to talk about that and where it was going, the direction was taking? >> yes, he was like many of us surprised and disappointed that their accomplishment at the end of the apollo program were a point from which we retreated. used to be able to spend people quarter million miles in space and land on heavenly body. we have the shuttle program but we retreat to low earth orbit. i know that he and others were quite frustrated with the fact that we weren't going out and exploring and expanding our envelope and going further. i know that was a concern and last several years he voiced that opinion many times. >> heather: we heard from the family there about what people

can do to honor him at this time. what do you think we can do to honor neil armstrong? >> i couldn't possibly say it better than his family. to look up at the moon and to think about all the places we can go and to serve our country bigger than a goal and that is ultimate tribute. that is the best we can do. i plan to look up at the moon and wink myself tonight. >> heather: thank you. >> gregg: going back to that july 20th, 1969, america was holding its collective breath. everybody in america, myself included, i was 14 in front of the television set the first challenge was the you lunar

module was to set down on the surface of the moon. and then armstrong saying, the eagle has landed. and then, there were several hours before they actually set foot on the surface of the moon an incredible moment as everybody on television watched. the images were kind of fuzzy. transmission wasn't that clear, but you could make out the figures and you could make out the moment when it happened. i can't ever remember when so many americans at one time came together and so incredibly proud of an accomplishment that we haven't achieved since then. >> heather: wasn't it fitted wag the family did say, i hope a lot of people take the opportunity tonight to go out and look up at the moon and feeling of wonder and accomplishment and how far we've come and all the things left to discover.

>> gregg: and joining us on television a former nasa engineer. he was master of ceremonies of the apollo 11 mission. thank you for being with us. how revered within nasa was neil armstrong? >> i think the entire time i worked for nasa a day didn't go by we didn't think of the glory of the apollo years and apollo 11 and hoped some day to emulate that. it was a great disappointment even though we got to work during the shuttle era and hubble space telescope but we never got the opportunity to go back to the moon. i'm a vietnam veteran. i have just returned from vietnam. when apollo 11 landed and watched it with other veterans,

let me tell you it was a time that the nation was going through a lot of turmoil and apollo program held the nation together during that era. >> gregg: it was difficult year, with protests and assassinations but that was a moment, that one moment in time that was so incredibly important to this nation. it's aspirations, it's future and he really set the tone for it, didn't he? he was so humble whenever he spoke about that mission. >> he was. as you mentioned it was on the 30th anniversary that was master of ceremonies down at the cape. i was riding the crest, if you will, of being a celebrity for the first time in my life. i got a really good idea from neil armstrong what you should do with that celebrity.

you should be completely humble and try to give back as much as you possibly can to your community and nation. that was something you could counted on neil armstrong to do. whatever he was going to do, it would be something that would shine a bright light on his community and also his country. he didn't want the bright lighted on him. that is something that is pretty amazing to the rest of us, ever had that opportunity to have that light -- he didn't like it. it wouldn't stay off of him. he handled it just perfectly. >> gregg: he surely did. after that seminole moment in space history, talk to us about his efforts and contributions thereafter to the space program? >> he was always there for advice. everybody in nasa knew that.

you could write him an e-mail and he would probably respond to you. the last time i you a dr. armstrong was two years ago, actually one of the von braun and dr. armstrong came from his home just to honor this man. he got up and said a few words. his advice was so sfrait straightforward. the encouragement he gave us tous that were still involved with the aerospace program was just great. just having him around was so important. he is going to be completely missed. somebody said recently for those countries that are thinking about going back to the moon and taking humans to the moon, when they try, they will find out it wasn't so easy.

they'll have to come up with men and women like neil armstrong to do it. >> gregg: thank you very much for sharing your thoughts today on the passing of neil armstrong >> he was very quiet man. once described himself as a nerdy engineer, but he had nerves of steel as a pilot and, of course, made the landing the first man on the moon, one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. probably the most famous words ever spoken. >> heather: decorated by 17 countries. we talked a little bit about the family said. couple other things, they went on to say about the reluctant american hero, he believed he was doing his job. he never lost his boyhood wonder. >> gregg: neil armstrong dead at the age of 82. we'll be right back.

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>>. >> heather: fox weather alert. is the parts of southern u.s. is breaksing for a possible

hurricane. a storm that has left three people dead. tropical storm isaac lashing the island of cuba. a country still trying to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake. all of the island is under an the state of emergency. florida's governor says she performing for the worst. >> we are at level one, which means we are 24 hours a day with all different agencies to make sure we can prepare both for these landing of the hurricanes plus any problems afterwards. on top of that, state declared a state of emergency for the state of florida and that is standard protocol to make sure we can coordinated our efforts with federal, state and local so we can have the proper response. >> heather: rick riechmuth is live in the weather center. rick, how serious is isaac?

