election coverage. see you tomorrow night. >> tonight, senator rick santorum is here. the polls are close and the votes are being counted. this is a nail biter. what does senator santorum think? he will tell you himself in just a few seconds. and hello! it's not 2008. so why is president obama seem to be running against the 2008 g.o.p. vice-presidential candidate, governor sarah palin? and you know governor sarah palin. he will take him on. certainly, she is. we will tell you how. here's a twist. gas prices are climbing skyward is the energy secretary going in reverse? senator john barrasso goes on the record. and we have the latest primary results. bret? >> reporter: we are possibly close to a call in alabama. rick santorum appears to be leading and may be pulling away from newt gingrich and mitt romney in alabama. as you look at the raw vote.

a win for santorum would asad to the momentum of the victory in kansas, 47 delegates are in albammasm we are watching closely, exit polls and raw vote inform mississippi, they are all fighting it out. all three. there are 37 delegateses in mississippi, very tight. loots take a look at the exit polls. nearly half of the voters in alabama says it means it's a great deal that the candidate shares their religious belief. santorum got the highest vote of that group. all were asked, which candidate is most likely to defeat obama. half said romney, santorrum and gingrich split the other half. we will break in for any calls. a full 11:00 p.m. eesh hour and we head back to greta and "on the record." >> right now, candidate for president, rick santorum is here by phone. good evening. we have not called alabama.

tell me your thoughts as the votes are being counted in alabama and mississippi? >> i just want to thank the folk who is were just tremendous results tonight. being the david and goliath figure, going up against the big guys with the big money. we have the best organization. we have the best volunteers. we have the best message to contrast with -- with barack obama. i think that's what people are looking at. they are looking for someone who can go out from and reflect the values that made this country great and take it to barack obama and his failed policies which are outside. they are top-down government run, not bottom-up, which is how america became the greatest country in the history of the world. >> do you find eye suppose there is significance that you are leading in both states. speaker gingrich, who is thought to split the vote with you, i noted that you have asked him to get out of the race, or made comments about it.

tell me your thoughts for him, if he doesn't come in second or even first in these states? >> we had a big win in kansas this weekend. we thought that was a huge bump for us. i have no doubt that we got over 50% of the vote in kansas. that's a big vote. it's very, very clear that outside of speaker gingrich's backyard, we are the candidate that is taking it to mitt romney. we are winning states all over the country. i think the folks here in alabama and mississippi, you know, are seeing that. they want a conservative nominee. i think that's what it is coming down to. they want a conservative nominee. the best way to get that is for us to have a one-on-one opportunity with governor romney. i can't control that. kicontrol going out and delivering the strong, positive message about securing our future. i'm here in lafayette, louisiana, tonight on the gulf coast. you know, we are going to talk about the importance of -- of

making sure hawe drill offshore and we have a president who is doing everything he can to stop energy development in this country and see those price guess higher. we will talk about government controlling lives. that's the message from iowa, through every one of these states. i feel very confident that that message and the fact that we can contrast hurs ourselves -- contrast ourselves on energy and health care, far superior to governor romney. the voters out here know he's not a conservative that you can trust. and -- and frankly wasn't a conservative as governor. they are looking for someone who will take it to barack obama and we can do that. >> he or his super pac is coming after you for a planned parenthood vote. he climb claims that you are not the conservative you allege to be. >> he gave money to planned parenthood. that's pretty funny that he would be attacking me as someone who filled out planned

parenthood surveys with 100%. when you vote on a large budget, there are things that you don't like. if he can attack me, he can attack henry hyde, the father of pro-life movement because he voted for these bills. this is pettiness. these are minutias. going around and denying he did it. governor romney has a problem not only with his policies, but telling the truth about the policies he did and the positions he d. i can understand. he changes his positions a lot so it's hard to keep track. i know what my positions are. i have had them and stood by them. that's what the people in alabama and mississippi like. >> all right, the alabama/mississippi population, different from what is coming up with illinois, wisconsin, maryland. it is more moderate voters than down south. how do you expect to get those

