please remember, the spin stops here because we are always, always looking out for you. is this the spin now or later? >> monica: tonight, major news out of iowa and a brand-new poll shows that the former [speaking spanish] er of the house, newt gingrich has slipped to third place. good evening, everybody. i'm monica crowley in for sean. the survey is from rasmussen and has mitt romney in iowa with 25%. ron paul in second, with 20% and newt gingrich down to third with 17%. >> in just a moment, i will be

joined by congresswoman bachmann, over the past 24 hourings, reports have circulated that she was asked to bow out of the race by an influential leader in iowa, who announced his support for rick santorum's campaign, just yesterday. joining me to respond to that and more is minnesota congresswoman and presidential candidate, michele bachmann. always great to see you. >> good to see you, monica. it's great to be with you tonight. >> monica: likewise. let's start with iowa. we are less than two weeks away, this is a state where you are a favorite daughter. you were born there and you won the ames straw poll in august. you are in the process of visiting all 99 counties. but the most recent polling has you with support between 7 and 10%. what do you need to do between now and january 3 to either win, place or show there? >> well, the polls are all over the place. another poll came out today that has me alt15%.

so it's a wild fluctuation. what we are seeing on the ground is absolutely amazing. we had our last debate in sioux city, a fox debate. it was a fantastic debate. after that, it's like a light switch went off in iowa. we started our 99-county tour, we are more than 50 counties into this tour now and people are electric. they have made a big change now. we have had over 1500 new supporters come on board just in the last couple of days. people are making their decisions and they are seeing that i am the one true proven, tested conservative in this race. a lot of people are coming back to their first love, the person they support in the straw poll. we think a lot of people are going to be very surprised on january 3. >> monica: i know you would like to win iowa, but what would you consider a good outcome? >> well, i think we are going to show very well. again, 50% of the people in iowa are still undecided. we are seeing that when we go to the counties, we are the only

one doing a 99-county tour. when we go to the counties, people are making up their minds and they are choosing me. it's overwhelming. so we are extremely excited. a lot of energy on the ground. iowa is a person-to-person state. so we are thrilled with the response. >> monica: let me ask you about there very odd story, this prominant iowa conservative who apparently is very influential among the evangelical crowd in iowa, called to ask to you drop out of the race and back rick santorum, whom he is now backing. what was that about? >> well, it's odd because there has never been a time when i have been below rick santorum in the polls, so it's odd to ask me to drop out. after all, i am the one who won the straw poll. we have enormous response across the state. i have the strongest support among the evangelical community. i have the former family leader council head for me, the head of

concerned women for america for me, over 100 pastors, evangelical pastors and last week, the pastors within on a big caravan tour across iowa. so i have very solid evangelical support. we anticipate that will also help quite a bit on january 3. as a matter of fact, i am at knoll ridge park church in cedar rapids, giving me testimony tonight. i came to know jesus christ when i was 16. i will be giving my testimony. i am excited to have the support of pastors across iowa. >> monica: it struck me as so odd when i heard about this story, congresswoman. i wonder, why did he single you out? why didn't he ask one of the men to drop out? >> well, good question. i guess you would have to ask him why that was. but again, i think when you look at viability and electability, i am the one most likely to be elected to defeat barack obama as a republican nominee. if you look at the debates last

thursday night, i took on ron paul n. that debate, it was very clear that ron paul would make a very dangerous president because of his foreign policy. and i think we need to have a candidate who can go toe to toe with barack obama. i have proved that, that can i do that, whether it's on foreign policy or on economic policy. i am able to do that because of my background on the intelligence committee and my background as a federal tax lawyer and as someone who started a successful company. i know what the economy needs now with job creation. and i have proven that what diwith ron paul in the debate, i will do with barack obama on the stage. and i will defeat him and then we will finally get the country back on the right track. >> monica: god knows, we need that, sooner rather than later. you mention president obama. there was a poll released by "usa today" and gallup that showed that more americans, more than ever in recent times are dissatisfied with their political leadership and very concerned about the direction of

