desperate times call for desperate measures. >> i never imagine i'd be up here like larry the cable guy. >> can you imagine anything not being a bigger gift to barack obama. us not having a nominee until the end of august. that's not going to happen. >> i understand cheese grits. >> if you're instilling faith and teaching about god in your home. >> read the president's energy speeches. he's on cloud cookoo land. >> that's right, rick. enjoy the ride. oh, my goodness, gracious, it's a deep fried day down in dixie as strange things are happening to republican candidates as they turn on the

southern twang determined to charm voters in mississippi and alabama. >> morning y'all. >> i'm very proud of it. >> jeff foxworthy over here. >> blue collar comedy. i've been getting hugs from the southern girls. from 12 to-well, a lot more than 12. >> i hear you got the best grits. >> i like grits. i like cheese grits. i like grits with gravy. a number of ways you can have grits. i understand cheese grits. i understand shrimp and grits. >> there's plenty of grit frs mill in today's dixie land contest with mitt romney out to prove he can capture the cracker barrel contingent. will it be the sound and if fgu ri of newt gingrich that wins

the day or will his results read like as i lay dying. both newt gingrich and santorum vow their staying in this race till the finish. >> we've been running a marathon breathing through a swizzle stick. that's what it felt like. we're just sucking hard on that stick trying to get as much air as we can in to keep ourselves alive. >> we stayed in the race for two reasons. i do not believe the other two candidates can beat obama, and i believe this race is the most important in our lifetime, and i will not leave the field. >> as delegate front-runner down played expectations before heading off to campaign in missouri, he decided to put another silver foot in his mouth talking southern song payteyton manning and professional football as only richie mitt can. >> i got a lot of friends. the owner of the miami dolphins

and the new york jets both owners are friends of mine. >> nfl team owners, now joining nascar owners among the dear old friends of mitt. as jeff foxworthy campaigned for the massachusetts governor, it was a chance for john stewart to play a game you might be a romney if. >> if you have car on your front lawn cause your garage only holds five cars, if you go to the diner and order your eggs fabrige, if you think clover field was a movie about your butler, you might be a romney. >> i haven't gotten a mustache but i have a fabulous political panel this afternoon. in washington, david corn. from the politico news room, joe

williams and krystal ball. david, i have to start with you. mitt romney in this republican race has had more roles than jack nicholson. rehad the oil loving nascar fan. now the southern boy who loves his cheesy grits. given jack's marvelous role, i'm beginning to wonder if he's suffering multiple personality disorder given the amount of pandering he's having to do. >> i'm surprised he haven't started talking about vermin hunting. i don't buy bread, but i know lots of owners of the agra businesses. is he going to end up squealing like a pig. >> stop. >> i'm sorry. this race is landing itself more

to mockery than political analysis. >> how could you imagine that, david? >> i watch the video clips of all the shows afterwards and we end up laughing more than discussing because it's so absurd for rom not to talk like anything other than the most elite upper 1% and newt gingrich with his grand yoesty becomes larger. he does look like the character in deliverance. >> the polls in alabama and mississippi have romney, santorum and gingrich all very close. is it fair to say, do you think, that gingrich has to win at least one of these tonight to stay in this? >> well, i think he's going to stay in it as long as sheldon adelson keeps writing checks. there's no real reason to get out. he's not going to be a v.p.

pick. as long as he's enjoining himself he's going to stick in there. in terms of having a shot at the nomination, i'm not sure if he wins both alabama and mississippi that he still has a credible chance. that may have already passed him by. i find the polling, that fact that it's a third, a third, a third quite surprising given what difficult terrain as david quite accurately and humorously pointed out how dill this is for mitt romney. >> look another how mitt romney has performed in the south. south carolina, 20%, oklahoma 28%. georgia, 26%. joe, do you see a pattern there? >> stop me if you heard this before, it's the problem he had early on. he can't break that 25, 30% ceiling, which is going to continue to be a problem for him. i think the fact that he's tried

so hard and choking down cheesy grits which as a former southerner, i can leave by the table side. >> as daughter of the south, i agree. i'm not a grits fan. >> corn, shut up. we know you love grits. corn, shut up. we know you love grits. keep going joe. >> it's become this kind of, as david said, this corn pon theater. he can't seal the deal because there's something inauthentic about him that they pick up on. they are kind of supporting him because they have to. >> mitt should be given sheldon adelson and newt gingrich a giant hug because the only reason that he has a chance in either of these contests is because gingrich is still in the race. >> david, now mitt romney is not in alabama or mississippi today. he's in missouri. once again he went to awkward lengths to satisfy the locals.