vote there is? because it may be easier sell for you with the evangelical vote in the south, and going to the moderate state, you may have a bigger problem. >> well, we won minnesota, we won colrado and missouri. we are doing very well in missouri. they have a caucus coming up this weekend. we feel very good in those states and the polls in wisconsin have had us leading consistently. we near a dead heat in illinois. we feel like, like i said, key with go to every state and take it to governor romney on the issues. we are not going to do personal, petty attacks and talk about things that are -- that are not important to the people of the country. having a leader who can put a team together and can put a campaign together that can take it to barack obama on the issues. and show his policies to be a failure for this country, both here at home and overseas. we draw that stark contrast. that's what we needed in 1980 to

defeat jimmy carter and the malaise he was causing the economy and the degradation of our military in the late 70s. we need that same type of contrast for this election against barack obama. i am the one to provide it. i think that's why you are seeing the results you are seeing tonight. >> how about mony? after kansas, did you see a bump in money? i am sure the people are watching to see who wins tonight? >> well, i am running -- as you know, the money that is being spent here in alabama and mississippi, very little of it is campaign money. almost all of governor rom ne's money is coming from billionaires giving plon tow the super pac. they are outspending us 10-twenty one 1. it is not governor rom no's can pain. it is not much healthier than me. he has gone through $60 or $70 million. we are raising money at a great clip. but it's the super pacs that are dom mating the airwaves. that's fine. what i think -- what i think

happened, you reach a saturation point. i think that happened in alabama and mississippi. we took a dip in those states as the barrage started. but it rings hollow that mitt romney is the conservative in this race. i mean, it's laughable to any conservative that followed what is going on in this country over the past 20 years, and who has been leading the charge on conservative issues like welfare reform and health savings accounts and reform of our entitlement programs. you know, that's rick santorum, not mitt romney. he's been adding intaitlement programs. >> we are waiting to calling the races. but the other issue on the horse race, if you were president tonight, one of the big issues on your plate would be what's going on in afghanistan. especially after the weekend. if you are president, what would you be thinking for afghanistan? >> it would be fundamentally different than president obama. president obama has a political plan, a plan that is based on a

timeline and limited allocation of resources of what is necessary to be able to achieve success. the president's plan is not geared toward success, it's geared toward withdrawal. when you do that, you give the enemy something you can't give the enemy and that's hope. he's given the taliban and those who are working with the taliban hope that the united states is going to leave. when they do leave, that means that they will be there and -- and those in the region, where it's the pakistanis or the others in afghanistan -- recognize that america is not committed itself to being successful. so they are hedging their bets, which make its almost impossible for our men and women in uniform. i would have a completely different strategy in afghanistan and would be successful in that plan. the president's plan is doomed to failure. visaid that from the beginning because he has given a timeline that gives hope -- >> how about -- how about handling the immediate crisis over the weekend?

is there anything you would do? >> well, again, i think it's -- you know, this is a mad man who went out and did horrible things. i am not too sure there is much you can do to fully investigate and prostitute that -- that individual, to the fullest extent of the law. and obviously, express our condolences to those who were affected. this is not a military action. this was a -- a very disturbed individual. and unfortunately, those things can happen. they happened in this instance. >> let me give you a hard jab about something you said today about fox newschannel, saying that we here at fox are schilling for governor romney and on behalf of my staff that has been calling governor romney every day to get him to come back on the air since south carolina, they want to know if you can help him. he won't even do our show. >> gret ayou have been awesome. and sean has been awesome. you know, i was talking fox