the country. how do you then take that dissatisfaction and turn it into a positive, both for your campaign and for the country? >> well, i think that's simple. it's also a great question. if you look at 1980, that's when the world needed top leadership. we had that in ronald reagan. we needed someone who wasn't a moderate to go against jimmy carter. we needed a bold, disimpghtive conservative. everyone said ronald reagan was too conservative. he was exactly what we needed. also across the world, we had a margaret thatcher, the iron lady who brought about conservative policies and helped to turn around england's economy. i think we need an american margaret thatcher, an american iron lady. i am presenting myself as that candidate to be a very strong, resolute woman who will stand up for our country. i know exactly what needs to be done. i will do it. i will repeal obamacare. i will repeal dodd/frank and put

in place a pro-growth tax code. as a former tax lawyer, i know exactly what to do with that. i am looking forward to being america's next, hopefully, margaret thatcher. >> monica: there are a lot of negative ads, newt hitting mitt and ron paul mitt hitting everybody, apparently. have you focused on running a very positive campaign and very strong in the debate. you have hit romny and gingrich on policy. but your whole campaign has had a very positive note to it. given the fact that negative campaigning really does work, and we are seeing it in newt gingrich's numbers starting to slide because he's getting hit, do you regret staying positive and not going negative? >> you know, i think, again, the best way to campaign in iowa is person to person. we are working extremely hard. we are hitting 10 different counties every single day. that's very ambitious. i got up at 4:45 this morning.

i will be going until 11:00 at night because we have a positive message to take to iowans. they want to have a president who is going to stand up for them. i am an iowan. we need a lot more of an iowa voice in the white house, than a washington, d.c. insider. i am not a washington, d.c. inside establishment politician. i never want to be. i'm a real person who has lived a real life. and that's what i want to take to the white house. those voices of people here in iowa, the people who have poured their love and heart into me, i want to take a real-people voice to the white house. and that's what i will do. >> monica: congresswoman, best of luck to you. we will be watching. merry christmas to you and your family. >> merry christmas to you and all the viewers on "hannity"'s show. >> monica: coming up, things are starting to get ugly as we inch toward the iowa caucuses. why newt gingrich is accusing mitt romney of cooperating with the super pac.

later, sean sits down with the quarterback of the denver broncos. wait until you hear what tim tebow has to say about his toughest critics. [ dr. banholzer ] every once in awhile there's a moment where everything comes together. where there's magic. and you now understand what nature's been hiding. ♪ at dow we understand the difference between innovation and invention. invention is important. it's the beginning. it's the spark.

but innovation is where we actually create value for dow, for society, and for the world. ♪ at dow, we're constantly searching for how to use our fundamental knowledge of chemistry to solve these difficult problems. science is definitive. there is a right answer out there. [ male announcer ] the same 117 elements do the fundamental work of chemistry. ♪ the difference, the one element that is the catalyst for innovation, the one element that changes everything is the human element. ♪ lord of the carry-on. sovereign of the security line. you never take an upgrade for granted. and you rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay th mid-size price.

i deserve this. [ male announcer ] you do, business pro. you do. go national. go like a pro. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then get lunesta for $0 at lunesta.com.

there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. >> monica: well, there is a war of words brewing between two g.o.p. presidential hopefuls. newt gingrich is demanding that mitt romney tell the super pac to restore our future to stop running negative ads. good luck with that. here's a look at one of their

