the president and his newest challenger both in iowa today. and the newest gun in town is shooting on all cylinders. >> you need to ask him. [ inaudible ] >> i'm saying you're a good reporter. go ask him. in new hampshire today, mitt romney taking a different tact. >> i believe the president loves america, try to do a good job, i'm afraid he just doesn't understand how the private sector works. and what about rick perry's fighting words for fed chairman ben bernanke? >> if this guy prints more money between now and the election, i don't know what y'all would do to him in iowa, we'd -- we would treat him pretty ugly down in texas. plus, why isn't anyone talking about ron paul?

a close second in iowa but getting in love from the press. >> there's a top tier now of perry and romney and we haven't mentioned and we should -- >> thank you. >> we haven't mentioned and we should rick santorum who did really surprisingly well. >> he didn't get half of what ron paul got. he lost to the guy who lost so bad he dropped out of the race. plus, mr. president, how do you like your tea? >> when you're talking about how is your vice president calling us -- >> sir, sir -- >> i would like to understand that. >> i can explain. >> said we were backed by terrorists. >> a tea party heckler yesterday. good day, i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. the president's sleek new million dollar bus rolled into the tiny town of peosta, iowa,

population under 1500, day two of his campaign style listing tour. he is trying to reconnect with the farmers and small town americans. some of those hardest hit by the recession. you can see the room there where they're waiting for the president to come in very shortly. he's going to be having a town hall meeting there. republican challenger rick perry is meanwhile just 15 mile ace way today in another part of iowa. joining me now perry's fellow governor and successor as chairman of the republican governor's association virginia governor bob mcdonald. it's great to see you today. what are your thoughts so far about the way this is shaping up? rick perry coming out firing all guns and going after ben bernanke. do you think that's the right tone to take? he said that if bernanke comes to texas he says we treat them ugly in texas. some felt it was threatening. what do you think about the tone so far of rick perry's campaign? >> i've known rick perry for a long time. he's a great competitor. he's got the best record in the

country out of the last decade in job creation. he's a limited government conservative. everybody's got to decide what their tone's going to be. i think the broader point governor perry was making is the facical policies of this administration in running up debts and deficits is not good for our country. they're not creating jobs. they've had no plan to create jobs and governor perry has. i think he's going to make that contrast and he'll find his way to communicate that in an effective way to the people. >> but governor, with all due respect that's not the contrast he's making. it's one thing to go after president obama's economic record. all the republicans are doing that. some felt that was a threatening comment, not a respectful comment of the fed and of ben berman key in particular. >> well, i might have said it a little bit differently. listen, governor perry's just brand new in the race. i know he wants to make an impact quickly. and i think focussing on the fiscal policies of this administration that have us $14

trillion in debt heading towards over $20 and having no coherent strategy for a budget that's going to get us out of this $1.5 trillion deficit a year i think is governor perry's broader point. everybody's got to focus on the issues they think are important for america and getting us out of debt is the biggest issue of this campaign. >> the other thing he suggested was that in some ways the president might not love america when asked are you saying with his comments about wanting to be the kind of commander in chief that the military would respect, are you suggesting that the president doesn't love america? he said you'll have to ask him. some people took offense at that. in fact, mitt romney was asked about that, he said he wouldn't say that, would criticize the job's job creation record or lack of job creation record from his perspective. he would not take the harder edge that rick perry is taking on the patriotism issue. what do you think of that? >> well, i think president obama loves america.

in fact, he's a great american story. it's the story of the american dream from someone from humble beginnings to president of the united states. it's something we shauld all celebrate ands a spire to have more of in america. what most of us disagree on on our side of the aisle is these policies of president obama are not good for america. 9.2% unemployment rate, no coherent fiscal strategy to balance the books of america becoming an incredible debtor nation. this is not good for our country. what i'd like to see the president started taking about jobs today, it's about time after focussing on health care and social issues and everything else. i hope he's coming up with a profree enterprise, proentrepreneurial policy, not more deficit spending stuff that will really create jobs like we've done in virginia we have a 6% unemployment rate. we were just voted the most business friendly state. those are the things that the governors are doing and we hope