news, i wasn't talking your show or sean's show. you have been giving me the availability to get on and i appreciate that and the afternoon shows. but look, i am looking at the news coverage that goes on on the network and the amount of domination of time that the governor romney and he has been on the air. the fact is, we have -- you guys are great at putting me on the air. i am talking about the news shows. look, i am not complaining and whining. that's the reality. we have had to deal with t. our feeling is we have to go out and overcome this. we have overcome a lot and we are doing great. we are on our way to victory and tonight, we are on our way to victory in this election. hopefully, once other folks begin to realize that, we will get the coverage that we deserve. >> if it's any consolation, every day, i get an email, saying we are in favor of governor romney and we are in favor of you and we are in favor of speaker gingrich and ron paul

and we are carrying the water for president obama -- >> greta. >> it can't be all of them. >> no, greta -- you are fair and balanced, absolutely. i will say the same thing about sean. he's been terrific. but we are just -- we call them as we see them. that's what i do. i call them like i see them. >> i imagine the family's happy -- give me some behind the scenes on this? >> we are sitting in the hotel room in lafayette, louisiana. vikaren and five of the kids here. we are going to go out pretty soon and make a few comments and then head to puerto rico tonight. we doll a whole come pain there for a next two days. we are looking forward -- they have a ton of deet delegates and we are making the first stop to puerto rico as the presidential campaign. we did a lot of work, four of the -- when i was in the united states senate, they had some problem there is, hurricane problems and other things, and

we were helping with in the senate. we are looking forward to go down there to monitor the work we did and the times i visited when they were in trouble. >> senator, thank you. we will be watching as the returns come n. we will be calling them soon. good luck to you, sir. >> thanks so much for the opportunity, greta. >> well, it's anybody's game. it is a tight three-way race in alabama and mississippi. alabama governor robert bentley is here. good evening, sir. >> hello, greta. >> what do you make of tonight's vote -- what do you make of the sloat in your state, sir? >> well, you know, it's -- it's -- it's playing out exactly the way i thought it would. i really felt like that senator santorum would win. but i knew it was going to be a very close race. >> now, you voted for senator santorum, is that right, sir? >> i did. i voted for him. i told him last night when iic spoke to him that i was going to vote for him and my wife was

going to vote for him. i did not officially endorse because i think that that can hurt candidates. people in alabama make up their own mind. i don't try to tell people how the to vote. >> that was the curious aspect of t. have you ever endorsed anybody? >> you know -- i really have not. i just don't endorse other candidates because i think eye just don't think that's right. i don't think that people in public office should endorse other candidates. >> all right. i know why you voted for senator santorum. you supported him and he's your candidate. i am curious, why didn't you like the other three? >> well, actually, i mean, we have some good candidates. i think that -- all of them have things to offer. i just feel like, this senator santorum really is more like alabama voters and actually, i

feel like he's more like i am. >> governor, we have to make a quick break because there is breaking election news. let's go to bret baier here in washington. >> reporter: the governor's right. alabama voters did picric rick. fox news can project that rick santorum will win alabama, leaving mitt romney and newt gingrich to battle for second place this. victory for santorum is a major boost for the campaign. he was once expected to finish third in alabama, a state in which he was vastly outspent by mitt romney. santorum's win is a major fwloa gingrich who predicted he would win alabama and mississippi. the former house speaker had been pinning his hopes for the nomination on a strong showing in the south after winning georgia last week and south carolina in january. now, this victory allows santorum to increase his calls for gingrich to drop out of the race, since the former speaker has lost in albabam aa state next to georgia. in mississippi, santorum has a

slight lead at the moment, but gingrich and romney are hot on his heels in mississippi. and the state at this point is too close to call. but the breaking news and you see the numbers in mississippi. the breaking news that rick santorum is now the projected winnener alabama. ooh winnener alabama. winner in alabama. >> robert bentley is rejoining us. governor, should speaker gingrich get out? he got a sizable number of votes in your state and he says he wants to stay in all the way to the convention? >> well, you know, i do think that the conservative vote is being split. but, you know, i think that someone who has started a race, they certainly have a right to stay in to the end if they want to. i am not one to tell someone to get out of the race. but do i want to congratulate senator santorum because difeel like he was going to win.