>> how many here in this audience call it missouri as opposed to missouri. how many say missouri like i do? okay. i'm in missouri right now. i think we're going to missora later today. >> that's a quite magnificent laugh. john capehart said he looks like he's on safari in his own country. explain that to me. >> it's like ha, ha, i'll have a bud light. i think that's a wonderful line. i always sort of bris l when people talk about politicians being comfortable in their own skin or being authentic. it shouldn't be the right way we pick leaders, but there has to be a connection between the pern a person and the policies and the

audience. mitt romney, trying to campaign as a regular guy when being a one percenter is not the thing to be this year. his wife talking about how she knows that women around the country are concerned about tough economic times. there's nothing these people say that really makes it sound like they know what they are talking about and that they have real answers to these dilemmas we face as a nation. >> despite his own slide in the approval ratings this month, the president is still leading against all of these candidates in today's new york times poll. is that a function of the incompetence of these candidates or the effective attacks on the president using rising gas prices and so on. >> i think the fact that the president still leads this field is a result of just how ridiculous the whole process has been. when you look at the contrast with the president, the class he

showed in calling sandra fluke. the wap he seemed like the adult in the room when he called the press conference and said enough of this loose war talk. when you make that coming pairson and you have a republican nominee, assuming that will one day happen. >> don't bet on it. >> you have that person on stage with the president, i think the contrast is going to be quite clear to the american people. >> i think so. joe, i'm going to leave it to you to call it for this evening. who is coming out of dixieland tonight a winner? >> my quip answer is nobody. it's just going to keep grindsing on. there's going to be a three-way split. >> in terms of mississippi and alabama. >> looks like romney will have the edge. he's got an organization there. he's got the money. we roll on to the next state. >> fabulous. you're all too good. we're going to keep you around for after the break. next, rush limbaugh is on the ropes.

stay with us. >> the left is spewing a bunch of emotion and trying to incite people and cast them down and we're going to stand up for the things that made this country great. ♪ wake up! that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers.

your hair mixes with pollen and dust in the air. i get congested. my eyes itch. i have to banish you to the garden. but now, with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. ♪ i can breath freer with zyrtec-d®. so i'll race you to our favorite chair. i might even let you win. zyrtec-d® lets me breath easier, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. yeah, you -- you know, everything can cost upwards of...[ whistles ] i did not want to think about that. relax, relax, relax. look at me, look at me. three words, dad -- e-trade financial consultants. so i can just go talk to 'em?

just walk right in and talk to 'em. dude, those guys are pros. they'll hook you up with a solid plan. they'll -- wa-- wa-- wait a minute. bobby? bobby! what are you doing, man? i'm speed dating! [ male announcer ] get investing advice for your family at e-trade.

rush limbaugh is facing new uproar over his remarks against georgetown law student sandra fluke. his distributor alerted it i filluates to pull national ads. this afternoon he returned to the air waves to champion women's concerns. >> america, want jobs and an

expanding economy. they're not obsessed with birth control pills passed out on campus or whatever anybody wants them. the regem calculated they could create this mitt cal republican war on women and look where they are. >> our panel is back with us. david corn, joe williams and krystal ball. what do you make of limbaugh's latest remarks? he's become the voice of defense for women. >> he saying y'all and eating rush and rush limbaugh is the defender of women. the idea that it's democrats that are pushing this narrative on women is ridiculous. let me just tell you that in 2011, across the country in 50 states across the country, there were 1100 women's health bills pushed by republican legislatures across the country.

these were all legislature who is were elected because they said jobs and economy and deficit. when they got in there -- >> they focused on uterus. >> the agenda is totally different. that's why women are so upset. >> david, rush suggest the war on women is a myth perpetrated by democrats. if that's the case why are his advertisers fleeing and running away from his broadcast. >> a bout of classiness has struck advertisers. it's not just his show. about 100 advertisers, very big name stores and restaurants have told premier radio they don't want to be associated anymore with controversial and mean-spirited. i think that's the keyword here, mean-spirited radio talk show hosts. rush limbaugh could be bringing down a big part of the right

