this will be your place for campaign coverage later tonight. the big night here in tampa, florida. jon: continuing coverage in charlotte, north carolina. we will pick up charlotte on sunday. have a great day. happening now starts right now. jenna: welcome, everybody. we are going to start off with this fox news alert. take a look at what is happening with the dow jones industrial today. on more than 100 points. a later week of trading ahead of the labor day holiday, still something to note. first, we got a rather uninspiring jobless claims report that showed more than 370,000 americans filed for unemployment in the last week. news out of europe that still is negative. we have unemployment rate in germany climbing, questions about the eurozone survival. something you'll hear a lot about in the next several weeks

and months of the time between now and the election fred vidal treating or 110 points. jon: this fox news alert on hurricane isaac. which has been downgraded to a tropical storm. still causing dangerous flooding, storm surges and tornadoes also happening across the gulf coast. it's slow crawl them and is set to produce more than 2 feet of rain in some spots. although that new orleans revamped their levee systems and passed their first test, areas to the north and south are not as lucky. about half of louisiana is now without power. isaac is still posting parts of mississippi with heavy rains, winds, flooding low-lying areas and leaving those of on the coast underwater. highways and roads are flooded out, water is rising fast. reaching waist high in some areas. stranding cars and flooded homes. folks are forced to call for

help. >> coming off the porch, we were knee-deep in water. >> the water rose in about one minute. i said, i have to get out of here kind of quick, and i did. my neighbor was already on the roof of the house he helped me get up there. >> we lost everything, this is ridiculous. jon: we have live coverage of our reporters across the gulf coast. right now, brand-new stories and breaking news. the speed to tonight, america hears from governor mitt romney as he accepts the nomination for president. we will have the latest from the convention ahead come also come in the biggest one-day jump in gas prices in a year and a half, as all of us headed to the last heavy travel weekend of the summer. we will talk about that as well. plus, the psychiatrists that treated the accused shooter in the colorado movie massacre is

expected to speak for the first time in court. we will talk about how what she says influences this case. it is all "happening now." jenna: a very big night for mitt romney. some suggesting this is the biggest and most important speech he has ever made in his entire life. now, he is coming up after republicans are fired up and listening to paul ryan. the question today on his mitt romney topped the performances that we have seen the last couple days. i am generally. jon: i am jon scott. taking a live look at the convention floor in tampa, florida, where mitt romney will deliver his acceptance speech for the republican presidential nomination. last night was congressman paul ryan's turn in the spotlight.

the wisconsin congressman used the opportunity to define what is at stake in the election. a sentiment echoed by another high-profile republican. >> we need to stop spending money that we don't have. [applause] [cheers] >> it is not that hard. my dad used to say to me, son, you have a choice. you can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution. the present administration has made its choices. mitt romney and i have made hours. before the match and the momentum overwhelm us all, we are going to solve this nation's economic problems. [cheers] [applause] >> when the world looks to america, they look to us because we are the most successful economic and political experiment in human history. that is the true basis of american exceptionalism.

>> you see the efforts of america is what really unites us. it is not ethnicity or religion. it is an idea, and what an idea is that you can come from humble circumstances, and you can do great things. but it does not matter where you came from, it matters where you are going. jon: stirring speeches last night, john roberts was there. he is there now as well and he is going to give us an update. reporter: this one definitely was great. i just got off the phone with a senior aide to the romney campaign talking a little bit about what we can expect a few tonight. a lot of this is going to be about who mitt romney is as a person. his personal story about when his dad was selling paint out of her car to the man that romney became the son of a successful business man.

you also talk about his faith, his mormon faith, and how that shaped his values as well. mitt romney's stewardship be warm and fuzzy after what paul ryan said about his ipod last night. this is all about why he is the person he is and why she wants to leave the country. last night at the tampa bay times forum, paul ryan played the role of the attack dog, taking on president obama, taking on issues like medicare and feedback misconceptions in america may have against -- unaware paul ryan stands on that. last night, paul ryan evoked memories of his own grandmother to say that he wants to protect medicare for future americans, including his own mother. remember, his or another had a battle with alzheimer's. here's what he said last night. >> we have help for medicare, and it was bare. it just like it is there for my mother today. medicare is a problems unshared

promise, and a romney -- romney-ryan ticket will protect our future for my children and yours. reporter: republicans have recently won the election by going head-to-head with president obama on medicare, and also by bringing in their medicare eligible mother. paul ryan and mitt romney hope that they can do the same thing this fall and the election. jon: what about foreign policy? condoleezza rice talked a little bit about that as well. ryan-romney have less experience on that. reporter: they are really talking about it in terms of clarity. they may not have that much experience in foreign policy, but they believe moral commitment to be allies in america and american exceptionalism our ideas they will promote should mitt romney become president and paul ryan vice president. here is what ryan said about

that last evening. >> instead of managing american decline, leaving allies to doubt dallas and adversaries to test us, we will act in the conviction that the united states is still the greatest force for peace and liberty that this world has ever known. [cheers] [applause] jon: one of the biggest lines of the night, paul ryan said the table. it is mitt romney's term to bring it home. for more on this, let's talk with the director of the center for politics at the university of virginia and the guy with the crystal ball. looking backwards a bit, larry, you have seen a lot of speeches by presumptive vice presidential candidates. how does one set up? >> a star was born. half of america knew who paul ryan was. but half of america did not. those who were watching and those who sought even the pieces

of the speech were impressed with what they saw. that was good news for the ticket, and it'd set things up nicely for mitt romney this evening if he can deliver. jon: when his name was first announced, democrats said we will win florida, because seniors are concerned about about medicare and paul ryan wants to change medicare. he gave a pretty good defense last night, didn't you? >> yes, and they will have to continue to do that. remember, historically, jon, the medicare issue comes up in the last couple weeks of the campaign. it can be a stealth issue conducted by mail and telephone and internet. this is not something that republicans can think is over. we have taken care of that now, we have neutralized issue -- no, it's something that you have to keep your eye on all the way to november 6. jon: part of the job of the vice presidential nominee is to go after the city -- sitting

administration. >> he definitely didn't did. one of those lines will resume to me. the idea of college students having graduated and staying in the rooms of a girl but in looking at the fading obama posters, presumably from 2008. that got a good laugh in the convention hall. it was repeated widely and will continue to be. jon: before the maximum amount of overwhelm us all, we are going to solve this nations economic problems. that is a pretty big promise, and it carries a tinge of a negative tone. but he seems to deliver it a lot of hope and optimism. >> well, sure. how is this ticket going to be elected? it's going to be elected not because people decide they want to go out and have a beer with them, although they might. actually, mitt romney does not drink, so maybe they won't. i won't be on a personal level, it will be because the ticket is