probably didn't have anything to do with the fact i said i was going to vote for him. but i want to congratulate him. >> why do you think governor romney came in third, 28%, from 35 at the first place, 30% being second. is that a huge loss or not? >> well, i think that most people in alabama feel that -- governor romney is more liberal than the other candidates. however, many of thome feel like that he may have the best chance to get the nomination. so a lotted of times, people will vote for a candidate because they think they he will be the nominee. >> what matters more, do you think? this is reading the tea leaves, the social issues in alabama or the economy? >> the economy by far. right now, the economy is number 1, i think all across this country. in alabama, jobs is number 1.

that's my number-1 issue and that's on the minds of the people of this state. >> i am curious why governor romney wouldn't have been a more attractive candidate than the numbers show because that seems to have been his strength, with many voters? >> you know, i -- i do want to say that i don't hear the candidates talking enough about job creation. you know? as far as specifics are concerned. i would like to hear them say that jobs are number 1. and creating jobs in this country is number 1. and i know they do talk about it. but i don't hear it enough. i think that we need to hear it more from our candidates. >> governor, thank you, sir. it's been an exciting day in your state, of course. thank you, governor. >> thank you very much. >> straight ahead, it feels like a time warp. president obama versus governor sarah palin. it is not 2008, it's a brand-new battle. why is the president taking on the former republican ticket rival? how is governor rapalin fighting

back? we will tell you. and breaking news, we are monitoring it newt newt gingrics campaign headquarters. as soon as the former speaker steps out to speak, we will bring it to you live. [ male announcer this is the network -- a living, breathing intelligence teaching data how to do more for business. [ beeping ] in here, data knows what to do. because the network finds it and tailors it across allhe right points, automating all the right actions... [ beeping ]

...to bring all the right results. it's the at&t network -- doing more with data to help business do more for customers. ♪ that the person you'd grow up to be -- how creative or confident or kind -- was shaped before you lost your first tooth? ♪ the first five years are forever. that's why pnc created grow up great,

a $350 million, multi-year initiative that began in 2004 to help prepare kids from birth to age 5 for school and life.

>> greta: did you happen to see the president obama campaign ad, you might think it's four years ago? the fund-raising video doesn't target the current candidates. its target, 2008 vice-presidential candidate, sarah palin. [music playing] >> barack obama has never been, i think, seen in the conventional traditional way of -- we who would describe a man of valor. and his profession as a community organizer -- what went into his thinking was this philosophy of radicalism. he is bringing us back, sean, to days, you could harken back to days before the civil war. what barack obama seems to want to do is to go back to before the days when we were in different class, based on

income, based on color of skin. >> greta: governor palin has something to say about that. she is taking to faceback to fire back, writing in part...

>> greta: washington examiner, byron york joins us. before we get to this, i want to ask your thoughts about this election night? >> well, you just heard bret baier call alabama for rick santorum. that's a big, big victory for him. it's very, very tight in mississippi. but if santorum were to win both, he has a strong argument for getting the one-on-one showdown with mitt romney that he has been trying to get for weeks. >> greta: should he make a phone call to speaker gingrich? speaker gingrich says he's in to the end and expects it topick up a lot of delegates as the calendar comes forward. >> reporter: the speaker has changed his point of view. he is want talking about winning the delegates to defeat mitt romney. he is saying that he will stay in the race and he has been saying that to anybody who will lich. he is going to stay in the race and his goal is to prevent mitt romney from getting to that 1144 delegate mark that he needs to

clinch the nomination. and then, the speaker said, if he can deny romney that, it will be a jump ball in the summer and there will be a long discussion about who should be the nominee. gingrich's strategy has been about keeping rom flee from getting that number. >> greta: all right. now to the latest obama -- president obama ad, with the target not being the current good o.p. canned days, but the 2008 vice-presidential candidate. why? >> reporter: well, it is a time warp. i think the obama campaign is trying to capitalize a little bit on this television movie on hbo over the weekend, "game change," a very negative portrayal of sarah palin. she is back in the news. she's been speaking out about that and other subjects. and clearly, the message of the obama message is, sarah palin's really bad, please, send us money. this is a fundraidsing tactic on the part of the president.