videos. >> you know what makes barack obama happy? newt gingrichee baggage? he has more baggage than the airlines. fannie and freddie caused the collapse and newt gingrich cashed in. he was paid $1.6 million. >> monica: the super pac responsible for that ad, supporting mitt romney, is run by former top political aides to the governor. early or today, mitt romney responded to newt's charge on fox & friends. >> there are limits to what you can tell a pac, obviously. you are not allowed to coordinate. i am sure i could say, please, don't do anything negative. but this is politics. and if you can't stand the heat in this little kitchen, wait until the obama hell's kitchen turns up the heat. look, this is a time we have to be able to stand up and defend ourselves. i have done the hard work of raising money for ads. the speaker came after me, pretty aggressively in his attacks. we're going to respond. we have an ad campaign and my

campaign that's positive. but this super pac that may be organized has to do what it does on an uncoordinated basis. >> joining me are ed rollins and jenna juice noel. ed, you have been in this business a long time, politics ain't bean bag, especially at the presidential level. come on! this is how it's done. >> and the architect of those ads, of that super pac is the best in the business, my number-1 choice. romney beat up everybody last time. he had a field day. he beat up everybody and then, we beat him up. so, you know, it's part of the game. newt's problem is he got to the top of the heap here without any money or organization. so he doesn't have the money to respond and he wants to run a quote, above-board, positive campaign. and you know, he's not answering his own charges. >> monica: that only goes so far. we hear this every couple of years. we hear the american public

doesn't want to see negative ads. but you know what? they work. we are seeing it with newt gingrich's numbers coming down because he has been the punching bag. >> absolutely. it's a clean way for the candidates to be removed. when a pac gets involved, underneath the bad advertising, it says paid for by club for growth. paid for by my dog does a better job than barack obama. whatever they want it to stay. >> equally important, this is newt's record. they are letting people know, this is the new newt, but there is an old newt. >> >> monica: they are big boys and i think the brawl is good and i think romney has a very good point here. if you can't take it now from folks on your side, you are not going to be at all prepared for what barack obama has. >> what did newt think? he was going to be able to have tiddlywinks all the way through here? that they were going to be miss

congeniality? everybody is fighting to be the g.o.p. nominee. it's going to be a little dirty. before i decide who i want to vote for, i want to know what their baggage is. how they voted. >> monica: in other words, vetted. >> go ahead and get it out. >> monica: the press protected barack obama. none of his baggage. and by the way, go into the election, nobody has more baggage than barack obama. so while we are focused on newt's baggage from the 90s or what romney has to say about health care, keep the focus on barack obama. >> we will. whoever is our nominee -- and i don't want to make an assumption at this point in time, they will be in a knock-down, drag-out war. this is the pretraining. obviously, there is a lot at stake. newt has been around the game a long time. he has had tough people around him. but he decidings he doesn't want to do it the way everybody else does it. >> if newt had the money, newt is smart. he knows how to attack.

newt would be doing counter attacks and there would be a pac, probably organized doing those attacks to go against the ads that the other pac had that was going against newt. so he's smart. i don't believe what he is saying is authentic. i think if he had the money, he would be doing it. and if he doesn't have the money, but he could announce, he could have a press conference. he could do this stuff for free and put something on the internet. he could fight back and defend his record. >> he is smart. he did very well in the debates. and the debates are not it. at the end of the day, we are not going to have three-hour debates. no president's going to agree to that. he has moved to the top of the pack by being smart. now we will see how tough he is. >> monica: a lot of people say, a bruising primary hurts the candidates going into the general. i completely disagree. hillary versus barack, that was the bloodiest, the clinton machine -- come on! barack obama emerged a much

tougher, stronger candidate in the general. >> do you think that the g.o.p. nominee, going against obama -- do you think it's going to be a bed of roses? $1 billion, right? and these guys know how it play the blood sport. >> it can't be with $1 billion make him a good president. >> monica: amen! >> they can make an unacceptable alternative. have you to answer the questions. newt's refused to do that. he's going to try, but he doesn't have the organization? whee when we say $1 billion, i'm a national fund-raiser, this isn't just going to the campaign, it is spread out with spl pacs -- >> unions, dnc. >> monica: people say $1 billion, each candidate has to raise $1 billion. this is spread out among pacs and this is where the negative ads and the blast ads, which do work, come out. >> monica: finally, quickly, predictions for iowa?