supposed to be the mr. fix it on the economy. that is the key. it is perfectly okay to explain yourself until your background and make yourself more likable, but in the end, people have got to know that you can fix the central problem around which this election is being conducted. jon: looking ahead, that is what mitt romney has to do tonight? >> that is the key for me. i think too many of us are pretending that we are members of the american association of psychologists. you know, mitt romney has to be who he is. and who he is is someone who has worked with the economy all his life, worked with the business sector all his life. he has a credible case to make. to me, that's most important thing he can do tonight. jon: we will be watching. larry sabato, thank you very

much. jenna: maybe we should call him doctor larry sabato. there you go. we are tracking tropical storm isaac. likely to impact oklahoma and a few other states. a little bit further north, the big question now is how strong is either going to be when it actually gets us most places. janice dean is live with more. reporter: the good news is i think should be depression the next advisory. have i mentioned that we have other activity in the limit as well? we have hurricane kirk, and this is tropical storm number 12, it looks it's going to become tropical storm or hurricane leslie. we don't think that leslie or kirk will come knocking on the u.s. tour. which is just great. let's just talk about isaac. not done with the storm by any stretch of imagination. we are still dealing with the possibilities for flooding, very gusty winds and tornadoes. we have had many, many tornado reports in parts of mississippi

today. we see that really strong band coming through the gulf of mexico. through mobile, alabama, and this one south of meridian, mississippi. certainly, the risk for tornadoes throughout the day and even into the overnights. we have an earlier report of a tornado across the florida panhandle. this storm is far-reaching. still as we go into day five, jenna, and the flooding is -- the flooding is incredible. in the city of slidell, flood emergency for them. we will bring you the very latest be too even if it's not a tropical storm, a lot of attention needs to be paid. thank you. jon: new developments in the drew peterson murder trial. the former police officer accused of killing his third wife. what the couple's 9-year-old son told jurors just before the defense rested. vice presidential nominee paul

ryan speaking at the republican convention with onwards for president obama's health care overhaul. >> the greatest threat to medicare is obamacare. and we are going to stop it. [cheers] [applause]

>> all to pay for new entitlement we didn't even ask for, the greatest threat to medicare is obamacare. we are going to stop it. jenna: that was vice presidential nominee paul ryan speaking at the republican convention last night. congress for attacking the president helped a lot saying that he and governor romney will overturn it. their opponents can consider themselves as they stay unnoticed. senator barrasso is the chairman of the republican policy committee and is also a doctor, which makes them good to talk about these certain things like medicare. nice to have you back on the program. >> thank you, john. jenna: i to ensure that you have seen some sports injuries in your day. mitt romney is really the roundup hitter, if you will come of this convention. what do you think he needs to do tonight? >> the first home run he hit was actually when he named paul ryan to be his vice presidential nominee. we saw last night the kind of leadership this country needs to

get us back on track. back on track for a better future, and we will hear mitt romney present himself to the nation in a way that provides comfort and confidence and trust to the american people. because they understand and know that they need a new president and mitt romney is that person. jenna: interesting choices of words. confidence, comfort, and trust. there was a memorable line last night from congressman ryan when it came to hope and trust in president obama. let's take a listen to that. >> college graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms. staring up at fading obama posters and wondering when they can move could move out and get going with life. jenna: when he talked to the young voters out there included, a lot of them don't trust either party's plan. why should young voters are new voters trust the republicans?

>> what they have seen over the last four years as one is one broken promise after another by the obama administration. we know that half of new college graduates can't find jobs for which they studied were any jobs at all, that is why so many of them are back living at home. we know that the president broken promise after another with health care law. if you like what you have, you can keep it. we know for many americans that they won't be able to keep it. we said that insurance premiums are expected to top $125 per family. they have gone up. i will tell you is a doctor, they, they are coming in to doctors offices and asking for care now because they are worried about the upcoming rationing and denial of care that is going to happen to our seniors on medicare as a result of the president's health care law speak to the democrats will re will behat's not true. no rationing and that brought us into this debate over with health care law since it began four years ago. a little bit over three years

ago. you know, as a doctor, explain why you believe it will be rationed? >> well, they have an independent human advisory board. it is not independent. they have 15 elected bureaucrats. then they decide to pay for different services for our seniors. no one should be between a doctor and a patient. patients are looking for what they wanted all along. the care they need that they need from the doctor that they choose at lower cost. if you go to groups of people of all ages and you ask how many of you believe that under the president's health care law, you're going to be paying more, all the hands go up. then you ask how many of you believe the quality and availability of your care is going to go down, and the hands go up again. jon: jenna: very nice to have you with us, senator barrasso. did any of the folks have cow

boycotts on? nice to have you on the show. jon: i love this state of wyoming. brand-new numbers on the jobs front and you can't say they're good. weekly unemployment claims just released. what they mean for the economy, the election, and your bottom line. plus, fast-moving waters from hurricane and now tropical storm isaac. reaching waist high in some spots. training people in their homes. we are alive we have more. around 830, we noticed it was time to get out.

jenna: this fox news alert. leading loving and tornado watches in effect for parts of louisiana and mississippi as tropical storm isaac stolz. the storm is weakening, but you have drenching rain and the wind that could continue for several days. he paired in his life along the coast and mississippi. the last time we saw you, you are in the water. have you dried up at all? >> still in the water. a different kind of water. these gentlemen are state and county rescue workers. they are bringing a generator to one family that is what is being done. people basically unable to get to their houses due to the three and 4 feet of water. gentleman like this, emergency management, are going and bringing people out. he said most people are

basically too proud to ask for help. but when they see the vote, they are coming out. they have rescued at least 70 people, and you can see where i am is the jordan river. a subdivision of about 1500 houses. about half are under water. that is the real danger for mississippi that we are seeing right now. this is not really directly from the hurricane, which is not near the coast, what you are seeing is the jordan river flood water. in between the hurricane and heavy rain we have gone to the last two days and high tide coming in, it is getting worse here even though the storm is gone. people are concerned because the situation continues to get worse and more rain will only complicate things. jenna: looking over your shoulder, you can see the speed limit sign. it is just about to that point. maybe using @-at-sign as an example, how much higher do they expect the water to go today? reporter: it depends on the

rain. i saw one man pulling his wife out on a raft with belongings, and she said i'm getting too old for this. they have no electric power, so that meant a night without air conditioning in addition to all the other anxiety. she said we are thinking of selling because every storm, we are really getting hit hard. even though the storm has moved on, they are troubled still today. jenna: we can understand how fatiguing that would be. steve, back to you throughout the day as we continue coverage and move on to norms. jon: so hard to stay positive in a flood. we have elizabeth live in new orleans. reporter: hello, jon. the story is not over, despite steve was mentioning. it may be 125 miles north of here, but it is still wreaking

havoc. debris in the roadway, power outages, people in the low-lying areas have seen about 12 to 15 feet of water in their homes. homes completely submerged. it tells us that they were struck by hurricane gustav, a category two storm. it made landfall, not once but twice. in incredible storm surge. some of these folks were soaked with up to 20 inches of rain. here is what some folks told us. >> people got used to the water not common, and now it really came. reporter: people tell us it could be days if not longer before they could get back into their homes. jon: live in new orleans, thank

you, elizabeth. jenna: medicare reform is one of the issues that congressman ryan says must be tackled for the sake of america's future. did he win over voters? we have a fair and balanced debate coming up next. >> a romney-ryan ticket will strengthen america and medicare for my mom, my generation, and my children and yours your long-term payout into a lump sum of cash today. >> announcer: meet mary. she loves to shop online with her debit card, and so does bill, an identity thief who stole mary's identity, took over