>> very serious. it's going to be a big storm. certain lay hurricane and once it's gulf it has to hit someplace. >> you see some thunderstorms right around the center of it as it is going to move back over water. that is when we'll likely see some of the strengthening. so by tomorrow evening, talking about a category 1 hurricane cutting across the keys here. that puts a lot of rain and wind and tornado threat by tomorrow. by tuesday, a category 2 storm getting close here to the panhandle of florida. cutting right around, the center of it right now headed around pensacola and then it pulls inland. it's very wide cone here. still a lot of uncertainty about three days out, we're talking about an eastern gulf scenario

or something a little bit farther towards the west. we'll see storm surge in areas of tampa, maybe about two inches of rain or so. let's take a look and see how the models they differ. showing a ten inch rainfall total across mississippi and alabama. taking a look at the other model nothing across mississippi and louisiana and still towards georgia and carolinas. big discrepancys. anybody in the central to eastern gulf will be watching this for flooding and tornadoes and somewhere a direct landfall, category two or three hurricane sometime tuesday night. >> gregg: tropical storm isaac churns toward florida right now. preparations are underway in tampa. republican national convention, shannon bream is live with the

latest. >> we're having that rain and wind blow in today but has been sunny tampa up to this point. we know that the rnc is going to be talking about a better future. they hope voters will see as their hope for a better future. preparations are still under a way. spenl screens and setups they will roll out prime time speeches. there will be a number of sub themes and phrase we built this. in a reference the president said how small businesses did right here in america. security provisions, 3500 law enforcements were scheduled to be here to help with security but because the threat of a hurricane hitting someplace else in florida some may not be able to leave. if that happens, a florida governor says there is a backup plan, national guard may be activated.

they know the demonstrators and protestors some are here or planning to try to disrupt things but she has one specific worry. >> one of the things that concerns everyone that lone wolf that individual that hasn't communicated with anyone else just decides to take action for whatever reason. >> reporter: officials are used to prepping for this kind of storm. they have declared a state of emergency opens up resources and personnel and they have a hot line to residents and visitors can report on escalating prices from bottled water to hotels. >> gregg: shannon, thanks very much. >> heather: tensions ratcheting up between israel and iran over new evidence appearing to show tehran accelerating its nuclear program. >> gregg: and former navy seal that help kill osama bin laden

is releasing a book. homeland security chairman will weigh in on what may be even a bigger problem. >> it began last year after the killing of bin laden was the president deserves tremendous support for that but the leaks came out and agreement with sony pictures to do a film on it. this is stacy from springfield. oh whoa. hello? yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0," i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire.

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get two times the points on dining in restaurants with chase sapphire preferred. >>. >> gregg: new reaction to the upcoming release of that tell-all book about top secret mission to kill the world's most wanted terrorist. the former navy seal, the author of the book, it's raising concern over whether he included any classified information. we have seen those same worries before as speculation swirled

when sensitive details surfaced after the raid and the white house denied that the leaks came from them or were meant to boost the president's political standing. bringing new attention to where those leaks really begin. new york congressman peter king chairman of the homeland security committee. before we get to the other leaks. this former navy seal could be prosecuted, we read the statute if it contains classified information. where do you stands on that? >> i believe that is all of that -- i have been talking to special priarts, i wouldn't be surprised if we saw special ops soldiers legal action taken against this book. i think it's wrong. i think in your preamble talking about what happened a year ago. that is where this all begin with the leaks beginning in the

white house. the initial ones i think caused tremendous damage are the ones that came from the white house a year ago. >> gregg: you say they came from the white house. now you are not only head of the homeland security. have you personally seen any evidence that the white house disseminated classified information? >> there is information that came that could only have come from the white house. for instance, as far as the flight patterns of the helicopters use, just in terms seal team 6, that came from the administration. that is probably the biggest leak of all which created -- that was initial leak that has caused more damage than anything else. potential damage to seal team members. you talk to these people, navy seals. that should never have been disclosed.

>> gregg: president said this, i'll quote him. the notion that my white house would purposely release classified national security information is offensive, it's wrong. now, there is two possibilities here, either he is not telling the truth or he just didn't know that the leaks were coming from the white house. which do you think it is? >> i think he had to know. what he was referring to is leaks that came out of the white house this past and may and june involving yemen as far as the counter plot we had going on in yemen which was disclosed. there was a small number of people that knew about it. it's clear to me that came from the white house, but the other story as far as iranian computer virus, the stories themselves in the "new york times" said that people were attending meetings in the white house. people were on the national security council and people in

the oval office, that is the president's office himself. so if for him to say they didn't come from the white house is as wrong. he has to know it's wrong and it has to be investigated by the f.b.i.. >> gregg: democratic senator dianne feinstein said i think that the white house has to understand that some of it is coming their ranks. you are persuaded that the leaks were intended to burnish his image to help him get re-elected? >> i think they were done carelessly about the white house whether or not it would help him get re-elected it would enhance the president's image. the white house the image makers were not content to. that gave all this detail which is unparalleled in military history. that much detail. we didn't know about enigma code until 30 years after world war ii.

days after the killing of bin laden details went into the raid. >> obama campaign has an ad, one chance, features the images of blackhawk helicopters. it suggests that governor romney would not have made the same decision to call for the raid that killed osama bin laden. is that in your judgment politicize ago grave matter of national security, not to mention questioning governor romney's moral courage? >> i think the president could find a way to give himself, let people know he was responsible for the raid that killed bin laden. but to take a shot at mitt romney to glorify what he did, to me it's a double politization and mitt romney wouldn't have done it. the fact is, i'm confident mitt romney would have done it. i have no doubt. i would hope any american president would. for president obama to take that that is a cheap shot. that is wrong.

that heightens this whole plitd of what should be a national unity effort. again, the president, if to give him credit he deserves that. but to overkill and what the administration has gone through and all of that is wrong. it's indefensible and the president has to account for that. >> gregg: congressman peter king thank are for being with us. >> heather: brand-new fox polls as republicans gets set to get start their convention. what tha is straight ahead. mils for their "destination wedding." double miles you can "actually" use. but with those single mile travel cards... [ bridesmaid ] blacked out... but i'm a bridesmaid. oh! "x" marks the spot she'll never sit. but i bought a dress! a toast... ...to the capital one venture card.