the president will have a good plan to be supported. >> you like governors and former governors as well. do you think it's boiling down with tim pawlenty out of the race is it now boiling down to mitt romney or rick perry? >> i think it's more than that. obviously michele bachmann has made a real impact in short order in the race. there are other candidates that are getting lesser percentage but have acquitted themselves very well. cain and newt gingrich did very well in the debate. certainly my view is that governors who have to balance budget, have to make decisions can't get things kicked down the road. have to do things on time. have to have a co-hereabout strategy for economic development that a governor that's decisive will make the best candidate and the best president compared to the leadership we don't have in the white house now. listen, any of those people on the stage the other night i think will do better in guiding america towards prosper by and opportunity than what we have

got now. and find a ways to bridge the gap and bring republicans and democrats together. the president's tone today i thought was saying i'm going to propose the job creation program if they don't support it, i'm going to campaign against him. that's no way to do thing ifs you're going to get a legislate lative agenda passed. he's got to work on his tone as well. >> thank you so much governor. now to the president who is making his remarks in iowa. i believe that. [ applause ] i'm also convinced that come back isn't going to be driven by washington. it's going to be -- [ applause ] it is going to be driven by folks here in iowa. it's going to begin in the classrooms of community colleges like this one. it's going to start -- [ applause ] it's going to start on the ranchlands and farms of the midwest and the workshops and basement inventors and the store

fronts of small business owners. and that's why i'm here today. obviously we're going through tough times right now. i don't have to tell you that. a lot of folks are looking for work. even if you have a job or a small business or a farm you're maybe getting by with fewer customers or making do with fewer shifts or less money in tips. and for a lot of families in rural parts of the country these challenges aren't new. for a long time a decade, maybe longer you've known what it means to face hardship. but we also know that while times may be tough, our people are tougher. you know how to make it through a hard season. you know how to look out for each other in the face of drought or tornados or disasters. looking out for each other until we reach a brighter day. and that ethic, that kind of

honor and self-discipline and integrity, those are the values that we associate with small towns like this one. those are the values that built america. while we've taken some hits this country still has the best workers, the greatest farms, the top scientists and universities, the most successful businesses and entrepreneurs in the world. so as i've been saying over the last couple days there's nothing wrong with this country. we'll get through this moment of challenge. the only question is if as a nation we're going to do what it takes toe grow this economy and put people back to work right now. and can we get our politics to match up with the decency of our people. [ applause ] the question is if we're going to harness the potential to create jobs and opportunities that exist here in iowa and all across america, we know what's possible if we're willing to

fight for our future and to put aside the politics in the short-term and try to get something done. already this administration has helped nearly 10,000 rural businesses and 35,000 small and medium size farms and ranches to get the financing that they need. that's already happened. that means the restaurant owner can bust down a wall and set up some more tables. it means a family farm can buy a new piece of equipment to get more product to market. that puts people to work today. just as the interstate highways knitted the country together 50 years ago, we've also got to do some new things to meet the challenges of the 21st century. we need to expand the reach of broad band, high speed internet to seven million more people and hundreds of thousands of businesses in rural communities. and by taking that step, it's making it possible for folks to take classes and train for new jobs online.

it's helping people sell goods not just down the street, but across the country. and around the world. we've invested in clean energy like advanced biofuels so that we're moving from an economy that runs on foreign oil to one that runs on homegrown american energy. that's a whole new industry that's taking root here in iowa and across rural america. but, the rural economy is still not as strong as it could be. that's why i created a rural council to look for ways to promote jobs and opportunity right now. and this council's come up with a number of proposals. we're not wasting time and taking up these proposals we want to put them to work right now. so today i'm announcing that we're ramping up our efforts to get capital to small businesses in rural areas, we're doubling the commitment we've already made through key small business lending programs. we're going to make it easier for people in rural areas