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jon: new developments in some other stories we're keeping an eye on. prosecutors in the drew peterson trial calling witnesses today. the defense rested yesterday after peterson on said that his father, he believed, never kill his stepmother. a close call for the miami dolphins. their plane reportedly backing into another aircraft as they were getting ready to leave dallas. the team arrived this morning on a replacement jet. and crewmembers taking part in the first u.s. space walk in more than a year. the pair will spend about 6.5 hours replacing faulty equipment. jenna: fox business alert on gas prices. it comes as americans kick off the last heavy driving weekend of the summer. we just had the biggest one-day jump in prices in the last year and a half, and mother nature

can take some of the blame but not all. reporter: isaac still dumping some heavy rains along the gulf coast region. many refineries are still shut down right now. some of them are operating at reduced rates. but about 1.3 barrels, i should say million barrels of refining capacity, have been affected by this storm. that is what is driving up as prices at the pump. in fact, aaa reporting that national average jumped another 2 cents of $22.83 is a national average. that is up 30 cents from just one month ago. those that are seeing the biggest jump in prices are louisiana, mississippi, and all the way up north, unsuspecting drivers in illinois and indiana have seen some of the biggest price spikes. there may not be much relief in sight. analysts are expecting the prices will continue to rise, even further as the damage of the storm is assessed and as we

work our way through one of the biggest driving weekend of the year. labor day. when all the demand for gasoline tends to jump up. perhaps the good news and bright side of us is that that while over 90% of all oil production is taken during the storm, over the weekend, analysts are predicting that as we see that production come back online, we could see a somewhat quick retreat from the higher energy prices that we are paying today. we will keep our fingers crossed. jenna: it never seems quite fast enough. reporter: exactly. they tend to come down a little bit slower then they go up we do thank you very much, sandra. jon: fox news is america's election headquarters. vice presidential nominee paul ryan using his convention speech to attack president obama. challenging his opponents to debate on the medicare issue. >> a romney-ryan administration

will protect and strengthen medicare for my mom's generation, for my generation, and for my kids and yours. our opponents can can consider themselves on notice. in this election, on this issue, the usual posturing on weapons and would work. mitt romney and i know the difference between protecting the program and rating it. our nation needs this debate. we want this debate. we will win this debate. jon: what about that? the debate on medicare entitlement is on. we will get to a fair and balanced debate. we have kirsten and angela. he was pretty blunt. taking on the administration over things like medicare. something that the democrats traditionally went on. >> it remains to be seen if they have the edge.

it is a combination argument, considering that both ryan and obama post the same dollar amount of cuts. the difference is that obama's cuts are used to be thrown back into medicare, versus ryan cuts are basically so they can support tax cuts. so i think that when we get down to the debates or somewhere where he is actually challenged on this, it's going to be a little bit harder for him to make this argument. jon: angela, he has not backed away. various outlets have pointed out that same thing. the ryan budget also proposed cuts in medicare. how does the answer that? >> he answered and talked about the fact that the tax cuts would actually help the economy instead of hurt the economy. the bottom line is obama did raise medicare to help pay for obamacare, which is not popular. not popular among the american people. the medicare debate actually

brings the topic back to the center. instead of bamboozling people, talking about divisive politics and throwing granny off the cliff, now people can make a fair choice, or they can debate. kiersten, i disagree with you. once we debate the issues, we will be on the forefront where you can do this kind of good versus bad, to the have and have-nots. we will talk about policy that will help create a better america. i am not a betting woman, but if i were, my money would go on mitt romney and paul ryan, because they are about solutions and not excuses. jon: i think it will be hard, one that? for democrats to come up with another, you know, paul ryan look-alike throwing granny off a cliff. after they told a story about how they welcomed his own grandmother into their home when she was suffering late like diseases? >> yes, that advertisement is completely out of balance.

i don't like the throwing granny off the cliffs that. i appreciate that ryan is will that has been treated as a issue that nobody wants to talk about. i appreciate it and i hope we do have a serious conversation. i just think we should be more straightforward that he is cutting medicare and stop wanting to what obama cuts are in medicare. that is not the end. [talking over each other] >> the money goes back into health care. and he also is cutting it, and it's not going back in health care. i think we need to have an honest conversation and stop pretending that barack obama is the only one who cut medicare. >> he is not actually cutting medicare. what obama is saying is that he's cutting that brought the front of medicare. but you have medical experts. medicare experts that went before congress and said that these cuts would actually hurt medicare and would not increase benefits to the elderly.

it would actually decrease benefits. also, obama saying that paul ryan will impact you viewers exhibitors and older. i want to have a choice in the system. again, dealing with tax credits and cuts, those monies go back into the economy. obamacare, with a mandate, is actually increasing taxes. let's have a debate about it. jon: the republican side has signaled that it's ready to have the debate. typically a democratic issue and paul ryan says that they should bring in on and he thinks they will win. both of you are saying that it's a good discussion and a welcome discussion. >> yes. >> absolutely. i think it's absolutely a welcome discussion. for too long, both parties have tried to pander to older voters. you know, i hope it is just a more honest conversation. i don't feel like it's currently

an honest conversation when everybody points the finger at obama and acts like paul ryan doesn't want to cut medicare when he does. [talking over each other] [talking over each other] >> let's talk about the fact that it's an unsustainable system and the people in my generation and amber's generation will not have something done unless we change things up. >> obama was the one who said he would rise legislation behind closed doors. nancy pelosi said with obamacare, we will know what's in it after we pass it. we need a discussion not just about medicare, but the economy and jerry reed not passing a budget and paul ryan has one. jon: and he promised to appeal obamacare. we will see. voters are going to have a clear choice next time around. kirsten powers, angela mcglowan, thank you both. jenna: other news, a key hearing focusing on ties the suspect had

with the university of colorado psychiatrist. the same psychiatrist that he reportedly mailed the notebook detailing his plan ahead. a lot of questions about this relationship. we are going to talk more about it as we hear more today in court. in the meantime, paul ryan getting some high marks for an impassioned speech, setting the stage for the main event. governor romney's address tonight. what mr. romney needs to do to continue the momentum. coming up next. >> let's give this effort everything we have. let's put it all the way through. let's get this done hey, i love your cereal there -- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way, right? lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right?