>> you know, i think paul is well positioned to win this thing, but i think romney is holding his own. i think romney-- if ron paul wins, then what? doesn't new hampshire? >> iowa doesn't matter. at the end of the day, iowa doesn't matter. >> monica: start from scratch in new hampshire? >> i agree. but i think that romney is going to push forward. >> high could. >> monica: win iowa? all right. you heard it hire, first -- you heard it here first. >> they have done it in the past. >> monica: thank you. >> pleasure. >> monica: coming up, house speaker gown boehner says republicans are in d.c. and ready to hammer out a deal to extend the payroll tax holiday. but senate democrats are refusing to negotiate because, well, they're on vacation. we will break all of that down, all the gridlock on capitol hill, coming up next. later, sean sits down with the most talked-about athlete in all most talked-about athlete in all of america, the one and only tim [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation,

so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, i have copd. if you have it, you know how hard it can be to breathe and what that fes like copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms... ...by keepinmy airways open... ...a full 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintence treatment that does both. and it's eroid-free. spiriva doesot replace fast-acting inlers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate.

these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens,... ...your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain,... ...or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps meeathing with copd is no small thing. ask your doctor about spiriva. [ male announcer ] you never know when a moment might turn into something more. and when it does men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's right. ♪ [ man ] tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain

as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. [ man ] do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com.

>> at this hour, the future is very much uncertain for the payroll tax holiday, thanks to a deadlock on capitol hill between republicans and democrats. the senate has pass aid two-month extension on the

holiday, as house republicans are not satisfied with that temporary fix. they want the democrats to come back to washington to negotiate a long-term solution. and this morning, house speaker john boehner had a message for his democrat countparts. >> we are here. we are ready to go to work. we are hoping that the senate democrats will point negotiators and come to the table and resolve these differences itch the democrats, however, do not appear to be interested in negotiating. instead, they are grandstanding and playing politics as usual. >> it's christmas time. kids are hanging their socks all over the world. and they're all getting up and hoping there will be something in that sock on christmas day. and the republicans have something to put in it. they have a lump of coal. they going to say to 160 million people, we are going to boost your taxes. here's your christmas gift.

right? >> congressman mcdermott -- please! joining me in the studio with the reaction are charles gasparino and project 21 fellow, jeanine berely. here we are, we have another congressional hot mess on our hands. short term payroll tax holiday, two months, another band-aid without social security reform. okay? that seems to be the missing element, it's absurd. we had the house republicans pass a one-year extension. democrat senate couldn't get it done. they are doing another band-aid. democrat senate has left town. today, the president of the united states was christmas shopping at best buy. the republicans now in the house have said, come back, let's renegotiate and try to get a one-year-long extension because it's anything this economy needs certainty. where are we? >> this isn't just daytime drama all the time. but you know something is up when you have obama, reid and

pilosey, pushing for tax cuts. there is something up with that. as you mentioned, it's political. but look beyond the headlines. what exactly is going on with this payroll tax cut? it's temporary. it's only for two months. that's what the democrats are pushing for. so whether it's two months or a year, it's not enough time to turn our economy around and certainly not enough time for employers to hire. >> isn't that the key? that the democrats for the most part, through the last couple of years, have put together this crazy patchwork, this crazy quilt of policies, none of which have introduced any certainty into the economy at all? >> right. they are winning this baths. that's the irony and the sort of hilarity and just -- it's pretty disgusting to see that guy up there with the stocking and everything, they are winning this when in fact, they have been the obstructionists in implementing sensible tax policy that the bipartisan commission -- obama's own