>> greta: all right. but, yes. that might be more effective, please send us money, she's very bad. but the problem is, she's not running and she doesn't seem to be close to any of the candidates right now? >> reporter: well, it's true. george w. bush is not running either. and if you look at the bigraphicical movie the president has put together, the 17-minute minidocumentary, a lot of that is blaming the former president on the state of the economy. the point is not to run against the candidates, who hasn't been chosen yet for the republican party. but the poign is to point to republican bad guys and just stir up the base. remember, the president is accepting this to his supporters, the people who have given him mop net past and asking them to please give me. >> greta: you know, there is something peculiar, though, about trying to rev up the base, almost scare them about something that is not going to happen and -- and by doing that, you miss the opportunity to tell

them about the things that you have accomplished because he does have a lot of things that he goes out around the country, lazy very proud of and his supporters are proud of. >> reporter: but, i agree that is the difference. and we have been talking for a long time about how the president will likely launch a very, very negative campaign against whoever his republican rival is. but the other part is to connect figures who are unpopular with independents, people like sarah palin, people like george w. bush and rush limbaugh and try too connect them to today's republican party and suggest that barack obama is the only person who is standing between and you those bad people. >> greta: let me look ahead a little bit with you. the next big primary, illinois, maryland and wisconsin. i asked senator santor bum those because people predicted that he would do well in the south. he pointed out that he won minnesota. are these states up for grabs or

not? >> reporter: well, some of them certainly are. you can look at wisconsin. i mean nmichigan, santorum came fairly close in mitt romney's native state n. ohio, he came darn close, in a state close in pennsylvania as well. but still, these big, industrial midwestern states, santorum has shown strength. what will matter is what happens to gingrich. he says he's staying in and is campaigning hard. he has a very full schedule. if the voters continue to see him as a legitimate contender, or does he fall back as we see the emergence of this one-on-one showdown. >> greta: mississippi and alabama are proportional. coming close, you will get almost the person who wins. is this more sort of symbolic to win it or not? >> reporter: well, it is important to win. but gingrich told me last night, he says, worst-case scenario, i

will come out with a third of the delegates. he was right. he will come out with close to a third of the delegates, which keeps him going forward. and denies, again, more delegates to mitt romney. gingrich's campaign has become a completely negative exercise in making sure mitt romney doesn't get to the magic number. >> greta: in the romney campaign, profoundly disappointed or happy they did as well as they did in a southern state? actually, let me stol stop you. we gallon to rick santorum, he is speaking to his supporters in louisiana. let's listen to the senator. [cheers and applause]

>> one more thing and you will all appreciate t. but you know we have to do this for somebody like rick santorum. i heard him talk and he talks kinda funny. [laughter] >> so when i 3rd -- heard that is correct you know, he thinks we talk funny. but that's how it works in south louisiana. so because of that, i decided he deserves the right to be an honorary cajun. so tonight -- thank you. [cheers and applause] >> we did it again. [cheers and applause]

>> thank you all very much. first and foremost, as we continue this campaign and continue to work hard, i just want to thank everybody. i want to thank everybody get this question all the time. what do people say to you when you get a around and you meet all the people, as we have criss crossed this country. and the most common thing i hear from people and i know i am not alone, people come up and say, i'm praying for you. [cheers and applause] >> i just want to thank you for that and to god for giving us the strength every day to come out here and be clear in our message and our vision for this country. that's what this race has been about. people are saying, you are being outspent and everybody's talking about all the math and all the -- all the things that -- that this race is inevitable.