looking for work to find out about companies that are hiring. we're going to do more to speed the development of next generation biofuels. and we're going to promote renewable energy and conservation. we're going to help smaller local hospitals in communities like this one to recruit doctors and the nurses that they need. and those are just some things that we're already announcing today the reason we brought you all together is because i'm looking forward to hearing from you about what else we can do. to jump start the economy here in rural america. we want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to strengthening this economy. and we're going to be able to do a lot of stuff administratively. all the proposals we're making today didn't require new laws it just means that we're doing things smarter, we're eliminating duplication, we're allocating resources to places that we know are really making a

difference. but, we could do even more if congress is willing to get in the game. there are bipartisan ideas, common sense ideas that have traditionally been supported by democrats and republicans that will put more money in your pockets, that will put our people to work, that will allow us to deal with the legacy of debt that hangs over our economy. i want to cut the payroll tax again to help families make ends meet. that's meant an extra $1,000 in the pockets of the typical american families. that means more customers for your business. more buyers of your products. i want to pass a road construction bill to put tens of thousands of people to work all across america. we've got young people returning from iraq and afghanistan with incredible skills. 25-year-olds who have led

platoons. 26-year-olds handling equipment that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. let's connect them to businesses that can use their talents rite now. we should pass trade deals that will level the playing field for american companies and no one will benefit more from rural americans when it comes to our trade. that's the reason that our agriculture sector is doing inkre credibly well. that has ripple effects throughout the economy here. but it also benefits manufacturing. and we've got folks in america driving kias and hyundais. i want to see folks in korea driving fords and chryslers and chevys. [ applause ] i want to sell goods all over the world that are stamped with three words, made in america. and all of these proposals -- [ applause ]

all of these proposals will make a difference for rural communities the only thing that is holding us back is our politics. the only thing that's preventing us from passing the bills i just mentioned is the refusal of a faction in congress to put country ahead of party that has to stop. our economy cannot afford it. [ applause ] our economy can't afford it. so i don't care whether you're a democrat or republican, independent, if you're not registered with any party, i want to enlist your help. i need your help sending a message to congress that it's time to put the politics aside and get something done. the folks here in iowa do the right thing. i've been traveling through these small towns and talking to folks, sitting down at diners

and you listen to people they take such pride doing the right thing. taking care of their families, working hard, saving for the future, living within their means, giving back to their communities. you do your part. you meet your obligations. well, it's time washington acted as responsibly as you do every single day. [ applause ] it's past time. we've got a lot of work to do. the only way it will get done is if democrats and republicans put country ahead of party and put the next generation ahead of the next election. that's what i'm fighting for. that's why i'm out here visiting communities like this one and small towns in minnesota and illinois. i'm convinced i've seen it. when we come together there's no stopping this country. there's no stopping us. [ applause ]

we can create opportunities for training and education and good careers in rural america so young people don't feel like they've got to leave their hometowns to find work. we can strengthen the middle class. restore that sense of economic security that's been missing for a lot of people for way too long. we can push through this period of economic hardship and we can get to a better place. that's why we're here together. that's what this forum is all about. i appreciate all of your participation. i expect great ideas out of the breakout sessions. i'm going to join a couple of them. let's get to work. thank you very much. >> president obama in peosta, iowa, campaigning, although they say it's not a campaign. is rick perry an economic genius or just lucky? and joe biden visiting the nation's number one banker in beijing.

send me your thoughts on twitter this the "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. all of your balances and transfer between accounts, so your money can move as fast as you do. check out your portfolio, track the market with live updates. and execute trades anywhere and anytime the inspiration hits you. even deposit checks right from your phone. just take a picture, hit deposit and you're done. open an account today and put schwab mobile to work for you. in one place. ♪ the race of your life you never ran. the trip around the world you never took. the best-selling novel you never wrote. but there's one opportunity that's too good to miss. the lexus golden opportunity sales event, with exceptional values on the lexus es. but only until september 6th.

see your lexus dealer.