bipartisan commission. they are winning this because the republicans shouldn't be in this argument. any way you cut it, this is a temporary tax cut. who cares! give it the two months. by the way, we are not going to have structural reform to the budget. we are not going to have that until we have an election that gets a new president. they should just worry about fighting that battle in 2012 and not getting stuck in the mud with this. when you get roll in the mud, you are not going to come out clean. >> isn't that the republicans that they have boxed themselves into a corner and now they have a mess. when i look at this, i think the only way or the best way out for the republicans is to say, okay, we are going to pass a dleen one-year extension with no strings attached and you force the democrats to vote up or down on that bill, which is really the only workable extension. you can't do a two-month extension and make it happen in a realistic way. you do the only workable extension and force the democrats to get on the record,

up or down. >> you are absolutely right. but if the in thees are really concerned about the middle class, what about the war on fossil fuels? low and fixed-income households with the epa regulations killing the coal facilities, it is going to drive up electricity prices, upwards in double digits. we are talking a loss of jobs and people are squeezed with high food prices, energy prices. >> not to mention that the pipeline that they should be building yesterday that produces the jobs. but the robberies have to get out from under this. this is killing them. you look at polls, bizarrely, people think that obama's stronger on taxes. >> obam's going up -- >> i don't get it. >> monica: thmakes no sense, he's christmas shopping and do nothing. >> he wants to raise taxes-- let me ask you, though. this is the beauty, if the republicans pass a clean, 12-month payroll tax extension, they will force the democrats to

have to do a separate bill for the entitlement, unemployment insurance and the republicans can add their own riders and the keystone pipeline and add reforms on unemployment benefits and go to town and force the democrats -- >> why are you trusting them to do the smart thing? >> monica: i'm trying to help them out here. >> i know some of these guys. i am not criticizing. but this is a dopey argument to be involved in. just pass it. give them the extension. and get out from under it. the last thing you want-- the wall street journal said, oppose it with a real plan. here's what we want. they didn't. they just put their hands up and looked -- they looked obstructionists. >> is this the hill they should be dying on? >> they need to make, get a plan, stick to it and enforce the vote. absolutely. we have the harry reid leadership, as well, no budget in over 900 days. what makes them think they are going to do something with the

two-month extension? it's media talk? the fact that the republicans have painted themselves into the corner when they have had the advantage going into this fight -- >> right. republicans were lower in polling than even obama. mr. tax and spend himself. this is unprecedented. >> monica: exactly. it's beyond stupid. beyond stupid. they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity,s republicans. but we have given them their way out. you pass a clean, 12-month extension and force the democrats to vote up or down on that. take that to the bank. i don't trust them to do t. great to see you, merry christmas. thanks, guys. now that tim tebow is a super star nfl quarterback, what's his secret to resisting the many temptations thrown at him? the answer to that and much more in sean's one-on-one interview with the game's most talked

>> star quarterback for the denver broncos, tim tebow, has helped to lead his team to a prime position to make the playoffs for the first time in six years. and he's been creating a lot of buzz, both on and off the field. boomer esiason and i talked about tebow last night on this program. in his book, "through my eyes," tebow talks about how his faith and conservative upbringing shaped him into the man he is today. sean sat down with him before the kickoff of the season to

discuss his book, his christianity, his critics and much more. >> how are you? >> doing great. thank you for having me on. >> manuknow what is funnyue are growing up two older brothers? >> i do. >> they were older than you, you wanted to lift weight whses you were four?! four years old? >> they were into football and lifting and training. as i tell in the book, i wanted to be like them. so if lifting weights was going to make you better, i wanted to keep up with my brothers, i wanted to do whatever it took. >> i think you could take your brother now. am i right? >> i think so. i don't know that he wants to go at it. >> i had three older sisters and they beat the living daylights out of me. >> you can take 'em now? >> barely. >> what if they gang up on you? >> they could. you know what's amazing, a lot of guys in your profession, you know what? they got girls waiting at the gates, at the hotels, all of this stuff. you grew up in a error religious