well, for someone who thinks this race is inevitable. he spent a lot of money against me for being inevitable. [cheers and applause] this is a grassroots campaign for president. who would have ever thought in the age of media that we have in this country today, that ordinary folks across this country can defy the odds, day in and day out. i want to thank the people of kansas, over the weekend. we would not be here today, i said when i was in wichita and i know i did really well in wichita because my wife karen spoke at that caucus. but -- [cheers and applause] >> first couple of times i got had thfrom reporterser who doing

interviews with me and karen, it was funny. now it's becoming annoying. they keep testimony telling me, after the afternoon, you should speak less and let karen speak more, you would do better. but she has been an amazing asset to this campaign, but more importantly, she is an amazing gift to me and to these children -- john, daniel, sarah marie and daniel and patrick who are here behind me. this team up here on this stage has just delivered time and time again for me and my life and i just want to thank them again publicly for all they are doing for us. [cheers and applause] >> my daughter elizabeth is in hawaii. tough doubt duty i know. we are counting on her to surprise them out there with the

results tonight. we will see how well my daughter did, thank you, sweetie, for the sacrifice. and of course, i always have to say hell ono too tomy sweetheart, my three and-a-half yearly, bell a. thank you, sweetie. bless you, i love you. this campaign is about horde -- ordinary folks doing extraordinary thing, sort of like america. sort of like america, going out there and exceeding expectations, going out there and defying the odds because we believe in something that is bigger than ourselves. that's what america's always been about. it's not been about self. it's been about serving, it's been about giving and trying to -- do something for someone who needs help more than you do yourself. i looked around and the crowds that we had in alabama and mississippi and i just have to tell you, i was so encouraged,

all the polls are showing us trailing. and they kept coming out and saying we believe in you. we are going to out and work hard and make the difference. so i want to say, first to the people of alabama, you made a great difference tonight. thank thank you very, very much for your support. >> i don't think there was a single poll that had me anywhere close to winning in mississippi. not one. and yet, i knew when i was tramping around -- traveling around, all the way in tupelo and gulf ward, the folks i met and the passion in their heart, they understood how important this race is for themselves and their families and for the future of our country. i end my speech by talk about this declaration of independence and how we have to pledge to

each other our lives, our fortune, our sacred honor, every generation does. but in order to maintain the great freedom, the great torch that has been given every generation of americans -- [cheers and applause] >> and the people of this country, the folks who are out there, who are affected when gas prices go up. the quality of their life is affected with a government that is irresponsible and irresponsive to the needs of average people, particularly when -- when it comes to gas prices in this country. i am here in lafayette, louisiana, tonight... [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] >> i wanted to be here because of them. this is the heart of the

oil & gas industry on the gulf coast. and this administration almost put this town under with the moratoriums, the delays in permitting that are getting worse and worse and worse. and as a result, the ability for the men and women to go out and drill these wells and service these wells to go out and earn an income and more importantly, for them to get that oil and gas into the shore so we can use it here in this country. we are seeing gas prices at what are projected to be historic highs, yet this president almost put this country out of business because of the extreme policies of this administration. we wanted to be here in lafayette to say to average folk who is are struggling right now because of those energy prices, we will put this town and this region back to work so you can

go back to work and have a better quality of life. >> i finally just want to say to the people of mississippi, i just can't think that uncle you enough. i don't know, we have been out here a few minutes. i don't know whether the race is called or not. but i can tell you this, what the folks down there did in spite of all the odd, all the money being spent, all the establishment, all the establishment! being on the other side of this race, you stood with the guy who comes from this grabbedson of a coal miner from a steel mine in western pennsylvania, but you knew shared your values and was going to go out and work for to you make sure that this country was free and safe and prosperous based based on believing in free people and free markets and free

economy, and of course, the integrity of the family and the centrality of faith in our lives. [cheers and applause] >> missouri is next, we did well

in the primary, we hope to do even better in the caucuses this weekend. and next week -- next week, we'll come back here and we expect a huge win here! [cheers and applause] >> we will compete everywhere. we will compete everywhere. the time is now for conservatives to pull together. the time is now to make sure -- to make sure that we have the best chance to win this election and the best chance to win this election is to nominate a conservative to go up against barack obama, who can take him on on every issue! [cheers and applause]