but only until september 6th. living with the pain of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against

and help stop further joint damage with humira. those are live pictures from iowa where governor rick perry is holding a business round table. the texas republican has been lobbing grenades at all sides since he became a can date. joining me now carrie dan is traveling with the perry campaign. has he walked back at all the comments he made yesterday about ben bernanke and the fed? >> reporter: hi, andrea. he has not commented at all on that. we tried to ask him some questions as he was getting on to his campaign bus after the last event in cedar rapids. he did not respond to us. we did talk to a perry advisor. when asked about those comments he said, look, you're going to have to listen to his message over the next day, over the rest of this tour and over the next, you know, months of the campaign

trail to understand what he was trying to say. he stands by the fact that americans are fed up with the way that monetary policy in this country works. so hissed a vie r visors are not saying he should have phrased this a different way or taken the wrong way. they're making no apologies for the way that he talked about ben bernanke last night. >> jay carney off camera on air force one or the bus meeting with reporters said when you're running for president you have to think -- really an unusual comment to say the least. and in talking to governor bob mcdonald a republican of course just now he said that he might have phrased it a little bit differently even though he was very supportive overall of governor perry. do you get the sense, carrie, that they rethinking that and we may see him trying to tone it down a little bit. >> reporter: one criticism of perry is voters have said this is that he brings this swagger

or this cowboy attitude towards the campaign. i was talking to a voter yesterday who said that's why he remind me of george bush it's the confidence and swagger that's the problem. i think the way that he was speaking yesterday in sort of this off the cuff, he almost didn't make the comment that he made about ben bernanke, when he was asked about the fed he said i'm going to take a pass on this one and then reconsidered it and then went on to say what he said about the fed and about monetary policy being treasonous. it wasn't the headline that they wanted. and now that the national press core is here and covering every single move of the governor, we can look for a change in strategy about how quickly he says these messages, you have seen the criticism about his off the cuff remarks. >> governor perry, you're a national candidate. welcome to the nfl. thanks very much carrie dan.

michael quinn sullivan is president of the nonprofit group texans for fiscal responsibility and joins me from austin. hey, michael, i think the group or you individually have endorsed governor perry's re-elect. you've seen all sides of this. let's talk first of all about these comments. it certainly would resonate to tea partiers and it's not something it doesn't go very far beyond what ron paul and others have said although to call the fed treasonous for printing money and talk about we can get ugly with you ben bernanke if you get down to texas, that does seem to go too far, does it not? >> i have to be honest, i haven't spent too much time reading what governor perry said. i think probably best just to let governor perry and his campaign speak for governor perry. i think that when you look at the policies that the federal government and the federal reserve have pursued over the past couple of years, in texas

we've had some different success than the rest of the country. we've seen texas doing pretty well over the past few years. i would suggest however one might choose to turn a frays, the policy results are what we should be looking at. >> words do matter when you're returning for president. karl rove said it was not presidential for governor perry to say that about the fed and ben bernanke. >> i think that probably every single person who's ever opened their mouth with a television camera or a microphone nearby has probably had something utter that some pundit somewhere can monday morning quarterback. hindsight is always 20/20. we all say things -- pundits are really good at coming in after someone says something on the fly. i think there's some truth to the idea over the next couple of weeks we're going to see the perry campaign shifting from the

recognition of being if not the front runner one of the front runners, that does force some changes in operation. >> let me ask you about job creation and the economic record of governor perry, you know about this job creation fund that was created $16 million tech fund. what is your take on that? do you think it was appropriate to use government money, state government money to help create these private corporations which then helped enrich people who contributed to governor perry as campaign contributions? >> well, i think there's been a fair amount of misreporting about this. i'm not a fan of these fund. my organization and i have long been on the record we don't like these kinds, don't like these funds. at the same time it's very important to make sure that we refer to them accurately. the governor of texas does not get to decide on his own who does and doesn't receive money. there are a lot more money who have given money to the governor, the lieutenant governor, our house speaker who have not received money from