wing, which is talk show radio hosts across the board. i think ultimately, this will level out and he's going to keep his show and they will keep their shows. it's been a tremendous blow. after all the terrible things he's said over the years, i'm still surprised this is the straw that broke the camel's back. that camel was getting pretty knobbly at the knees. >> we have 140 advertisers having requested ads being pulled. you say it's more than that. >> the number we have is 156 that stopped rush. that said we don't -- they either pulled their ads or said we don't want to be on during this program. it's hard to keep track because so many have issues statements. then you have another number who have quietly pulled their ads without putting out a statement and calling attention to themselves. the big news we got last night too is that premier, which

syndicate his show for two week pps they are saying for two weeks we're not taking in revenue because we need a cooling off period. we don't have enough to continue placing national ads at local affiliates. >> joe, why would they ask for this two-week period? does this mean people are seriously considering their long-term commitment to rush? >> they have to. they don't really have a choice. ve a campaign that went viral element immediately. it reminds me of when i used to cover police, they always would catch the serial murder because he was driving around with a busted taillight, not because he had three bodies in the trunk. this was rush limbaugh's. he went over the line and advertisers don't like that kind of negative publicity particularly when it goes viral on the internet and there are boycotting campaigns that start.

it's not always about what he says. it's about whether or not there's enough outrage to hit those kind of broadcasters where it hurts in the wallet. >> i have to give credit to you for championing this. other activists are calling on the fcc to take him off the air. do you think that's possible? >> i don't know if it's possible. i don't know the ins and outs of that. what we've been doing by calling on the sponsors, it's been so successful, i think we should try to use the free market approach, which is what we're doing and see if we can get a success that way, first. >> thank you very much. two segments and fabulous. thank you for staying with us. >> sure thing. stay with us. much more ahead. >> i got a lot of good friends. the owner of the miami dolphins the and the new york jets are friends of mine. >> i wliek being able to fire

people that provide services to me. ♪ turn left.

the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not...that... we'd ever brag about it... turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh? how did that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine 2012 iihs top safety picks. so we're celebrating with our "safety in numbers" event. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 passat for $219 a month. diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'.

[ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering.

britain's prime minister has just landed in the united states aptds for the benefit of sarah palin, that's david cameron and not her majesty the queen. there's plenty to discuss from europe's debt crisis to the ongoing crisis in afghanistan. there's images of david cameron and his wife, issamantha. kristen welker is joining us.

is the white house really confidence that the chinese will cooperate? the chinese are only concerned about one country and that's chi china. >> reporter: the white house sees this as an extension of a case they brought against china in 2009. the u.s. won quite a strong rebuke from the world trade organization against china. they are hoping that that will serve as some incentive in this instance. having sthad early indications aren't that promising. officials in china today defending their trade practices saying there's nothing wrong with the trade practices. saying what they are doing is essential there. we should say there have been some questions about the timing of this announcement on the part of the white house. was the white house trying to time this with the republican primaries tonight. white house officials say those allegations are false. martin. >> they would say that, wouldn't

they. the two leaders co-wrote an op-ed piece. they write this ominous warning for iran. the choice for tehran will be charpenned. meet your international obligations or face the consequences. that sounds serious. as i understand it, neither leader wants to take any kind of immediate action against iran. >> reporter: that's right. we expect prime minister cameron to reiterate what we heard from president obama and that's that does doesn't want to see israel take a military strike. you're probably not going to see a whole lot of daylight between the prime minister and president obama. you will see both leaders sort of threaten stiffer sanctions. that's one of things we'll be looking for closely. part of this visit is really meant to reemphasize what both leaders call the special

relationship between the united states and the u.k. that's really being demonstrated by the welcome ceremony that we'll see tomorrow and also the fact that the president is taking the prime minister on air force one for the first time. they will go to a game tonight. a lot of pomp and circumstance and some serious topics. martin. >> kristen welker. you be nice to the british prime minister. stay with us. the day's top lines are coming up. the primary tomorrow in alabama and mississippi. we're going to check in with mitt romney's southern strategy and how it's developing. >> morning y'all. good to be with you. >> you didn't have to do this. >> i got it started right this morning with a biscuit and cheesy grits.

delicious. ♪ ♪ we were skipping stones and letting go ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, rich dark chocolate, toasted oats. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪ nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. ♪ like, keep one of these over your head. well, i wasn't "supposed" to need flood insurance, but i have it. fred over here chose not to have it. ♪ me, i've got a plan. fred he uh... fred what is your plan? do i look like i have a plan? not really. [ female announcer ] only flood insurance covers floods. for a free brochure, call the number on your screen.