fam le, you worked on a farm. you want on missionary trips to the philippines as a missionary. you prayed up until the minute you chose florida, where was the right place for to you be and where you should go. you did this all at a young age. what is the difference -- you see what's going on in football? >> you have definitely done your research. but i think for me,ins i was a young boy, my dad told me, he said, with a football player, you will be blessed with a platform. when have you success, people are going to be look up to you. they do with my success at florida and being a first-round draft pick to the broncos, i am blessed with a platform. i believe more than a platform, it's a responsibility and obligation to be a great role model, to set a great example because it's one thing to score touchdowns and win trophies and championships, but at the end. day, that doesn't matter. if you can affect people, change lives, be someone that a mom or

dad can look to their son and say, that's how you need to handle it. that's my goal. that's how i would define my life as having success. if i can be a good role model, like i had in danny wuerffel. >> christians are -- you have a touching story about becoming a christian. your dad, a minister, he was fine with it. you went to your mom and she prayed with you. there is a lotted of temptation in this world. especially with you in the public eye and you are a rock star athlete like you are, you know, not everybody has your strength or your faith to guide you through that. have you thought through how you are going to deal with all of that? >> absolutely. there is going to be a lot of temptation. the longer this goes on with football and everything and being in the spot, you will have more and more temptation.

i think the number-1 way you handle that is having a strong faith and at aking in at aking d and having a great support staff and having friends that keep you accountable, having, you know, just everyone in my family, to having, every one that is involved, my agents, everything, to getting the support staff that will keep me accountable and make sure i am doing the right thing. >> how do your fellow athletes respond to your outspoken faith, christianity, hey, we are role models -- some athletes reject the idea -- i'm not a role model. >> i think they respect me. but it is not necessarily for that. they know how passionate i am about football. they know how much work i put into it. i am the first one there and the last one to leave and they know i care about them. i think they respect me for that. then they see my actions and then, you know, i think once they have seen my actions and respect me for that, they are more likely to listen to me and

hear what i am saying. >> have you experienced guys maybe watched you and wondered and then they near trouble, probably you are one of the first guys they would turn to? >> absolutely. there is no doubt about it. that's the thing. so many people think it's about what have you to say. it's not what you have to say, it's your actions and what do you every day. when they look at you and they see, okay, he's for real. then they come to you and talk, that's the greatest way. >> as opposed to talk show hosts who are all big mouths -- no, i'm kidding. interesting the controversy, you discuss this in the book, the super bowl ad you did with focus on the family. and people were projecting what they thought it was going to be, it wasn't anything what they thought. you did this, why? what was the outcome of that? >> diit because i have a very special relationship with my mom. a lotted of doctors told her that she needed to give up on me, she -- >> they said she needed to abort

you. >> they d. she believed in me and that god had a plan for my life, even when they were saying, i might just be a tumor and she believed and she had the courage and it was an opportunity to publicly thank her and also do something to celebrate life. it wasn't being judgmental -- >> didn't they say that you were going -- she was going to die if she continued to carry you. >> she had a high chance. >> and what was interesting, after you were born, apparently, doctor said it was a bit of a miracle because there was so little of the placenta nourishing you. >> i was malnourished when i was born. my parents asked everyone to pray. you know, i caught up pretty quickly. >> it looks like it. your brother was resenting every bit of it. what are your future plans? what are you doing from here? >> i have several goals. my dream is to have a little bit to be a quarterback in the nfl. i am working extremely hard to do that.

i started a tim tebow foundation. our goal is to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. that's my goal. >> helping with the family orphanage. >> i definitely am. we are supporting over 600 orfan, building a hospital in the philippines. we got several timmy's playrooms, we are trying to make a difference because i want my legacy to be with the kids that i impacted, not on the conseco l fields i played o. you are a great american. god bless you. >> monica: is another tebow miracle in the offing? we will see. we will watch tim tebow this weekend when the broncos head to chilly buffalo, new york, and take on the bills. next, "hannity" rolls on with [ male announcer ] the more you lose, the more you lose,

because for every two pounds you lose through diet and exercise, alli can help you lose one more by blocking some of the fat you eat. let's fight fat with alli. ♪