have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

jon: and a fox news alert and an ominous report by the international atomic energy agency about what is going on in iran. the agency says that iran has apparently doubled the number of its centrifuges from 1064 up to 2140. those are key components to enriching uranium toward bomb grade -- weapons grade uranium. they are buried deep inside a mountain in what could be and impenetrable facility. the iaea is trying to do an inspection of the facilities saying facility saying that it has been hampered so far at iran's military complex.

again, it appears that nothing is slowing the iranians down as they were, work on what they say is to build a nuclear power that much of the world suspects. much of the world suspects their nuclear weapons. we will keep you updated. >> the work ahead will be hard. these times demand the best of all of us. all this, but we can do this. we can do this. together, we can do this. we didn't get this country working again without effort. we can get this country safe again. we can do this. whatever your political party, let's come together for the sake of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything that we have. let's take this thing all the way through. let's get this done. jenna: a passionate speech from paul ryan last night. tonight, governor romney takes

the stage and apparently he has a pretty big job ahead of him. governor haley barbour is the former governor of mississippi and the former chairman of the republican national committee. if the reaction is any indication, mitt romney has a big job ahead of him. because the bar is set so high from last night. how is he coming into the speech tonight to make the most memorable of the convention? we think is key to that? >> the challenger -- this is always the greatest opportunity and a great challenge. because the bar is always high. the incumbent president is in our living room every day. everybody says this will be the close good look that millions of americans haven't mitt romney. the bar is high, but you know, i think it is keyed up very well for him. from his wife's speech, paul

ryan, condoleezza rice before him, all the speeches we have seen make people understand that mitt romney and paul ryan are serious. they are bright. they are not willing to gloss over things. they are truth tellers. that is what the american people want. someone that will tell them the truth and deal with the problems the country faces. jenna: one of the questions we posed less nine on her website is whether or not they want to see more pensions from the republicans to be more aggressive or policy. whether they wanted more specifics about how exactly the house republicans will do what they say. what you think the republican party needs to do? we can governor romney needs to do? is it more pensions and be more aggressive or more of specific policy? >> i think he will lay out for the american people his vision of where america can go, needs to go, and how he would get there. i think he will talk about

issues. here is what i will do, here is why i will do it, here is how i will help our family and community and country get back on track. because we are not on track now. sure, you can not run against incumbent president without his record being an issue. this president has a failed record of bad policies that have negative results. the american people know that, but that will be in the speech. the big part is that mitt romney and paul ryan are serious people who are not afraid to take on the tough issues. jenna: governor barbour, i'm going to quote you on this. you say that we are seeing all of these young, smart, attractive and articulate people who are pushing guys like me out. you're talking about the republican party. that's a little harsh criticism of yourself, governor. have you see the republican party in 2012 different than the republican party of 2008?

>> we made a transition later than the democrats. from eisenhower to bob dole, every nominee that we have was a world war ii veteran. we made that change 12 years after the democrat and george w. bush. you are now seeing the fruits of that. these outstanding young governors. susana martinez. nikki haley. brian sandoval. mary fallin. you have seen them all here. marco rubio tonight. this is absolutely appropriate. in the good way, they are taking the place and they are moving our party forward. they are our party's future. they are our country's future, to. jenna: it sounds like you are optimistic about it. a little tongue-in-cheek commentary. thank you for the comments, sir.

jon: accused colorado massacre suspect james holmes set to appear before a judge. today's hearing expected to be about a notebook that he sent to his psychiatrist. tropical storm isaac weakening as it slowly leaves the gulf coast. there is still a lot of damage behind

jon: accused colorado shooter james holmes is that to appear at a hearing. his relationship with his psychiatrist and a notebook that he center before the massacre. alicia acuna at his life from centennial, colorado. both doctor and patient are expecting to be in court today? >> that is right.

the doctor is being called is when the witnesses. we have been told that james holmes will be in court, as he has been for every hearing. the defense is trying to keep that notebook out of the hands of the prosecution, arguing that it should be considered privileged under doctor patient confidentiality. >> to look at the timing and use some common sense, is this doctor or patient type of communication. was it part of the doctor healing him in anyway. if you have the facts and what we know that he did on july 20, i think this is a good argument that this is not privileged doctor-patient privileges. jon: we are getting an idea of where the prosecution is headed with this case. reporter: that is right. we can give you a look at some of the evidence that has been gathered so far by the

prosecution. according to the court filings by the prosecution, james holmes had conversation with a classmate about wanting to kill people last march. he failed his oral boards in june. he was denied access to the school. after he made threats to a professor and was denied access to campus. he began a detailed and complex plan to get firearms, mo, teargas, grenades, gas mask, and ballistic helmet, which were used in the massacre. james holmes defense has called their client mentally ill in open court. they have not said that they are going to go for an insanity plea. however, all indications are that they are headed that way. colorado is one of the few states in which the burden on the prosecution rests to prove that the defendant is free. jon: alicia acuna with one that terrible shooting case, thank you. jenna: final day of the rnc and final speech for mitt romney.

we have charles krauthammer on what we can expect to hear what governor romney takes the stage. [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare?

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like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. jon: a big night ahead as governor romney gets ready to accept his party's nomination nor president and deliver a defining speech to republican

delegates and americans all over the country. good morning to you, i'm jon scott. jenna: do you think he has butterflies? jon: i don't know. i think he's been ready for this. jenna: you can tweet us on that. it would make me nervous, a big stage and audience. i'm jenna lee. this is the second hour of "happening now." we get word that governor romney wrote to speech. he knows it backwards and forward. it's 40 minutes, twice as long as any speech he's delivered on the campaign twaeu trail. paul ryan accept his party's nomination weaving in themes about family, love and country and america's future making it clear they will take their fight to president obama going forward. >> i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record, and

so desperate to keep their power. with all their attack ads the president is just throwing away money, and he's pretty experienced at that. [laughter] [cheers and applause] >> you see, some people can't be dragged down by the usual sheep tactics because their character, ability and plain decency are so obvious, and, ladies and gentlemen, that is mitt romney. [cheers and applause] jenna: charles krauthammer is a syndicated columnist, fox news contributor working hard over the last couple of days. you had reaction to paul ryan's speech last night, charles calling it bold, very strong and very large. how can mitt romney, in what way can he be bolder, stronger and bigger than paul ryan was last night? >> that i think actually -- excuse me. that i think actually is

ironically the problem, because as you said a little earlier, paul ryan didn't just set the tone, he set a bar. if that was a remark of a speech, it's not a great speech, so historically great that it will be remembered, but it was a great speech in that it did everything that he needed to do. i think what romney might do is to pick up a theme that was suggested in ryan's speech, and that is there was a theme running through it of the obama administration already being something of the past. he spoke about it as if, you know, as this term ends, as if this is a throwback, as if it is sort of a parenthesis in history it was almost a sympathetic view, well the country was in distress four years ago, it went for this charismatic hope and change and of course now it's all been dashed.