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>>. >> heather: brand-new polls shows the race is tightening as republicans get ready to choose their nominees.

new fox polls showing governor mitt romney and congressman paul ryan leading obama and biden in a dead heat. take a look at the numbers. leading 45-44%. so what does each candidate need to do in the final months of campaign to gain some ground. david hawkins joins us with his take. the poll we showed in our introduction there, it's the first fox poll that has been conducted with likely voters, voters that will most likely cast a ballot and also first fox poll, and top and bottom of the majority ticket. what does each party need to do to strengthen their lead? >> i guess for each of them, they have a different challenge

they've had all along. president knocked his approval rating couple points and mitt romney has to be more likable. as your match-up shows, only 11% they haven't made up their mind. most of those are independents, what your poll shows mitt romney is doing considerably better among independents by about ten points. >> heather: let's bring that poll up. independents they were vital to the victory back in 2008 backing 52-44%. as you were saying take a look at this poll. 42% governor romney, do you expect that trend to continue? >> that is what romney is hoping for. if it does continue he will do well. what your poll and others show he continues to have mitt romney has like built problem.

same trustworthy number, one of the questions you have to ask do you think they would say anything to get elected, two of them are at statistical dead heat. romney looks on the like ability front. so he needs to go to his core strength which is to say that the country is not better off than it was four years ago. so he will strike a chord there. he has to say the president is not a good steward of the economy and that should strike a chord, as well. what is amazing, the themes aren't changing. closer we get to the election the fundamentals are not changing. small number of people are up for grabs and same kind of theme. >> heather: take a look at some of the issues. first of all, medicare. we have a fox poll on that one, slightly more voters trust the

democratic ticket by just three points to do a better job protecting medicare and ensuring it's there for future generations. how do you think they will handle this issue? >> i think its statistical tie so essentially they are deadlocked on this. what mitt romney obviously tried to do to get ahead on this one was to pick paul ryan who is his running mate. paul ryan has been big changes in medicare. this is known gamble. so far it doesn't seem to be working in the last week or two, paul ryan, your poll shows is doing considerably better than joe biden. so which one is a stronger candidate. paul ryan does much better, ten points better. >> heather: people admitting they need to learn more about him. i do want to close on final

poll. this poll might be the most significant, 17-point margin the country has changed for the worst in the last four years rather than for the better. 24-29% saying it hasn't changed much either way. is the key for the romney campaign and key for president obama? >> that is the big number. it goes right back to ronald reagan, are you better off now than you were four years ago? that is stunning disadvantage, 17 points this close to an election, that is a large number. i would say if mitt romney can keep people with that memory, he should be able to close that gap with small group in one or ten voters that haven't made up their minds. >> heather: thank you so much david. >> growing debate over whether the united states and israel are at a point of no return with

nuclear negotiations with iranian. they are still hoping for a diplomatic solution. really? is that possible? in a moment.

>>. >> gregg: a disturbing new report on iran's nuclear program that they are accelerating uranium enrichment efforts. amid these reports the administration believes there is quoted, time and space to achieve a diplomatic solution. david miller is former advisor to six secretaries of state and can america have another great president. thank you so much for being with us. diplomacy requires two rationale participants. staitd given iran's position that they wanted to wipe israel off the map. is diplomacy therefore destined to fail? >> it will succeed if you have a basis to reach a deal. here there is no basis to reach a deal. the fact is unions wanted the capacity to develop a weapon. they wanted it to hedge against regime change. they want it to cover any regional expansions designs they

have and the iranian efforts will only accelerate because they will feel more encircled. diplomacy is not going to cut it not the next several months and neither will sanctions. you shall left with a very unhappy default position which is what you are hearing about. forget diplomacy. >> gregg: your line of argument, there would be three options. an israeli tactical strike, an american strike or nuclear armed iran? >> i think it's bomb or ultimately accept the bomb. there is only one country that is going can stop iran from acquiring the capacity to produce a weapon or the weapon itself. that is iran. should it conclude that the costs of acquisition are too high. it's just that the four countries outside the five permanent members of the security council that have nuclear weapons, they all wanted

nuclear weapons and they have them. so are left with a very unhappy situation. whether the israelis strike unlikely by the end of the year or whether the americans strike, also unlikely by the end of the year, at a minimum you are just going to retard or delay the program. herein lies the real problem for those that want to prevent the iranians to acquire the weapon itself. >> gregg: are you convinced that president obama believes that deterrence and containment as we know it was the soviets will work with iran and if so, that is his direction? >> i think -- look, two things. the guy is too smarted to draw a conclusion that containment is going to work. the question is whether or not he is prepared under the circumstances. remember his own rhetoric. i will not allow iran from acquiring a weapon but whether

he is prepared to use military force. the answer to that question right now seems to me is no. the risk versus the return ratio on this is not a terribly productive one. we're going to live with a lot more uncertainty until the end of the year. >> gregg: aaron david miller, thank you for being with us. >> heather: new mandatory evacuation orders issued in florida as tropical storm isaac races towards the u.s. massive storm threatening to be a hurricane. we are tracking its every move. people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at?