>> monica: tonight, on our great american panel, the president and executive director of the new york civil rights collation, michael meyers is here. she is the news editor for townhall.com and a contributing editor, kate pavlich. and he is a country music legend, larry gatlin also joins us. >> ninety two great, great, great. >> the three of you. let's start with newt gingrich, on the campaign trail today in iowa. and he got heckled by some up on

protesters. what they are screaming, the first thing they screamed was mike check, mike check, which gives away the game, which tells you they are up on protesters. and thi start screaming put people first. which i don't know what that means. and then newt gingrich comes back and he says, right there, he basically puts them straight. he said what you saw there was 1/10 of 1%, this is want representative of america. icate, your thoughts on newt gingrich getting heckled and will a lot of g.o.p. candidates be facing the same thing? >> they will. this goes to show that up on is not serious in debating. they are not willing to respect people's first amendment rights and they are willing to shut down debate. and going into the election, let's not forget, the left is very good at repackaging themselves. the up on movement is an off shoot of the leftists. remember, 2008, they were going to bomb the rnc convention. going into the election, we have to be careful of who they are

negotiate associating with. and some of them are bill ayers. >> monica: is this going to be, the professional left is heckling the g.o.p. candidates? and will they be heckling bam bamg? >> probably so-- you think so? >> i had a problem with the hecklers. but i have a different take on this because it seems like, coming around for what goes around comes around. newt gingrich has been heckling. he's been heckling the wall streeters, calling them dirty people who need baths-- and the problem with that is what -- >> wait a minute. let me make my point. he's heckling judge who is can't answer him back. just a second. he's heckling judge who is can't answer him back. he's threatening judges with subpoenaing them. you can imagine if in the supreme court, decisions that congress, which caused a massive

resistance, was to bring the judges before the congress? this is -- this is heckling. this is heckling. -- doesn't it, larry, doesn't it actually help newt gingrich to be heckled by the far left? it isn't a question of how they handle it when it does happen to them. i thought newt did brilliantly. >> you are defined by your opposition. you know the song, don't tug on super man's cape? don't mess around the lone ranger? and don't try to heckle newt. >> monica: you are going to lose that argument. let's have a respectable debate without interruption. let's do t. it is clear that as we go into 2012, the occupy wall street protesters are not interested in a serious debate about the real issues. >> monica: michael -- >> he's a serious debater. >> he is not. >> monica: michael, you can disagree with him on the issues -- >> i want to disagree with him on the issues. >> monica: he is a profound conservative thinker.

>> oh, please. >> monica: if you going to enter -- >> he's -- newt gingrich is a self-promoter. he's selling books or whatever else he's doing? they are politicians, barack obama is the self promoter of all time. >> i'm not saying that barack obama is not a self promoter. you vote for the person who is the flip or the flop. i mean, you know who the flip and you know who is the flop. >> talk about that? i am not running for anything. but you know-- quickly. >> professor, i would say if and when newt runs behind supreme court judges and starts doing that -- >> that's what he is doing now because they can't talk back as judges. that takes the constitution and put its on its head. >> monica: newt gingrich has ideas in the public, in the media. but he has never gone into a speech given by a judge or a supreme court justice and ruined

his speech or interrupted them. >> monica: i can see a lot more of this. and the text will be how the candidates handle the situations like that. please stand by, we have more with the great american panel, right after the break. sit