i think romney might want to use that theme, so that especially for the presidential candidate, it's less of an attack, it's more of in sorrow than in anger, saying we tried this other approach, we went for the grand sweep and the charisma, but progressmatically they had nothing to offer, they don't respect the freedom or origin of our successes and therefore we have to go back to what our strengths are and romney will try to show how he can both represent them and bring them to government. jenna: we'll watch for that theme and see if it comes up tonight as we await this speech. charles, i was looking back on some of your writing in 2008 after the conventions for both the democrats and the republicans, and i want to share with our viewers something that you wrote about the democrats and president obama in 2008 when they finished their convention. you said this. early missing at the democratic

convention this year were people of stature who were seriously involved at some point in obama's life. standing up to say, i know barack obama, i've been with barack obama. we have toiled together, you can trust him, i do. you said that was missing. romney has brought it up, condoleezzaa rice has brought it up, some critics have suggested that the president has the same problem that mitt romney has, that they actually are very similar in this way, that they remain a mystery, that people feel they don't really know these two men. what do you think about that comparison and how do you think mitt romney over comes that? >> well, i think there is a sense in which they are similar, because it's very, very difficult to understand the internal psychology of anyone, particularly at a distance. so i think in that sense romney is not that much different from any other presidential candidate who preceded him. but obama was absolutely different. he was utterly unique in the

fooh unique in the fact that we knew almost nothing about him. he had no signature achievements, no signature legislation, no accomplishments. there was nothing in his past other than a couple of books, which incidentally were both about himself, perhaps it should have been a clue. there was -- and there was nobody who stood up on the stage. when you think even john kerry, when he got up, there was a bunch of his comrades from the vietnam days who served with him, and who spoke on his behalf about his character. it was absolutely stunning that there was no one who stood up and said, i know barack obama, i toiled with him, this is what we achieved together. there was no one. this was a stranger. and i think that was unique in american history. that we elected a man who wasn't just young but was essentially unknown. now romney has had a long history, where he has worked

with associates. there are people from the business world, from massachusetts, perhaps from the olympics, also people obviously from church, and from acquaintances in politics and from outside who speak on his behalf, who know him and can testify on his behalf. so in that sense he's much less an unknown quality than obama was. and i think, therefore, it's easier for him to express himself. but obama had the advantage of being so unknown that he could sort of control and conjure up both a past and a future that he would offer the country, and the theme of the republicans is, we tried that, we tried the conju conjurer, that didn't work, let's get serious now with a serious man to deal with serious problems. jenna: interesting. we'll see what mitt romney shares about his personal life. how he shares some of his experiences that you mentioned, and maybe as well what happens for the next ten weeks. real quick here charles.

i only have a short amount of time. a lot of our viewers are interested on the debate as well. i'm just curious what you think about that. is tonight the night for romney or does he have other chances here with the debate and those could be more defining of his campaign? >> yes, i think for someone like him who is perceived as stiff, robotic, a speech can help, but remember speeches are prepared, you're reading off a prompter, and the environment is controlled. so if you want to overcome the image of lack of spontaneity, and being robotic that is not the best arena i think the real test, and this is going to be a high wire act, because you can script it, is going to be in the debates and that's where he can shine. reagan won the election in 1980 when when he said to jimmy carter, shucks, there you go again. he showed himself to be

affable. not extreme, the election was over. if romney can show himself to be somewhat sympathetic, empathetic, he can win it in the debate. i think mae may prove to be even more important than tonight's speech, important as it will be. jenna: i know you have another long day ahead. it's a treat to have you on the program to get your insights, thank you, sir. >> sure. jon: severe flooding and tornadoes threatening the gulf states in new orleans a rebuilt heavy system held back a storm surge whipped up by isaac. surrounding areas are under neck-deepwater and worse. this very slow-moving storm could drop another 20 inches of rain. 2 people have been killed. 900,000 homes and businesses without power right now. thousands were evacuated, some who stayed behind had to be rescued. >> the people had to be rescued from the rooftops?

>> the rooftops, from inside the attics. they made a decision to stay and sometimes overnight and early morning hours is when the surge came up and started flooding their properties. >> we grabbed all our animals and sent them upstairs and the water just came in like so fast. >> the main thing is that we lost everything like a lot of people. a lot of people, there are animals, people are still there, my husband stayed behind with our animals until they could be rescued. i am glad to be out but i still worry about my husband and other neighbors that stayed. jon: too many people thought it would not be bad as only a category 1 storm. in mississippi there are reports of a possible tornado destroying a home under destruction. from hancock county video of two families rest viewed by the nationarescued by the national guard. the home is raised on stills 8 feet aeu above the ground.

john a than that serrie is live. >> they are evacuating sparsely populated areas around a river, down springs there is a dam in imminent danger of failure. authorities believe that the water would dissipate, be contained by the environment before it posed a threat to any homes or businesses, but they don't want to take any chances, so they are now evacuating residents who live along that river. i want to show you now video from some of the communities along lake pontchartrain outside of new orleans, those communities reporting some flooding, particularly in mandeville and laplas.

and in slidell. increasing water levels are preventing the pumping stations from removing water as quickly as it comes in. coming back to our live shot i'd like to show you the mississippi river just to illustrate the strong storm surge that was associated with isaac before the storm arrived the usgs confirms that the storm surgery versed the flow of the mighty mississippi for almost 24 hours on tuesday. jon, back to you. jon: john a than that serrie. thank you. jenna: just want to go straight to janice dean for a little bit more on what we are expecting over the next several hours. >> reporter: the tornado threat across much of the gulf coast unfortunately, or the northern gulf coast where we're dealing with the threat of tornadoes. throughout the day today there is our tornado watch for the next several hours. a couple of tornado warnings, just one that is now up for southeast of meridian, mississippi.