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we begin with a fox news alert. astronaut neil armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon has died. hello, everyone. welcome to a new hour inside america's election headquarters. >> armstrong called himself a quiet, nerdy engineer, but he was a hero commanding the apolo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon july 20th, 1969. his one small step was heard around the world and ushered in the beginning of a space age. >> armstrong's family says he died of complications from a heart procedure, releasing a statement that reads in part, quote, for those who may ask what they can do to hahn per neil, we have a simple request. honor his service, example and modesty, and the

next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of neil armstrong and give him a wink. the white house just reacting moments ago saying neil's spirit of discovery lives on in the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown including those who are ensuring that we reach higher and go further in space. neil armstrong was 82 years old. we will have much more on the life and legacy of this remarkable man later this hour. and now to the campaign trail. the stage is set. the barriers are up. the show is ready to go. republicans putting the finishing touches on the party's national convention -- scheduled to begin on monday in tampa. the stars of the show, governor mitt romney and his running mate, congressman paul ryan. they are campaigning today in ohio before braving the weather and heading to florida. shannon joins us live from tampa with more on the action

down there. hi, shannon. >> reporter: hi, heather. the weather is taking a change here from what we saw. it was sunny the last couple days and now stormy, cloudy and a couple days in will isaac is expected to arrive here in full. and there are worries now that the state and local officials will be stretched thin for a huge convention like the rnc, and a possible hurricane. there are thousands of local and state officers who were supposed to be here to cover the convention joining other law enforcement agencies, and if that doesn't happen because storm obligations keep them at home, there is a back up plan. he talked to the national guard, and he is ready to activate them. he has declared a state of emergency in florida to free up resources and personnel. by the way, there are already protesters camped out in tampa. the local police chief says there will be disruptions and demonstrations, but she is worried about the lone wolf who may try to pull something off here in tampa.

we are learning more about the message the gop is hoping to send. the overall theme is a better future. each day there will be some things like we built this and we believe in america. >> this gives us four days to focus on that and deliver. we expect upwards of 40 million people to be watching during prime time and during the day. we could see numbers as high as 20 million. >> reporter: you may be able to hear some of the boat horns going off in the back of the live report. tampa and where the convention center is and the forum, it is right on hillsboro bay. it is all on waterways, and that raises the concern about flooding, but it presents a unique security concern. we have seen coast guards patrolling the boats and patrolling the areas and these forums that sit right on the water, heather. >> shannon reporting from tampa. you will be there all week with our extended coverage. have fun with that. thanks so much.

governor romney and congressman ryan are hitting the battleground state of ohio today. the gop presidential ticket making their pitch to voters on jobs and the economy and blasting president obama's record. chief political correspondent is live in powell, ohio. carl some. >> reporter: hi, greg. the romney-ryan campaign and the republican campaign the last year and a half have been arguing this should be a referendum on obama's record. the republicans, mitt romney has been offering a series of aggressive approaches to retirement reform. and the entire convention really will be an opportunity for the republicans to provide their alternative and layout what their vision is and jukes tau pose it to the president's record. today in powell both of the candidates, rom me and ryan almost finishing one another's sentences. they had a crowd of 5,000 people. h is their last -- this is the last time they will be

together, but it is about building hype for the convention. to that end they it a stereo version on the attack of the obama era. listen. >> do we want four more years of the same? >> no! >> we want a nation in debt? >> no! >> a nation in doubt? >> no! >> a nation in decline? >> no! >> that's right, we don't. we need leadership. >> do you want four more years of high unemployment? >> no! >> do you want four more years of declining wages this. >> no! >> do you want four more years of home values in the basement some? >> no! >> do you president what the big banks to get big expert small banks to get smaller? >> no! >> do you want four more years of barack obama? >> no! >> either do i. >> mitt romney and paul ryan giving a preview of what we will hear a lot of next week. there is no doubt paul ryan's addition has put spring into mitt romney's step and rigor

in his rhetoric. >> republicans will clearly try to define romney. you have been covering the governor for years. who is he? >> reporter: the democrats have been trying to define him negatively with attack ads. president obama did an interview calling him extreme,ett set raw. here we are approaching labor day and the republican convention when really the election kicks into high gear. republicans believe that's when most americans tune in and start making their decisions. mitt romney's presentation next week will be a different one than we have seen in the attack ads and the news coverage has been about. you will hear about how paul ryan has added to the ticket, but we will also hear from ann romney tuesday night. who better to give you insight to the man than the spouse? and then when mitt romney speaks, we will see a lot of something we haven't seen. mitt romney brought the press to a church where he has his summer vacation home. they went to mormon services

there. that was a peek at his faith that we haven't seen much of. that will be seen at the convention as well. and we will see aspects of his family humor. he is called something of a smart alec. i have seen him cracking jokes quite a bit. he has been request quick with a quip. and has been accused to be stiff. he has a temper. he does president suffer fools lightly. he wants peopley equiped with facts and if not he shows impatience with that. he is exacting and demanding. not only of those around him, but himself. he has been working on his speech for a number of days. he has added a little thought to his wife's speech. ann romney has been working on hers, and he says he hasn't been doing too much. paul ryan has been working on his since the day he joined the ticket two saturdays ago. meticulous in efforts and serious on how to go about things. in some of his criticism on the president on medicare, they did tremendous amounts of

research. he does his homework and works hard, and yet still, there is a tremendous amount that the public wants to know about him. that's what the con veption -- convention will be about. >> a mystery to many. i will put that to one of his surrogates coming up. good assessment, carl cameron, thanks. and a fox news exclusive tomorrow, governor mitt romney and his wife anne will be sitting with chris wallace on fox news sunday. tune in. check your local listings for time and channel. and remember, we will be live in tampa beginning tomorrow on the eve of the convention. hurricane or high water, it will begin on sunday on the fox newschannel. well, a fox extreme weather alert now, tropical storm isaac taking a deadly turn and killing at least three people in haiti and is now pushing into cuba before entering the warm water of the gulf of mexico and taking aim at the florida coast.