these funds than who have. and by the way, the governor doesn't make these decisions alone. it's the governor, the lieutenant governor and the speaker all of whom are elected independently and behave independently. it's important to recognize the way texas funds have been set up the governor doesn't have some carte blanche, doesn't get to jump out on his own. he has to have unanimous approval of the speaker and lieutenant governor. >> more broadly speaking on the economic record the unemployment rate is $8 pbt 2%. there is a mixed record, more jobs created by a big population growth and a lot of jobs were in government jobs. and jobs that are very low wage without benefits. it's a mixed record. is that an accurate way to portray it? >> i think texas has a very strong record. i think one, i would challenge someone to put forward the numbers because the real numbers are that over the past ten

years, texas has had one of the top ten fastest growing wage numbers in the nations. we saw texas keeping pace doing better than the rest of the country in terms of employment versus unemployment. 40% of all the jobs created in the united states were created in texas because we have the right environment. texas has done the right thing creating an environment. i think that most folks looking at their may not be fashionable with the latte liberal crowd. at the end of the day most people would rather have a job than not have a job. the unemploymented of california and new york have been flocking to texas to look for a job because texas is a place that rewards job creators. it's a place where people can come and find work. >> aren't a lot of jobs in the energy sector that rising oil prices contributed to a lot of jobs. >> that's not accurate. about 25% of the job created -- >> what is accurate? >> it's about 25% is the number of jobs created in the oil

industry. if you back out all of the energy industry job creation texas would still be leading the country in job growth. now it's interesting to note with that 25% increase, let's not shove off the idea of energy related jobs as being somehow insignificant because the obama administration over the past couple of weeks has been pushing for policies that would eliminate those jobs whether through u.s. fish and wildlife department rulings to shut down oil and gas production or the recent rulings from the epa that would shut down big portions of our power grid pushing people out of jobs. again, i thought our focus was on creating jobs. texas has been creating jobs. creating jobs that people flock to texas to take. i guess the editorial pages may not like it, but people prefer to be employed. texas is a place where people can't have a great deal of assurance so they can find a job when they're looking for a job. >> thank you very much. and up next, finding jobs

for those who have been hit the hardest. congressman cleaver joining us live from today's cbc jobs fair in detroit. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. [ male announcer ] butter. love the taste, but want to cut back on fat? try smart balance buttery spread. it's heart-healthier than butter. with omega-3s. 64% less saturated fat. and clinically proven to help support healthy cholesterol. ♪ put a little love in your heart ♪ he needs some gellin'. yeahhhhhhh.

gellin' is like having a teeny tiny foot masseuse in your shoe. you like ? nice ! dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles. outrageous comfort, all-day long.

a k in the garage, while my sneezing and my itchy eyes took refuge from the dust in here and the pollen outside. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. it's the brand allergists recommend most.

♪ lily and i are back on the road again. where we belong. with zyrtec®, i can love the air®. the president is promising a september surprise. a new plan on the economy. the congressional black caucus has been calling for some kind of immediate help for months and is now traveling the country looking for bays to get jobs to minority communities. today's event taking place in detroit. we're joined by the head, the chair of the congressional black caucus. what do you think about the president now saying he will have something to offer in september? is it a little bit late to be connelling to the table? >> well, what i think is that it's going to be difficult to get anything through congress as i think most people in the country realize. i'm glad the president's going to present his jobs plan. the reality is that based on

past history we can't assume that congress is going to do anything with it. members of the congressional black caucus have introduced more than 40 bills related to job creation and not one has been called up for a hearing. so i've got to express appreciation to the the president for his move. i don't know how realistic it is. >> at this stage, do you think that anything can be done? what are you finding in talking to people in detroit? are you finding jobs are out there as you travel the country? they're jobs they are not getting to the people. >> in cleveland last monday we had 7,000 people who started standing in line at 4:00 a.m. in the morning for 2200 jobs. here at cleveland state community college we had people

lined up early before dawn this morning and we have hundreds down here on the floor putting in applications with about 78 employers who are hiring. this is not a fair where people listen to an employer talk about how great the company is. people are actually getting jobs. we have hundreds of people still outside standing in the heat hoping for a chance to come in. this is bold testimony to the pain that's taking place in the united states. not just for african-americans, but for sure african-americans are hurt, but with vulnerable populations all over this nation. we owe it to the citizens of this country to do something in washington. and i'm hoping that the emphasis that is now being placed on jobs and should have started frankly two years ago, maybe three years ago but the emphasis now will push the house and the senate to act and i'm sure that the president will sign any meaningful piece of job legislation that comes to his