>> monica: we continue with our great american panel. okay, let's turn our attention to iowa. a ron paul is leading or in second place, behind mitt romney. but what he is saying today is that if he wins in iowa, it's going to give him momentum going into new hampshire and he could win new hampshire. sounds like howard dean's infamous and we are going to ark saw and florida -- yee-ha! i find it hard to believe that if he wins iowa he can win new hampshire. >> it's not iowa. if he wins iowa, he will get to go to face the nation. he is not going anywhere. this is his last hurrah. i used to think that obama had a yee-hatrip. these peopler a vanity campaign. you know? this guy talks about he's an isolationist. you cannot be an isolationist in a 21st century global economy. we have military alliances and

treaty obligations. we have trade agreements. we can't be isolationists. i say he's on his last huraw and goodbye. >> monica: you know what? that's the thing, ron paul is very good at explaining what led to the financial crisis. i think he's excellent on the fed. he talks about cutting spending and reining in government. i agree with him on all of that, but he has a lot of baggage. he is way out there on 9/11. all of these newsletters in the past years with his name on it that are anti-semitic and he rejects american super power. you cannot have a commander in chief in the 21st century that rejects american super power. >> he might win iowa. we should take that into serious consideration, people said he couldn't. if he thinks chi win new hampshire, his supporters sure do. but going off what you said, people want to hear about the economy and what have seen with the newt versus romney stuff, people want to hear solutions and ron paul's presenting

economic solutions, which is what people are really concerned about. >> monica: what do you think about ron paul, larry you? are out there in the countryside? he has rabid fans. >> if this... if that... if worm his pistols, birds wouldn't eat them. but there wasn't a lot in there, that's my favorite novel, about foreign policy. with all due respect, you hate to say naive, you know, about someone who is actually running for the presidency and is second in the iowa poll. but it's naive. i mean -- what he said -- michael, what he said-- economic policies. >> monica: let me get a quick prediction -- who do you think will prevail in iowa and in new hampshire? >> romney in new hampshire. gingrich in iowa. >> gingrich in iowa? interesting? >> i am giving iowa to ron paul. i am going on say it now, but

new hampshire definitely to mitt romney. >> monica: ron paul does have strong organization. >> iowans will wake up. wake up! iowa goes to mitt romney, new hampshire goes to mitt romney. and down the road, mitt romney gets the nomination. he's the only serious candidate. >> monica: you have the aura -- >> there are too extremists. >> monica: let's change gears. jimmy carter, our 39th president -- >> speaking of extremists-- sent a condolence note to kim jong un, the successor to kim jong il, the mass murderer/dictator of north korea. jimmy carter send this is condolence note, giving him best wishes for his dictatorship, i guess. is anybody surprised by this? >> my wife/girlfriend is good-- smart man, by the way i. it's complicated when they are one and the same. she said, larry, you must be respectful. however this, man has elevated

dufusness to an art form and giving peanut farmers everywhere a bad name. good lord! i voted for him, believe it or not-- i can't believe you are admitting that on national television. >> that was while i was still snorting cocaine and drinking vodka. when i got sober, i said, i voted for who? excuse me! nobody stopped you. for god's sake, someone should have gone into the voting booth. icate, we are talking about a dictator, kim jong un, the son of the previous dictator, jon diebler, he keeps gulogs running and rations electricity to the point where our satellites show at night, south korea, lit up like a light bulb, china lit up like a light bulb, north korea, totally dark. >> i wonder when we started

tolerating communism? maybe jimmy carter should go live in north korea if he thinks it's a great system. i was hoping now that the dictator's gone, hopefully north korea can transintoigz a freer society. but instead, he is going with the regime and hoping it stays the same. >> monica: this is an opportunity for i'd love to hear from george w. bush, george h.w. bush, this is a moment for risk and opportunity in north korea. >> ex-presidents and current presidents ought to be able to speak up for freedom and individual libertiy and speak against tyranny and against dictatorships. we need clarity, especially in terms of morality and ethics. i am surprised and shocked -- not so surprised about jimmy carter, but he has been extremist for a long time. >> monica: merry christmas. >> happy chanukah, merry christmas. >> monica: yes. that's all of our time. don't forget to check out my web site. you can also follow me