meanwhile people in florida are gearing up for the storm as governor rick scott declares a state of emergency. >> the state emergency management center has gone to level one which means we are 24 hours a day with all of our different agencies in to make sure we can prepare both for these the landing of the hurricane and any problems afterwards. >> rick is live in the fox weather center with the latest on isaac. hi, rick. >> the new advisory coming in from the national hurricane center. the pressure has gone down a little bit. that means it is pros blee beginning to strengthen -- probably being to strengthen. it spent time over haiti. and it spent time over this far eastern tip of cuba. it is about to merge over the water. but these florida straits, all of the water out here is very warm. the florida straits and the caribbean and toward the gulf. new tropical storm advisories

also extend on the west side of florida and up to the sawani river. it includes tampa. we have hurricane warnings across key west, and that's because the track of this continues to pull this right across key west. models are in great agreement over the next few hours. if the storm can get itself together right now there is also a possibility that it will strengthen more than we are forecasting here. and they are saying that in the latest advisory from the national hurricane center. keep that in mind. spending time over water here, and now the one other thing that is different this time, it is the first time we have been dealing with tampa removed from the cone. that's for a direct hit. we will see very strong winds pulling through here on tuesday. now we expect a storm surge of maybe three to five feet toward tampa bay. that will have some impact on tuesday for the convention, at least on the low-lying areas

which a lot of the bay of course is. up to a category 2 storm. this could be stronger, and the models not in good agreement. they are anywhere from around the eastern gulf and parts of the panhandle of florida and all the way toward southeastern louisiana. that's tuesday afternoon into wednesday. i don't think it is out of the question we could be dealing with at least a category 2 and possibly category 3 major hurricane when it makes landfall tuesday into wednesday. so a very long number of days for us. we talked so much about the paw peninsula of florida. heather? >> thank you very much. rick, we appreciate it. new details about what happened on friday outside the empire state building. a former apparel designer was killed. a hail of police gunfire. that man shot and killed a former co-worker at the height of the morning rush hour. nine innocent bystanders were injured when caught in the police cross fire of bullets. none of the wounds though

considered life-threatening. the shooter identified as jeffrey johnson. police saying he carried a grudge after being laid off from his job last year. here is what we were told went down. johnson first gunned down steven erkolino, the vice president of sales. then johnson turned the corn tore make his way up fifth avenue where a shootout happened with cops in front of the building. he turned his gun on officers standing eight feet from him. it appeared his gun had jammed. johnson killed by police gunfire as bystanders ran for their life. police firing a total of 16 rounds and confirming that all injured were either hit by bullets or shaw rap national from ricocheting bullets. and an airstrike in eastern afghanistan taking out a major taliban commander. the senior leader along with several of his fighters were killed in the attack. he was responsible for the

movement of troops and weapons as well as attacks against afghan and coalition forces. meanwhile, the u.s. is trying to determine if a separate drone strike killed another insurgent leader, the leader of the network. the taliban is denying his death. two controversial veterans affair conventions who is combined price tag tops a whooping $5 million. how about that? they are revealing shocking numbers and nearly $100,000 worth of coffee break refreshments. almost $900 spent on a karaoke night and peter doosey is live. >> reporter: that $1.2 million is just for participants travel. staff travel cost another $113,000. that was just for the v.a. human resources conference, number one down in orlando

last year. and we just got our hands on a list of the other things they were spending money on for a grand total of $2.9 million. it includes $90,000 in change for coffee break refreshments. almost 300k for an audiovisual center and $862.50 for a karaoke night. the conference was followed up by another one that cost another $2.4 million. and the congressman who sits on the house oversight committee says it is not fare that these folks get to spend tax dollars frivolously while others who could really use the money are left hanging. >> we have nearly a million veterans standing in line. and to spend millions of dollars just to get together, there are legitimate reasons to get together, but do you really need to spend that amount of money on coffee and video production at the same time we have veterans waiting in line? that just doesn't sit right. >> the v.a. spent $52,000 to

make a parody of the movie "patton." when the inspector general first started investigating the massive tab from these meetings and video they said it looked to them the expenses were for legitimate training purposes. now they say all indications indications are the conferences were for legitimate training purposes. this would not excuse misconduct or poor judgment that saw ledged of a few individuals. it is worth noting at each of the two conferences the price tag was over dps 2 million while the gsa conference with the mind reader and the smoking clown and the hot tubs we used so much only cost about $830,000. greg? >> i still don't understand why any government agency has conferences or conventions at remote locations. i just don't get it. i pick up the telephone. >> washington, d.c. is a lovely place. they can stay here. >> it is! i love it.