desk. >> it's really pretty dramatic looking at that crowd behind you. you're in detroit at a community college as you pointed out. there are hundreds of people line up outside in the heat. the official black unemployment rate for the last month was 15.9%. that does not even count all the millions of people who have given up looking. who have been long-term unemploymented also. >> that's right. >> do you find hope there where you are? >> oh, absolutely. we have employers from home depot to general electric which frankly we're glad to have here. they're offering a lot of jobs, all kinds of jobs. the people you see behind me are not just people who can perform entry level jobs. we have people with master's degrees and ph.ds, we even have a local elected official to show up today unemployed because the company for whom she worked

closed. so we have a situation this n that country that is dire and something has to be done and we can do it. this is not a poor third world nation, although we're acting like it, we can create jobs. some kind of a highway bill is absolutely critical. we can put in assistance for needy families which would provide some employment for 18 months. in the private sector it's a program that republicans celebrate, haley barbour the governor of mississippi praises tenant. we can do this if we only decide that we're going to put politics aside and put the people first. >> congressman cleaver, thanks so much for being there. thank you for reporting back from detroit and good luck on the rest of your trip. we'll be talking to you it's clearly the issue, jobs. and for a list of where job fairs will be held throughout the month of august get out the cease and desist grio.com.

general electric is still a partial owner of msnbc and nbc. . it's only august, but it feels like october. all the candidates are on the road. even though the white house claims the president's bus tour isn't political. with me now democratic strategist steve mcman and republican strategist terry holt. ter roy, what do you think so far about the rick perry kick off particularly karl rove even a fellow texan, even though there's not been love loss between the perry and bush camps in texas. karl rove said on fox that it was not presidential the shot he took at bernanke saying that printing money is treasonous, and that it could get ugly for the fed chair if he came down to texas. is that the way texans talk? >> he sure brought a lot of spark and vigor to the campaign in just these few short days. that's kind of what the republican field needs. it needs somebody to challenge

it, to upset the status quo. if you're mitt romney, you've got to be worried about rick perry because he brings that big state success story that's so important to the narrative. he also brings an ability to raise a ton of money, that's what it's going to take to beat barack obama. if you're michele bachmann you've got to be looking in the rear view mirror, too. he brings that passion and enthusiasm that the right of center members of the republican party and the tea party member that's what they want. they want somebody that's not afraid to take a chance and they've got it in rick perry right now. both of these two challengers for the republican nomination are looking at this guy going, wait a minute. these were my people. it's going to be interesting. >> interesting indeed. steve mcman let me show you what robert gibbs said with matt lauer on "today" about the way perry has been talking the last couple of days. >> just two years ago the governor of texas openly talked

about leading texas out of the united states of america and now he's this campaign has caused him to profess his love for the united states. it's a remarkable turn around. i think any day perry will ask to see the president's birth certificate. >> i should point out that it's just proof that gibbs has got his talking points down. he said the same thing on "today", but that was from "morning joe." steve, what about the rick perry launch and the spark that he is bringing to the campaign? >> if i were michele bachmann i'd be real worried right now. there's always been a competition among the right to see who's going to be the sort of finalist against mitt romney for the nomination. mitt romney still is favored. i think mitt romney is a more formidable general election candidate. the republicans tend to do with the establishment candidate. rick perry is interesting. he gets in the race and he immediately starts shooling from the lip which is what the previous governor of texas who

ran for president used to do. >> it worked for him. >> it did work for him. by the time people got to know him a little bit better and see him after eight years, i don't think it worked so well for him. the beauty for the obama campaign the you close your eyes and listen rick perry sounds just like george bush. which will make it easier for the president to transition back to what it was happened last time a republican governor from texas was elected president. >> michele bachmann was in south carolina. we understand she launched her appearance there today by saying let's all say happy birthday to elvis presley today. it's the 34th anniversary of his death, not his birthday. but who's counting in south carolina and elsewhere all the elvis fans would take note. >> she's not above a gaffe every now and then. she said over the weekend that she had a family reunion to get to. and she used it as an excuse for getting late to an event last night. she had a family reunion, but she didn't go.