i care about my car because... i think it's a cool car. i think it's stylish and it makes a statement at the same time. and i've never had a car like that. people don't totally understand how the volt works. when the battery runs down the gas engine operates. i don't ever worry about running out of battery power... because it just switches over to my gas engine.

i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. i love my chevy volt and i've never loved a car. ♪ my grits are better than your grits and more whistling dixie on the campaign trail. here are today's top lines y'all. >> the true blue conservative is. >> grits. >> this morning when i had grits i thought it was a very normal thing to do. >> i had some grits this morning down in buloxi. it was awesome. >> john mccain didn't win any of these states. >> it would be so close that we would be moving forward. >> you might be a romney. if your favorite kind of

fireworks is firing people at work. >> like being able to fire people that provide services to me. >> the miami dolphins and new york jets are friends of mine. i have some great friends that are nascar team owners. >> if you're a multimillionaire entertainer supporting the candidacy of a wealthy financier from massachusetts, you might no longer be a red neck. >> if we go all the way to a convention we could signal our doom. can you imagine a bigger gift to barack obama. >> i understand why the media wants romney. they know barack obama can beat romney. >> hello. this is chuck norris. newt gingrich will be the best ban man to beat president obama. >> this is what happens when your state has fewer schools than waffle houses. >> this isn't climate science. this is political science. tell that to a plant how

dangerous it is. we put kriters above people. >> lots of bunny rabbits that run through. i'm the tortouis. >> good day to y'all. professor, dyson. when the president produced his long form birth certificate, a year ago, the matter should have been dead and buried. now cliff sterns tell a voter quote, the question is is it legitimate. that's where we stand now. you just heard rick santorum in top lines saying republicans are the party of science, reason and faith. it appears that this congressman has struck out on all three counts, hasn't he. ? >> this is a stevie wonder

wonder approach. super stigs ain't the way. it's a ultimate reserve for these are anti-science, anti-reason, faith filled bigots with no understanding of proof. you can touch it, taste it, see it. what more does obama have to be to prove to people that he's an american citizen. his birth certificate is legitimate. i think the far right continues to exploit the bigotry and the passion unreason that's per vailing in this country. it's been tagged southern. we know that this kind of anti-scientific is not the province of the south, primarily. it's among a party that refuses to knowledge the central tenant of his humanity. i think republicans of good

faith and consicience ought to stand up and say so. >> he was presented with comments that suggested the president was an arab. he took the micro phone and delivered a dignified correction. where is speaker boehner issuing some discipline to this florida base congressman. where is eric cantor. >> i don't think that's their job. where was the president when alan grayson spoke out. they speak out and say stupid things all the time. it's not the job to reign them in. >> isn't this issue much more serious that people repeatedly insulting this president. >> it's not serious. it's ridiculous. just as liberal -- >> so liberals look bad. >> why is it difficult for eric

cantor stand up. >> least a member of the majority in fact house of representatives. >> it's not eric cantor's job to depends what every congressional member says. >> we know this kind of a comment allowed to continue the damaging. it's untruthful, and it doesn't reflect -- >> congressional members say terrible things. it's not the job of the majority leerd, the whip, the speaker of the house to reign them in. it's up to voters to decide whether or not they want to put them back in office. >> julian, do you think that eric cantor or speaker boehner should be doing something with this comment by mr. cliff sterns. >> yeah. i disagree. when the left referred to general petraeus, i condemned that. when the left said some pretty nasty things about president

bush and called for his impeachment. a lot of us said that was wrong. i think the point is when large members of one party say things that are very offensive, it is incup bents on the leadership of the party to say they disagree or agree with it. silence doesn't cut it. >> that's not true. >> this is has been huge numbers inside the republican party who have questioned the birth certificate of the president. >> what about the 50% in tennessee who believe he wasn't born here. >> is that illegal. they can't believe that? >> there's a bigger point. whether or not you think it's the responsibility or the right thing to do, we talked about this republican primary as being three plen and a baby back in march. it feels like three stooges. the republicans in this campaign season have managed to offend

everybody pm women, african-americans, gays. they are offending so many of the independents by getting into this otherness quality. >> the candidate are not talking about -- >> it's just widely offensive to people. the fact that republicans stay silent about it. >> you're not drawing points together. >> we're not talking about the candidates. you're trying to make a parallel that isn't there. there's no connection. >> martin t let me finish this point. what i'm talking about is a consistent message coming out of the republican party whether it's candidate or leading members in congress that say things that the president isn't legitimate or making repeated statements that offend women, african-american, hispanics and the point that ties it together is that the republican leadership continues to stay silent, won't do the right thing, won't take that sister soldier moment the way president clinton did and stand up to the republicans. >> just to julian's point,