thanks, peter. coming up, looking for a paul ryan bump. has this addition to the ticket made a difference? we will debate that, and how the convention will play into all of this. >> and a huge and dangerous storm churning toward florida. there is the latest tropical storm isaac as people prepare for the worst. plap

florida is now bracing for a close brush with isaac. governor rick scott declaring his state of emergency there as emergency crews organize shelters and urge vacationers in places like the florida keys to pack up and get out. in the mean time, convention organizers are getting their emergency plans in place. rick leventhal is live near tampa with the latest. rick? >> reporter: and greg, despite that state of emergency and the tropical storm watch in affect for the tampa bay area, the republican national convention is still scheduled to start on time. delegates and protesters could be in for a soaking next week. as you look at the latest radar pictures isaac is off cuba's coast with winds still around 60 miles per hour. the latest forecast has the storm hitting the keys as a tropical storm and not quite hurricane strength of the although when it -- hurricane

strength. the forecasters fully expect it to strengthen possibly to a category 2. as you heard rick say, when it reaches the florida gulf coast -- the panhandle, it could be a major hurricane cat 3. at least three deaths were blamed on the storm where isaac dumped a foot of rain creating mudslides and more misery from the people. now floridians find themselves scrambling to get ready. visitors have started to having wait the florida keys, and residents are stocking up on the recommended 72 hours of water and nonperishable food and medicine and topping off their gas tanks. the mayor of miami is also concerned about his city. he issued a mandatory evacuation order for mobile home parkss in miami-dade county. here is more from the mayor of miami. >> things have changed in the last less than 24 hours. we thought we were going to be in a much better situation. things have shifted over to the right and to the east, and it may be that we have a more

-- we may have a hurricane instead of a tropical storm. mother nature, you can never predict it of the. >> reporter: isn't that the case? now we are hearing that isaac will be a little further off the coast. it could be 70 miles from tampa when it passes by on early tuesday. tropical storm force winds extended well over 180 miles. they could have tropical storm-force winds here. that means localized flooding and torrential downpours a -- as it gets underway. >> rick leventhal, thanks very much. smie so has the uh -- so has the uh -- addition of paul ryan made a difference in the romney campaign? look at these numbers. the gap has closed slightly in

florida, ohio and ryan's home state of wisconsin. although the president maintains a slight lead. we go to a radio talk show host and author of qft 50 things lib lib -- liberals love to hate." >> hi. >> i will start with the obvious question. ladies first, and has the addition of paul ryan made a difference in the romney campaign? >> absolutely. you know what, i think it has helped the undecided. heather, i don't know what to make of all of this this. romney tilts in one direction and ryan tilts in another. when it k078s -- comes to the budget they tilt. and i don't know what will happen. on this ticket you have enough for everybody. >> what do you think, mike?

>> heather, i think americans -- republicans are quietly ecstatic over the choice of paul ryan. typically and historically a vice presidential pick doesn't really have all that much bearing on the outcome. to tell you the truth, this year it does. it is unlike any year we have seen before. the narrative was are republicans excited to see governor romney? i assure you that the republicans are so eccstatic with paul ryan. he has the plan, he is smart, he gets it, and this is frankly the democrats' worst nightmare. >> let's look at this other poll we have. it looked at adding ryan to the ticket. it appears to hav energized some voters in ryan's home state of wisconsin. 31% of wisconsin voters say romney's pick of their native son makes them more likely to support romney in the fall.

fewer say they would be less likely to do so while 45% say ryan doesn't make a difference. you can see in florida and ohio, do you expect these numbers to change as we are introduced to him in the convention? >> oh, yes, i do expect them to have at least a temporary spike. one thing congressman ryan has done, he has refined and defined the romney message which is good for the romney-ryan ticket. he is a young, fresh face, and i think he is the face of the future of the party. like him or not. >> a 28-year age difference between biden and ryan. do you think that really makes him a shoe in for the younger voters? >> not so much even the age, but just the stark contrast between a guy who let's face it has said some pretty bafoonish things, well, not unlike a radio talk show host like me, but he has made some

mistakes and gaffs and paul ryan is not a guy known for gaffs. he is known to be serious and smart. he has an economic plan that resonates with the business community. wow what a surge in independents in the polls since paul ryan was introduced.resident obama loses independents this party is over. >> let's go back to the economic plan though. before you get to that, is there a path to victory for the romney-ryan ticket if they are not able to win florida and ohio. that's two states where seniors are a sizable portion of the electorat. what happens in terms of medicare and explaining medicare to the senior vote with ryan on the ticket? >> if he tells the truth they will run away from the ryan -- from the romney-ryan ticket. absolutely. the cuts he will make will hurt seniors and it will hurt the middle class. he wants to cut $4.5

trillion. >> that's a narrative. >> no, it is not a narrative. these are the numbers. >> you guys, come on, mike. >> frankly this narrative -- come on. does it get any worse than picturing a grandma being pushed off the cliff in a wheelchair? that's empty rhetoric. you don't think obama care doesn't make medicare cut? you don't think there is a drastic cut somewhere? paul ryan says we can't write checks our bank can't cash. >> i don't want to interrupt. i apologize. >> this is what is at stake. either voters will buy the scare tactics of the dnc and throwing granny off the cliff or realize this is a serious guy with an economic plan that will take us out of the stuff we are in. >> and does the addition of ryan on the ticket for republicans better their

chance at messaging? it seems to have been a problem with messaging when it comes to explaining their plans for the budget and medicare. >> i think it goes beyond -- i think it has to go beyond seniors. both of my grandmothers are alive, and they are frightened i am concerned about the 90 million americans who are eligible to vote who decided not to vote. >> on that note before we get to those 90 million americans swree to wrap it up. we do not have enough time to talk about that. a short time until the election. thank you for joining us. >> you bet, take care. >> thanks. >> see you. still ahead, remembering. one heck of a leap for mankind. we are remembering the icon, astronaut neil armstrong.