she's apparently got some issues both with the truth and with dates. she has that gaffe earlier regarding john wayne's birthplace in iowa, which of course it wasn't. >> terry, what do you think about bachmann? she's certainly got a lot of charisma and a lot of attention on the campaign trail? can she go the distance? >> i think that a certain amount of discipline and a tightening up of what gets said is part of the process of becoming a national political figure. and at this stage, however, she's really hit all of the marks that she needed to hit. she's kept herself in the headlines. she's kept herself very much at the forefront of this contest. she won the straw poll this weekend, folks. even though that doesn't mean she's going to win iowa in january, it does mean that she's made the first initial strides towards national candidacy. you can make fun of her all you want. she's got kind of passion that voters are looking for in this

election. it's not going to be good enough even if rick perry is the nominee. i disagree with steve to run the same old campaign he did in 2008, he's going to have oown this economy and own all of thing intive nice that's been ren jated over this time. these candidates are going to become better candidates because of a vigorous process here coming. and barack obama will still been standing there on labor day next year a very formidable candidate. but we will have a tested campaign to really give him all of the competition he needs. >> we have to leave it there. thank you both very much. and debt deficits and downgrades. what's on the agenda and vice president biden heads off to china? you're watching andrea mitchell much only on msnbc. two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create

hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy. that's good for our country's energy security this is my band from the 80's, looker. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything.

in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget.

with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. coming up on "news nation", the pentagon confirming it is considering one of the largest

overhauling to the military retirement system in 50 years. how the washington budget battle could affect pensions for the men and women who fight for our country. plus, a colorado teacher says she was forced between keeping her job and breastfeeding her baby. the teacher says she was let go for pumping breast milk at work and now she's taking legal action. she'll join me live. all that and more 15 minutes away on "news nation." vice president joe biden is heading to china today. he will be meeting with the man widely expected to take over for the president. the trip is long planned, but now of course the hot tpic is going to be the congressional stalemate over default, budget cuts, the stock market collapse and china holding $1 ppt 2 trillion in u.s. debt. we're joined now by jim faust the latest article "arab spring, chinese winter." let's talk about joe biden's trip and the reception he's

likely to get. we know this is long planned. it's got to focus on china's criticisms of america's economic policies. they need us we're a big market. they're not foreclosing on us. but at the same token there's nervousness there. >> we'll see a rhetorical field day for the chinese. they know they have to do business with the u.s. the rhetorical stress you americans look at the mess you've made. you can't agree on a budget. realistically the chi naez have no state and run on u.s. treasury notes. there will be a lot of tongue lashing but actual business getting done. >> at the same time joe biden wants to push back on some of their claims on the south china seas. we need china. we need china on iran if the security council, on libya, certainly on syria where they have not been as helpful. we're not happy about some of the militarism they've been

expressing. >> i think there's debate within the chinese leadership about the overreach of the past year. over the past year there's a lot of aggressiveness by the chi nez military and leaders expanding their territorial claims. they've had so much resistance from the japanese, the vietnamese, the indonesians flocking to the u.s. for help. they're raelding they went too far for that. >> your article, what are you seeing in terms of human rights crackdown and censorship? >> what's been surprising is this past six or eight months it's been the most intense crackdown. it's not to the scale of the tin men square repressions. the debate is whether the chinese officials know something important about thediscontentmey or overreacting by reflex, and we will see that play out. >> jim faller, you have lived in china for four years and we look

forward to tapping into your expertise. and what headlines will be making headlines in the next 24 hours? ♪ machines have a voice. ♪ medical history follows you. it's the at&t network -- a network of possibilities... committed to delivering the most advanced mobile broadband experience to help move business... forward. ♪

[ male announcer ] get ready for the left lane. the volkswagen autobahn for all event is back. right now, get a great deal on new volkswagen models, including the jetta, awarded a top safety pick by the iihs. that's the power of german engineering. hurry in and lease the jetta s for just $179 a month. ♪ visit vwdealer.com today.