we've been seeing on going threat for tornadoes and damage reported across portions of mississippi this morning, from tornadoes. there is a look at some of the winds still gusting at 46 miles per hour. new orleans, 43 in mobile. just a look at our track as we head further out in town going to move through arkansas and the plain states and midwest. the good news from this story, once we get through the horrible news that we have seen really over the last 24 to 48 hours is going to be the moisture. much needed moisture to drought-stricken areas. we could get anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of rain, and that will be a good news situation. however, 4 to 6, even 10 inches of rain on top of the storm totals that we have already seen getting close to 20 inches is not going to be good news for the storm weary unfortunately. back to you. jenna: absolutely. jajanice, thank you. jon: fox news alert you may have heard the controversy in texas, which has proposed that voters there would need identification

before they could cast their ballots. now a federal judge has said that that law is not going to pass muster. the federal judge has rejected texas' proposed voter id law. it is going to be a very controversial case, it's going to be in the headlines for weeks leading up to the election, whether texas will have a chance to reinstate it somehow up in the air at this point, but a federal judge has said that voter id law in texas cannot be implemented at this moment. we'll have more on that for you certainly as the day goes on here on fox. meantime arousing speech from paul ryan gets folks at the convention all fired up. but there has also been criticism of the speech. some media outlets suggesting he got some of his facts wrong. is that fair? james rosen has been doing some fact checking of his own. he'll break it all down for us. jenna: a close look at one of the key battleground states. you heard from the governor of new mexico last night, suz

susana martinez. we are diving deeper into the race in new mexico another key state this election period. we'll be right back with more "happening now." on my chest... he thought he was having a heart attack. she said, "take an aspirin, we need to go to the hospital." i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm very grateful to be alive. aspirin really made a difference.

jon: well, get ready for some changes if you watch tonight's big address by mitt romney at the republican national convention. they are actually doing some stage construction to give the governor a podium that is more forward and sort of out into the audience. so it's going to look a little different tonight. they are actually adding a new podium for mitt romney. jenna: no columns. jon: no grecian columns. jenna: you never know what is going to show up there. it's quite a production. jon: yeah, you can see the construction crews work on it. we understand that the podium they've had up until now will remain in place but they'll have it engineered so it can sink down into the floor so that mitt romney's podium will be the only one up there on stage, front and

center. jenna: they better get working they only have a couple of hours before they need the stage tonight. there is quite a line up of people talking, marco rubio, governor romney, and the mystery guest, we don't know who that is. maybe james rosen knows something about that. last night was paul ryan's big moment in the spotlight accepting the party nomination for vice president. it didn't take long for democrats to tear apart what he had to say. tis the season for that on both sites. james rosen is live in tampa with a fact check on all of this and maybe, maybe a scoop on the mystery guest. james. >> reporter: maybe a twaoe tweese at the end of the hit. jim messina wasn't mincing words at 4:37am today when he blasted out a fundraising email in which he accused congressman ryan of having quote lied about medicare and the stimulus and the

democrats are zeroing on two aspects of congressman ryan's speech, the first ever them concerns, what was once the largest employer in ryan's hometown of jamesville, wisconsin. >> a lot of guys i went to high school with worked at that gm plant. right there at that plant candidate obama said, i believe that if our government is there to support you this plant will be here for another 100 years. that's what he said in 2008. well, as it turned out that plant didn't last another year. it is locked up and empty to this day. >> reporter: it is true that president obama when he was running for the office in february 2008 toured that gm plant in jamesville. democrats point out this morning that the plant actually closed in december of 2008 under president bush who in that same month authorized an emergency loan of 14 billion to gm and chrysler but it wasn't enough to prevent gm with moving forward with announced in october of 08

to close the facility and layoff 1200 workers. aeutdz to congressman wraoeupb point out that that plant is in fact not closed down it's on standby. it could have been reactivated any time over the last three and a half years if president obama they say had made the effort with gm to do so. however, we have to point out nothing that paul ryan said in his speech about the gm issue was factually untrue. he stated that, quote, we were about to lose a major fact free when candidate obama showed up there. although he compressed obama's remarks, he did not distort them. i believe if our government is there to support you and give you assistance and tools this plant will be here for another 100 years. the other thing was the simpson bowl commission, a commission impaneled two and a half years ago by president obama and formally known as the national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform. president obama never adopted in full the panel's conclusions which included a mix of spending

cuts and revenue enhancements otherwise known as tax hikes to put the country on attack to a 15 trillion-dollar debt. they used a face that is familiar to fox news. >> he came back with an urgent report. he thanked them, sent them on their way and then did exactly nothing. >> he also criticized the president for doing nothing about the bowls simpson plan. he was a member ever the bowls simpson commission and he voted against it. >> reporter: ryan ha*eudz ar aides are saying today that he partnered with a democrat on that commission to change their conclusions, when they were voted down, ryan couldn't accept them. follow me on rozen at twitter fnc. probably it was untrue that the president did nothing but dodge or demagog, he did try to

negotiate with john boehner. jon: top box storm isaac continues to move inland leaving many areas in louisiana and mississippi underwater. thousands of evacuations underway. there is a flip side of the coin, all that rain could offer some help to the drought-stricken areas. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! seems they haven't been moving much lately. but things are starting to turn around because of business people like you. and regions is here to help. with the experience and service to keep things rolling.

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jon: of course every state counts in this very close election race, but we are going to continue our look at the battleground states that likely will determine the outcome in november. today we are checking out new mexico. this is one of the western states that president obama won pretty handily last time around. if you look at the stats, there are five electoral votes up for grabs in new mexico. the unemployment rate, though, looking pretty good there, 6.6% is the rate, compare that to the

national average of 8.3%. new mexico is doing pretty well. it may be the reason that president obama has not visited there yet in this campaign season. mitt romney has been there once. part of the reason is because of the poll numbers. you can see there president obama with a 52-38% lead over mitt romney in new mexico. michael coleman is the washington bureau chief or the albuquerque journal. he joins us from tampa. is that unemployment rate connected to the president's popularity? you know a lot of the conventional whic wisdom is when the unemployment rate continues the way it has nationally, an incumbent has problems getting reelected. if new mexico is at 6.6% that is looking pretty good. >> i'm sure it definitely doesn't help that new mexico has a relatively low unemployment rate. we have a lot of state government jobs and federal jobs there. that sort of factors in in part to help keeping it low.

certainly that doesn't hurt obama's chances. he laid a good ground game in 2008 in new mexico and i think he's been able to per pep wait that there in new mexico. so far so good for him but we've still got a little ways to go. jon: you have susana martinez addressing the republican national convention. what does that do for your state? >> it fired up the republicans last night here in the convention hall in tampa, and i think that it elevates new mexico's profile certain leave. by all accounts she did a good job last night delivering that speech. most people didn't know who she was before last night. now millions of people do, i think she will be a very effective surrogate with mitt romney with hispanic and women. jon: the people of new mexico know her, if she up there endorsing mitt romney does her political star power in your state carry enough weight that she might deliver it to the romney column? >> it certainly doesn't hurt. i think it depends on what she does on the ground in the state. her endorsement helps mitt romney.