that's one small step foreman -- for man. one giant leap foreman kind. >> with those words neil armstrong became a national hero as the first man to walk on the moon. today we mourn the loss of that man. armstrong passing away at the age of 82 after a remarkable life that inspired generations to reach for the stars. >> the eying legal has -- the eagle has landed. >> it was for me the highlight and it was very challenging. there were a lot of unknowns. for a pilot it was a wonderful experience. >> on july 16th, 1969 neil armstrong blasted off to the moon. his voyage would take him where no man had ever landed before. traveling with him was pilot edwin buzz aldrin and michael

collins. >> after landing we had hours to stand there a mere 15 feet above the surface. long before we got out on the surface, we had a pretty good appreciation for what the moon was like. >> that's one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind. >> armstrong made history when he stepped off the eagle and set foot on the moon on july 20th. hundreds of millions of people gathered in front of televisions around the globe to witness this monumental feet. the men of apolo 11 were national heros. the president praised their heroics with a special long distance call. >> neil and buzz, i am talking to you by telephone from the oval room at the white house. >> neil armstrong was born august 5th, 1930 in ohio. at 16 years of age he had his student pilot's license before he even drove a car.

he joined the navy and at the age of 20 flew 78 combat missions over korea. he graduated from purdue university in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering. in 1962 armstrong joined the astronaut program. four years later he got his first taste of space as commander of gemini 8. two vehicles were docked in space for the first time. however, they ran into complications. armstrong made the decision to begin re-entry early and the mission was cut short. risks were always part of space exploration. prior to the launch of apolo 11, neil armstrong was nearly killed while training in a lieu mar landing test vehicle. >> it looks like he had only a few swings in the parachute before he hit the ground there. >> apolo 11 was armstrong's last mission in space. he retired from nasa in 1971 and accepted a teaching

position at the university of cinncinati. he taus aerospace engineering until 1979 and then became a spokesman for a handful of u.s. businesseses. he also served on the board of several p cs. in 1994 he stopped signing autographs after finding out his signed memorabilia were selling for large amounts of money. unlike some other astronauts he shied away from the limelight. >> if has anything to do with show business, neil armstrong passes. nobody would recognize him. he hasn't put his face out there. probably 500 years from now we may be known as living in the age of armstrong. just like we talk about the age of columbus. >> we all like to be recognized for not one piece of fire, would, but for the ledger of our daily work. >> reporter: john scott, fox news. coming down to the

republican convention now, the four-day gathering in tampa, a chance for governor mitt romney to reintroduce himself to voters with a prime time political spotlight. tara wall is the senior communications advisor to mitt romney's presidential campaign. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> we were watching as the romney-ryan take cet was in ohio ask -- ticket was in ohio asking the crowd, do you want four more years of the same? a nation of debt, doubt and decline. was that a preview? >> sure, absolutely it was a preview. what you will see in the next coming days, it was a message about how we can get this country back, and how we can give americans to join them for a better america. i think you will have an opportunity to reintroduce mitt romney and paul ryan and really articulate his vision, his background and a little family history as well as his experience and why he is

qualified to be leader of the country. >> president regan's former speech writer wrote a column that offered the following advice for the governor's speech, and i will quote here, if you want to lead america you have to speak to the fix we are in, and that means addressing spending, jobs and opportunity. will the governor do that, tara? >> well, i think you will hear a lot of bold re, mas from -- remarks from this governor and ticket and team as he has in the past. this country has had enough of the failed promises we have seen. it is time to put this country back on track with real solutions and i think you will see that contrast between a pro growth agenda and a big government agenda that continues to send and not offer real solutions. i believe and i think many americans believe there is one person who is qualified to ham this economy. >> governor romney wants to reform the tax system and lower the marginal rate.

he is frequently criticized even by republicans for not being specific. loopholes or tax breaks and credits and extensions he will get rid of. will he be specific in his speech at the con -- convention? >> he won't give away all of the speech, because then people won't tune in. >> i am not asking for you to give it away. will he be specific on his tax plan? >> he will articulate his goal for this country and it continues to encourage the free market system that continues to encourage and cut spending and taxes. >> we will identify the loopholes he wants to close. it frustrates the economists who are trying to score this thing. we can't score it because we don't know what it will do. she not spes spic on what exemptions.