>> if louisiana, missouri, illinois and yes, puerto rico, which we are heading to tonight, i might add -- and we are going to spend two days campaigning in puerto rico because we want to make sure that everybody knows we are campaigning everywhere there are delegates because we are going to win this nomination before that convention! [cheers and applause] if those states do their part, starting right here in louisiana, if you folks do your part and you help us like the folks in alabama and hopefully the folks in mississippi did -- we did? [cheers and applause]

>> you do your job -- you do your job next week. we will nominate a conservative. and if we nominate a conservative of course we will defeat barack obama and set this country back on the right track! thank you! god bless! >> greta: right now, breaking election news, we go to bret baier in washington. >> reporter: fox news can now project that rick santorum will win mississippi. beating both newt gingrich and mitt romney, who are now battling for second place. fox news earlier projected that santorum will win alabama. so this has been a very, very big night, indeed for the former pennsylvania senator. this pair of wins in two deep-south states, which are very conservative, lends

credence to santorum's argument nahe and not gingrich is the primary alternate testify mitt romney for the republican nomination. fox news projecting that rick santorum wins both alabama and mississippi tonight, a huge set of wins for the former pennsylvania senator, as you heard, from his speech, he is on his way to puerto rico and the reason that is is because it's all about delegates. when it comes to delegates, it's an equal split, really. tell come out very close between the two southern states. we don't know how it will go in hawaii. the romney campaign hopes for big totals there. but the momentum win of alabama and mississippi is huge, this fight goes on and sant santorum is claiming the conservative mantle. >> greta: bret, thank you. we are waiting for speaker gingrich in just a moment. but energy secretary stephen chu, is he backpedalling?

in 2008, he said that the u.s. should figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in europe. then, just last week, he essentially did it again, secretary chu said that it is not the overall goal of the energy department. now that's when the storm started and he started to take lots of heat. today, he seemed to change his tune in a senate energy committee hearing. >> are you saying that you no longer share the view we need to boost gasoline prices in america? >> i no longer share that view. >> you did then and don't now. >> when i became the secretary of energy and i became a representative of the u.s. government. i think that right now in this -- in this economic, very slow but -- you know -- return that we need to -- we need to have these prices well -- will affect the comeback of our economy and we are very worried about that. and so, of course, we don't want

the price of gas len to go up. we want it to go down. >> greta: senator john barrasso was there. and the best way to describe that is awkward. >> not just the secretary of energy, but the president has made statements about energy prices going up. the secretary of interior said he would oppose offshore drilling even at $10 a gallon. the policies of this administration have consequences and they are hurting the american people. we are seeing it right now, paying at the pump. >> greta: i suppose the overall goal was not to make the american people pay more, but to change the appetite to wean ourselves off foreign oil and become more self-sufficient and change the way we look at energy. it wasn't like he was trying to make people pay more, but to reshape our appetite? >> well, this is the same secretary of energy who very recently awarded $10 million of taxpayer money for a prize for

what was supposed to be an affordable and efficient light bulb-- but that's chump change compared to solyndra. i will take that -- >> the winner, the light bulb cost $50 a bulb. so the average house -- 40 light bulbs. so $2,000 to change the light bulbs in your house for a more energy-efficient light bulb. people realize what they want is energy security, which they are not getting. and fordable energy, which they are not getting under this administration. >> greta: i am cure yews, the press secretary did not ask secretary chu to dial it back. i would asked a follow-up question, did the president tell the chief of staff to dial it back? i never sort of -- i mean, i can't imagine that the president doesn't want him to dial back what he is saying? >> the president's policies have caused the page panic in the white house because the price of

gas has gone up 30 cents in 30 days and has doubled since barack obama has become president. there are things we can do to lower the cost of gasoline. but the president just on thursday, greta, was on the phone, lobbying the senate to vote against the keystone excel pipeline, to bring oil from canada to the united states, puts 20,000 american workers back to work. the economy -- we have over 8% unemployment and high gas prices and the president is still fighting us working toward american energy security. >> greta: thank you. sorry to cut it short. a lot of news tonight. coming up, are two world leaders giving a new meaning to march madness? david cameron arrives in the united states to meet with president obama. the first order of business -- a basketball game. good idea or tone deaf? breaking news, a big night for rick santorum, fox has called mississippi and alabama for senator santorum.