"newsnation" with tamron hall, next, only on msnbc. which political story will be making headlines in the next 24 hours? msnbc contributor and managing editor of post politics.com, chris cillizza joins us, and congratulations a book contract coming out next july. we look forward to that. >> thank you, andrea. >> what is the working title? >> the gospel according to the fix, but it is a working title only, but we are going to try to make it like bill simmons the sports guy wrote a book called "the book of basketball" and i'm hoping to do the same similar to politics. >> but in that vain, we will talk about paul ryan and whether he is going to run or not run and he has not totally closed the door, but he says he has not changed his mind, but he is not shutting it down? >> well, he's not. you know, the weekly standard steve haze put out a story this morning as quoting someone close

to him saying he is moving in that direction, and they put out a statement, and ryan's office essentially saying he has not changed. well, not changing his mind does not mean he absolutely will not run, but i will say that andrea, that rick perry's entrance into the race takes the slot that paul ryan might take away, the conservative establishment alternative to mitt romney. we thought it was tim pawlenty, but that didn't work out. and rick perry has a big lead financially and organizationally over paul ryan. >> let me push back, but the last 24 hours show that rick perry may be a outlier and he may not fit the establishment mold taking on the fed the way he did, which might please the tea party, but scare wall street. >> yes, and that is why paul ryan and the governor of new jersey chris christie have names floated, because major donors have not floated yet and they look to rick perry and say, ooh,

that is not all we bargained for and maybe we need somebody else, but i don't think that we are totally done with the speculation. >> thank you, chris. never be done with the speculation. >> hopefully not. >> we will see you again tomorrow, and that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." and tomorrow on the show, the republican party chair reince priebus joining aaa rating and we will look at how the markets are being affected. "newsnation" is minutes away. hey ! chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ?

chocolate ! chocolate it is ! yeah, but i'm new, too. umm... he's new... er... than you. even kids know it's wrong to treat new friends better than old friends. at ally bank, we treat all our customers fairly, with no teaser rates and no minimum deposit to open. it's just the right thing to do. i'm a speck of dust alone in the wire jungle. some dust rags say i'm unreachable, [ grunting ] but that's how i like it. unattached, free, indep... i've changed my mind. ♪ i believe in miracles [ female announcer ] swiffer attracts dust. new and improved swiffer dusters with dust lock adhesive picks up two times more dust than a dry dust rag and locks it away. you're very adventurous! [ female announcer ] swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. morning starts with arthritis pain... that's two pills before the first bell. [ bell rings ] it's time for recess...

and more pills. afternoon art starts and so does her knee pain, that's two more pills. almost done, but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve because it can relieve pain all day with just two pills. this is lisa... who switched to aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. [ kate ] can't believe i have high blood pressure. what's that thing? another medication. ♪ i really should have taken my shoes off before i got weighed. [ female announcer ] you've got a lot on your mind. that's why every walgreens prescription goes through a 10 point safeguard check that reviews your current walgreens health record for allergies and potentially harmful drug interactions. [ kate ] i can do this. [ female announcer ] the 10 point safeguard check from walgreens. there's a way to stay well.

the president obama is continuing his bus tour through iowa and insists, it is not a campaign tour, and renewed criticism the president's vacation plans this week. should he cancel çit? and too far, should red hot rhetoric by rick perry help or hurt him with the republicans? and bombshell, was there a cover-up from the "news of the world" hacking scandal? and plus, fired for pumping? one teacher says she lost her job because she was pumping breast milk for her baby at school. and a good day to you. i'm richard lui in for tamron hall. the "newsnation" is following developing news at this moment. president obama is on the second of the three-day bus tour in the midwest which the white house insists is an official tour and not a campaign swing. right now the president is