>> sure, well once again not going to preview the speech for you, but i would actually ask you to just tune in -- >> i am not asking you to tell me. >> i think there is a lot of momentum going in, and i think if the polls are any indication nationally and in the battleground state, the gap is closing and people are starting to pay attention and embrace what governor romney and paul ryan have to offer. i think there will be time during the debate and in those discussions where you will see these teams and candidates. stay tuned this is an opportunity to rally the troops. folks will be able to decide for themselves in november. >> tara wall of the romney campaign, thanks very much for

being with us. good to see you. >> absolutely. thanks for having me. coming up, shocking new developments in drew peterson's murder trial. did the excop kill his third wife? what happened to his fourth wife? and now claims of a hitman. judge janeen piro takes the case.

we turn to the murder trial of the excop who apparently seems to have a habit of losing wives. prosecutors in the drew peterson murder trial is expected to wrap up next week after what was a week of strong hear say testimony from a wide variety of witnesses. the host of justice with judge janeen is here with us now. the jurors heard this week testimony that drew peterson coached his fourth wife and also happens to be missing about how to cover up the

death or murder of his third wife. >> that's powerful stuff. >> it was very powerful for the drew peterson case. we had incredible evidence regarding how kathleen actually drowned and evidence about the fact that stacy said in our interview what to say, how to say it. he had one arm around her shoulder and one happened on her thigh and even answered questions about a professional courtesey that was given by the illinois state police. >> originally the death of kathleen savia who was the third wife, it was accidental. suddenly a forensic doctor takes the stand and basically mocks that conclusion and says there is no way that wound was caused that way. >> and greg, the truth is the

forensic doctor that testified this week was a triple board cert fies doctor -- board certified doctor one of 14 in the country or less, and she said the injury certainly didn't happen the way the -- by accident. it couldn't have. and she described what would have happened had she indeed sliped and fallen and hit her head on something. we don't know what since there wasn't anything sharp or linear near that particular tub. >> and then there is the matter of the alleged hitman. whether drew peterson was ready to pay cash and offer a hitman to off his wife. >> it is not only he solicited him. he had him come to the police station and get in the squad car. drew was in his uniform and he said, look, what i want is somebody to kill my third wife and i will give you $25,000, and if you want to hire a subcontractor, you can. you can keep whatever money is left over from the $25,000.

again powerful evidence that came out of drew's mouth as well as words that came out of the mouth of stacy, wife number four who disappeared, that this jury has not heard much about at all. >> did they find out if she said if he kills me or if i go missing he did it or he told me how he could kill me and make it look like an accident. >> depends on what wife. the three that came in said they would kill me. the defense flubbed and accidentally crossed examined and said, make it look like an accident that the judge didn't look like they would say. the defense opened the door which is wonderful for the prosecution. the jury gets to hear the truth. >> they heard that. >> to the fourth wife he said, he could kill and you make you disappear. >> it has been three emotions for the mistrial. the judge has lost it with the

lawyers. he is angry for the glacial pace of the trial. this has been something. >> i think the judge and there is a personal vendetta toward the prosecution. i talk about that on high show. but even more interesting is the fact that this jury is now dressing in unison. >> dressing in unison, what does that mean? >> they wear the same colors. >> but what does that mean? guilty or not guilty? >> it means it is a sign of solidarity. they are of one mind and on friday black and white, black and white, black and white. watch my show. we will explain it all. >> that's too weird. that's too weird for words. >> so is this case. >> and they are probably talking about the case, which they are instructed not to do. you can catch it right here on the fox newschannel. she will have much more on this very existed -- twisted case. you are the perfect person to handle the twisted case. >> back at you. >> we will be right back.

we are a little more than two months out from the latest tracking poll, and the race is still as tight as can be. scott is an independent polster, and he is the author of the people's money.

it is in a dead heat. >> in the last seven days five times the candidates were in one point of each other. once obama was up two, and once romney was up two. there are only three things that will shake up this race. one some economic news that surprises us. two, the conventions might have an impact, and though three it does president make a big change, the debate could be significant in a toss up election. >> both sides have at one time or another accused the other of trying to buy the election. you -- you tried to measure that. what did you find? >> people are skeptical. they think both sides are trying to buy the election. 69% say not only are the politicians trying to buy it, but they will break the rules to help those who give them money. this is not really anything new. people believe the only reason they give to politicians is because they are afraid the politicians will hurt them if they don't. >> what about media bias and

campaign contributors ? what do people think about that? >> people don't like either one. right now 47% say media is a bigger concern. it is slightly bigger than those worried about campaign contributions. republicans and conservatives are more worried about media bias. >> when it comes to financial matters, are consumers optimistic or pessimistic? >> they are pretty pessimistic, but they were less pessimistic than they were awhile ago. we have some new data out, and it is showing that people are feeling more secure about their finances than he have in a couple years. one note that gives uh sense of the change, 52% of americans have some money left over at the end of each month to set aside in savings. >> it is not a great number, but up from 42% a year ago.

>> but people still think we are in a recession. >> 64% say we are in a recession. a majority has said we are in a recession every night for more than four years. >> if you want to put a positive spin on this, more than 70% thought we were in a recession in 2009. at different points it has been a little lower. but people #r* very concerned about the state of the economy. only 32% believe it will get stronger if president obama is re-elected. only 36% if mitt romney wins. >> you have been measuring voter sentiment for a great many years. is it true that a lot of voters, and maybe you can tell us roughly how many don't really make up their minds until, i don't know, the last week or two before the election and maybe days before the election, is that riew? is that true? >> there is a small number who will do that, 85% not only know who they will vote for this year, but who they will vote for in 2016. there is a partisan base on

both sides that is pretty well established. right now there is between 5% and 8% of voters who are uncommitted, and they are not generally paying attention yet. they will start hopefully sometime after labor day, and many of them perhaps 2% or 3% won't decide until the last couple days. >> which is why most of the money is spent after that period of time. >> exactly right. >> scott rase -- rasmussen, thank you for your opinion. >> that will do it for us. >> we are done for today. >> arthel nevin and eric sean is taking over. >> complete coverage starts tomorrow. >> have a great weekend.