i think it depends on how much she works and gets out in the southern part of the state where all the conservatives are and try to get them enthusiastic about the base. i know our republican congressman steve pierce is also doing a a lot for mitt romney. he raised a million and a half bucks for him in new mexico. they are working hard to get the numbers going in the other direction for mitt romney. jon: i noted a moment ago that mitt romney made a campaign appearance in new mexico. when he did so the backdrop was energy and oil drilling. he has made that a significant part of his campaign, and stresses the president's opposition to things like the keytone pipeline. is he winning any votes there? >> it certainly doesn't hurt. we've got a lot of oil and gas people in new mexico, especially southern new mexico when he went to visit. obama actually was in new mexico campaigning, he also went to southern moo mexico to the oil patch and talked about energy. energy, oil and gas and the jobs associated with those industries are huge in new mexico.

jon: five electoral votes up for grabs in moo next could he and they could be crucial. michael coleman thank you. >> thanks for having me. jenna: tropical storm isaac moving inland from the gulf coast. the folks in mississippi and louisiana are getting hit hard with drenching rain, tornadoes and power outages, of course you've got all that flooding. now we have news that a dam is threatening to break, and that is causing some new evacuations. we have a live report straight ahead.

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jenna: fox news weather alert, top box storm isaac swaebg evening as it moves inland but leaving problems in its wake. reports of possible tornadoes and drenching rain and flooding across louisiana and mississippi. up to 30 inches in some spots. also some massive power outages, and all these evacuations forcing thousands and thousands out of their homes. here is some video we have from one of the river parishes near new orleans a coast guard helicopter rescuing a couple and their dogs this morning, this after the storm surge poured into this area. now a dam is in danger causing more evacuations. 19 homes and several mobile homes are in harm's way, that is in mississippi. some of the danger is in louisiana. phil keating is live in biloxi, mississippi with the latest for us now. >> reporter: the rain has finally subsided.

the outer bands of rain and wind have raked jackson county, mississippi where we are now. this morning this family had returned from evacuating thinking the worst was over when the roar from the super strong winds, most likely a tornado destroyed their house. unfortunately for them they had rebuilt this house in the past seven years after it previously being destroyed by hurricane katrina fortunately nobody inside was hurt. over in gulfport, mississippi another either tornado or straight-line winds took down a couple of houses there. you can actually see the debris just flying through the area. this has been the story for alabama and coastal mississippi for the past 48 hours. high, high winds, tropical storm strength following the hurricane strength and then of course just 15 to 17 inches of rain. dozens of people had to be rescued, in all the floodwaters from yesterday. that is another major concern

still today is floodwaters. because all of the storm-strength winds were blowing the ocean surge northbound, preventing all of the rainwater storm drain to leave the streets, to leave the rivers and drain into the gulf of mexico, and that is what has led to basically all of the standing water able to go nowhere. fortunately it's starting to recede, but still emergency responders just call isaac relentless. >> the flooding has just been terrible, you know, the storm surge and then the torrential rain and the storm just would not leave us, it stayed on top of us for hours and hours and hours, and more than anyone even expected. >> reporter: also, isaac has taken its first fatality in northern mississippi where a tow truck driver this morning responding to help somebody stranded in the water died after a large tree blew over right on top of his tow truck cab. back to you.

jenna: quite a scene behind you. thank you. a couple of top republicans talked about foreign policy last night. they really took the stage at the convention and they offered up their vision of where america should be heading, and pointed out where they felt the obama administration is falling short. next we have a great panel set up taking up the debate on all of this just ahead.

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>> where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguous lee and clearly the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. and our foes, our foes can have no reason to doubt our resolve, because peace really does come through strength. [cheers and applause]

>> there is no country, no, not even a rising china that can do more harm to us than we can do to ourselves if we do not do the hard work before us here at home. [cheers and applause] >> that is why this is a moment and an election of consequence. jenna: condoleezzaa rice getting some rave reviews today for her speech last night at the republican convention. the former secretary of state delivering hard-hitting remarks on defense and foreign policy and criticizing the obama administration's approach to national security while not directly mentioning the president at all. arizona senator john mccain who ran against president obama in 2008 also weighing in saying america's success fends on our leadership in the world and that requires leading from the front not behind. >> we can't afford to cause our friends and allies from latin america to europe, to asia, to the middle east, and especially

in israel a nation under threat to doubt america's leadership. [cheers and applause] [chanting ] >> we can't afford to give governments in russia and china a veto over how we defend our interests and the progress of our values in the world. jenna: k. c. mcfarland is a national security analyst. gordon chang author of the coming collapse of china and a nuclear showdown takes on the world. and skwroerb rogue began is a writer at foreign policy magazine. gordon i'd like to start with you. you say that condoleezzaa rice and john mccain delivered fine speeches. you thought they were pretty g. you say they represent conventional thinking and that is not what we need right now. what do you think we need. >> i think we need a little bit of ronald reagan. reagan said we didn't have to

accept the soviet union. today we are accepting a author tear sis eupl in russia and china. the current administration like the one before it is not only tolerating these through countries but we have outsourced some of our foreign policies to them. some of the worst elements in the interes international system like iran and corey arrunning free and acting with impunity. jenna: what do you think what gordon has to say? is there enough difference between this administration and what the g.o.p. is offering here at the convention? >> what reagan realized in his first time in 1980 when he what's elected, he first had to fix the economy. he took four years. the economy was in much worse shape in 1979 than it was today. once he turned that around then he could go about defeating the soviet union and winning the cold war without firing a shot. if you don't have any leverage you've got to go get it. what reagan understood is we didn't have the leverage, we had to go get it. hopefully that is what governor

romney understands. jenna: do you feel like he does, do you feel that is the message from the rnc, clear enough? >> yeah, yeah, why? he's talking about his choice for vice president, we are going to fix the economy. national security's biggest crisis right now is we don't have an economy where you need to have it. in you don't have a strong economic it's collateral damage. and secondly energy independence. once you have that what happens in the middle east it's far less critical to what we have today, we won't be beholden to the middle east. jenna: what do you think about the whole conversation coming up again, leading from behind, from the front, from the middle, it's easy to get dizzy. where are we right now, josh and what do you think the messages coming from the rnc and how that fits into the realities of what is happening all over the world today? >> sure, well it's very smart strategies for the romney campaign and the rnc to point back to reagan. in reagan you had a president who had little foreign policy experience but ended up a very