and we are monitoring newt gingrich's headquarters in alabama. as soon as he comes out, we will bring his speech to you live. last season was the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more suntans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spotn the gulf...

and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie. or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast spes. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small sinesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best tecology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006.

>> greta: john bolton is here. prime minister cameron arrives to march madness in ohio. the president takes the prime minister to a basketball game for to watch. >> you have two leader who is don't care that much about foreign policy, about their respective countries. they wrote an op-ed in the washington post this morning that was embarrassing to read, it was so content-free. i think they're both, for their own domestic political reasons showing that the relationship's good, even though they have very little to talk about? >> greta: id would like them to spend two hours in the oval office. if you near afghanistan, lying in the dirt, you are a british or an american soldier and you find out they are going to a basketball game and not immediately talking foreign policy, especially in light of what happened this weekend, i

wonder whether or not this is tone deaf on both of their part snitches they have the same objective in afghanistan. they will both be delighted to get out as quickly as they can. in iran, they want to negotiate in iran-- that's the message to the troops, though. whatever the policy is, the policy is. but i am talking about the message to send to the troops? >> i think their message is more to their domestic electorates. the president has a reputation for disdaining the british, and so this begins with a quote from winston churchill. it's fine. >> greta: the former speaker to the house -- we are going to go to him now. [country music playing]

>> thank you. thank you for that warm welcome. it's great to be here in birmingham. let me begin by saying how grateful we are to the people of alabama. we have truly enjoyed our time here and are humbled by your overwhelming support and prayers. newt and i are engagedin this race because we believe america is at a crossroads and care deeply about the future of this country. in a few months, we will face the most important election of our lifetime. our only opponent is barack obama and we are committed to removing him from the white house. [cheers and applause] >> over the last week, president obama and the white house seem to have gotten that message. they have stepped up the rhetoric against newt and his plan to maximize american energy

production. yet, it's clear, americans are eager to develop our abundant energy resources. -- that's right. newt is the only candidate with the experience and knowledge necessary to rebuild the america we love. [cheers and applause] he has a successful national record of creating jobs, balancing the budget and reforming our government. today, we need a leader with bold solutions to create a better future for all americans. i believe that leader is my husband. please welcome, former speaker of the house and the next president of the united states, newt gingrich. [cheers and applause]

i'm delighted and congratulate them on the 54th anniversary, it's wonderful to have them here with us, i want to thank michael siamara who helped us put together a campaign here in alabama. it's quite an evening, we'd like to have come in first. i would like to congratulate rick santorum on a great campaign, he's won a victory in both states and worked hard to achieve it. i know how much he's put into this campaign. and he his family, over the last year. and i congratulate him and applause for the evening. i point out because this is representation we're going to leave alabama and mississippi with a substantial number of

delegates increasing our total going towards tampa. we're very grateful to you because you made that outcome tobl. -- possible. with your help we're going to take a bigger delegation than we did yesterday, so thank you, very much, for that. i emphasize going to tampa because one of the things tonight proved is that the elite media's effort to convince the nation that mitt romney is inable just collapsed. the fact is the fact is that in both states conservative candidates got nearly 70% of the vote f you're the front runner, you keep coming in third, you're not much of a front runner.

frankly i do not believe that a massachusetts moderate who created a romney care as a forerunner of obama care is going to be in a position to win any debates this fall. we need someone who can go toe to toe with barack obama and debate him and win debates. now, i will always remember campaigning in mississippi and alabama because it was here in the last week that the issue of gasoline and energy was crystalized. we haven't gotten our message across in terms of getting as many vote