experienced foreign policy president. jimmy carter they said was week and wasn't close enough to allies. leading from behind is a reference to syria and other places. they talk about the idea of american exceptionalism is the big thing in the campaign. barack obama this is every country thinks its exceptional. and the rnc says we have a unique role in the world and we need to be more aggressive and more unilateral and that is a good indication of where it would go if he what's elected president. jenna: we've heard from the administration reasons for not getting more involved. how legitimate is that kreut advertise sis eupl? >> the bottom line here is that the obama administration has mid a concerted effort to work more with multilateral institutions. we saw this in libya, they let the europeans take the lead that with us a clear strategy. they want to work throughout u.n. more, that is their tack take and it's legitimate but we can legitimately say it's had

very mixed results and this is a legitimate kreut sits eupl. it's not clear whether leading from the front would solve the big issues of the day but that's what mitt romney would try if he were elected. >> one point to make though is that the administration said that their actions on iran, iran is the biggest crisis that they are going to face in foreign policy, it's a nuclear iran. they say they managed to isolate iran. 120 nations have represented to teheran to pay court to iran, which is part of the movement which iran thinks it's going to run. the whole notion that their most successful thing is diplomatic sanctions, energy sanctions against iran it shows you that lead from behind doesn't work. 120 nations are going to pay court to a country that we've presumably alienated and isolated. jenna: including the u.n. secretary as well. interesting that kt brings up iran. we got during our show this new report from the nation until atomic energy agency.

this is coming out as the sanctions have happened, and basically the agency is saying, no change, we are not able to look the different areas inside iran, they continued to develop more centrifuges, they are getting closer. that is essentially what the agency is saying. they are getting closer to a nuclear weapon. so this is happening while this whole rnc, dnc is happening as well, and what really could have far greater consequences what is happening overseas. what do you think we should demand of our next leader whoever that is? what should we ask to hear from when it comes to this issue on iran. >> on iran i think we really need to change the game because sanctions haven't worked up to now. and from both romney and the president we are going to need to hear what they will do if sanctions don't work. you know, iran is perhaps a year away from the bomb. they've got enough enriched uranium at 20% and they can have maybe about six months they'll be able to have enough 90% uranium for an actual device. they actually have the device

itself, we know this from a number of sources and so essentially we are at a point where we can't defer this discussion any more and we need to get beyond generalities and we haven't done that. jenna: one of the things that i want to put in perspective you talk about 20% uranium enrichment getting to 30 percent is the hardest part. getting to the 90% which means you have a weapon is easier. i want the viewers to know that this is significant, even though it's oh, 20% it doesn't sound like a big deal. this issue could really come to a head before the election? >> sure, let's go back and remember that four years ago at the democratic national convention candidate barack obama promised to lend an outstretched hand to countries like iran hoping they would unclench their fist. here we are four years later it doesn't seem to have happened. the obama administration resisted sanctions, implemented them slowly, is engaged in a long negotiations process, doesn't seem to be working. the bottom line is iran is

building a nuclear weapon, the pace is accelerating, that's a fact and what mitt romney is promising to do here is cut off negotiations, take a stronger stance, tighten up sanctions and start the:00 ticking and what would be a very costly and difficult and risky complication in the hopes that would convince iran to change its tactics. nothing has worked so far. jenna: if nothing has worked so far are you suggesting that either campaign seriously threatens war at this point? i mean what comes next? >> here is the thing, we are now getting ourselves into the position because we'll either bomb iran or let iran get the bomb. both disastrous ways to go. i think there is a third option which is what reagan would have done, economic warfare. crash that iranian economy. real, serious severe sanctions which put the iranian economy so on its knees that the iranian people did what they did in 2009 go back in the streets and demand a regime change. jenna: there are all those waivers in places like china,

for example so that the economy in iran is still open at this time. gordon, josh and kt interesting conversation. we look forward to having you all back. thank you for the time. >> thank you,. >> thank you,. >> thank you. jon: plenty of bad news has come from isaac the hurricane turned tropical storm. could it bring good news to farmers struggling under the worst drought conditions in half a century in this country? will the rains from tropical storm isaac be enough to save the harvest? also, a live look at the convention floor in tampa. governor mitt romney getting ready to come out for a walk-through ahead of his very important speech tonight. we are your election headquarters, we'll have it for you ahead. [ male announcer ] this is anna, her long day teaching the perfect swing begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye.

jon: right now top box storm isaac is crawling across the gulf threatening to drop nearly

30 inches of rain in some parts. that is creating all kinds of misery for thousands of people. but it could provide relief to struggling farmers in the midwest suffering under the worst drought in more than 50 years. crops have been destroyed. all americans are going to be paying the price, as everything from beef to serial goe certificate cereal goes up. take a look at the map showing drought conditions before isaac, the maroon and red areas indicate areas of severe drought. here ace projection over the next five days of some of the rainfall amounts. is it enough? is it too late? joining us on the known, brian f u.k. es, a climb ma toll gist from the national drought mitigation significant tere. what about it, brian, tropics like corn and soybean in the midwest are gone aren't they. >> for the agriculture season this year the corn crop is

done. any additional rain isn't going to help with that yield at all. some of the later planted soybeans that are filling some pods right now may get benefit from this rain if it does come to them, and then of course there is the idea that you could get too much rain during this one event that you don't want to start flooding some of these fields out. jon: all right. too much rain. is it the case that the ground that is so dry is going to have trouble soaking up the amount of rain that is coming? >> yeah, typically in a drought situation that ground gets a crusted layer that really gets rigid, and over time rain will start breaking that down and you'll get better infiltration. you do have cracks in the soil which will help bring that water down into the deeper depths of the soil. but it does take a little bit of time for the crusted layer to break up, and to get a little bit better infiltration. jon: the farmers and ranchers will welcome some rain, but too much could be 0 just as ba just

as bad news as we're seeing down along the gulf coast. >> we are kind of in one of those in between periods where the crop is finishing up and many producers are thinking about harvest and you don't want to have muddy conditions that they'll have to wait for some of the areas to dry out. i think with the dryness we've seen through much of the midwest that if they do get anywhere from these 4 to 5-inch rain projections i think the ground will handle it quite well. i don't think we'll have issues. now if we get upwards of 7, 8, maybe 9 inches over an area, then you start coming into a period where you may see some flooding, you may see some impacts to fields and that. it's a fine line of what is enough and what is too much. jon: all right. brian f u.k. es from the national drought mit gays center. thank you for the information. >> thank you. jenna: we've talked quite a bit and on this show today that the new republican vice-presidental nominee has been creating a big stir last night with the passionate speech. but he's also spawned a little

bit of a cottage industry if you will, the hot merchandise at the convention related to paul ryan. jon: hum? jenna: what is it? next. >> hello, everybody. thank you. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle --

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jenna: under we are heading into labor day weekend, but have you thought about your halloween costume yet. megyn: i have not. but i'm a vampire every year we do for those of you who need a more creative idea, this really caught our attention on the convention floor. apparently, paul ryan masks are very big this year. i've got very little time was spent thinking, will i be a mask sunday? but there he