donald trumpb was in the vanguard of the birtherism business. he was considering running. >> private citizen. >> you were saying there's no connection between the republican candidates. >> is he an elected member. >> you were saying there's no connection between the offensive comments about the president and the republicans in the race for the nomination. that's not true because donald trump made up a story about investigators going and trying to find out whether this birth certificate was accurate. you know at one stage he was considering run and been visited by all of these candidates. he's endorsed mitt romney. there is a connection. it's not true. >> it's a really loose connection. >> professor. i wonder if republican voters are beginning to cast dispersions on the president's faith in order to divert attention from the fact they are having a hard time accepting

mitt romney's mormonism, a religious group that you know many regard as a cult and a corruption of christianity. >> sure. i think one is a substitution of the other. maybing him somebody outside of the pail of the republican party and of the human race. here is a guy who is being read outside of the race, read in a rationalize and a religious fashion that continues to do damage to his reputation. then on the other hand, you've got mitt romney who many conservative evangelicals are never going to pull the lever for because of their own religious bigotry against mor nonism. there will never come day they will be able to pull a lever or dimple a chad for a man that was a mormon in this country despite the progressive talk we speak about in regard to acknowledging one's faith. i think that religious bigotry

on both sides is playing off against each other. the tragedy is that the point is we don't expect republicans to stand up every time and say something. we are talking about a major issue where a major factual error is being repeated as fact and the perception that obama is somehow different than us. you know as well as yj this is racial coding. this is not about old school racism. this is about the assertion of a truth, mistruth that continues to be repeated. i think we have to address that. >> i got say birtherism is not a major issue. gas prices and the president's sink poll numbers are play jor issue. they why you don't want to talk about. >> i wish we had more time. stay with us. next, the president's poll numbers soften and the culprit can be found at the pump. stay with us. ♪ you know when i grow up,

i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there. i want to fix up old houses. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. i want to fall in love again. [ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. i take the stuff everywhere. exactly. everyone's more energized, more alert. i've lost their respect. oh who's laughing now!? gazelle!! [ male announcer ] personal, portable mio energy. [ gazelle laughs ]

but last year my daughter was checking up on me. i wasn't eating well. she's a dietitian, and she suggested i try boost complete nutritional drink to help get the nutrition i was missing. now i drink it every day and i love the great taste. [ female announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to help keep bones strong and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. learn more at boost.com. [ dad ] i choose great taste. i choose boost. our machines help identify early stages of cancer and it's something that we're extremely proud of. you see someone who is saved because of this technology, you know that the things that you do in your life, matter. if i did have an opportunity to meet a cancer survivor, i'm sure i could take something positive away from that. [ jocelyn ] my name is jocelyn, and i'm a cancer survivor. [ mimi ] i had cancer. i have no evidence of disease now. [ erica ] i would love to meet

the people that made the machines. i had such an amazing group of doctors and nurses, it would just make such a complete picture of why i'm sitting here today. ♪ [ herb ] from the moment we walked in the front door, just to see me -- not as a cancer patient, but as a person that had been helped by their work, i was just blown away. life's been good to me. i feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world. ♪ oh. let's go. from the crack, off the backboard. [ laughs ] dad! [ laughs ] whoo! oh! you're up! oh! oh! so close! now where were we? ok, this one's good for two. score! [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat!

president's approval rating has dropped nine points in a month. there are other numbers to keep in perspective. former president george w. bush has higher net favorable numbers than republican front-runner mitt romney. former president bush is beating romney in a popularity contest among all voters. the bloom berg poll shows more people now believe the country is doing better than three years ago. >> the president can do about gas prices. >> thank you for admitting that. >> i'm not unreasonable. >> when i hear speaker boehner

talk about this, he seemsic know rant that no president has had control >> it's true. gas prices is about is supply a demand. that's it. it does help create a narrative. now is a good time when gas prices are going up. >> even though during the course of his presidency we're less relients on imported oil than the beginning. >> some of these numbers are deceiving. oil production is up on private lands but down 40% on federal lands. >> julian, go ahead. >> i don't think the president's numbers have gone down. i don't think the new york times got it wrong. gallup has it down. he's now up one percentage point. when you put the president against any of the republican opponents he wins in most of the polls. if you ask most republican cons

consultants they will tell you that each of the three republican candidates is defective and there's no better campaigner in the united states than barack obama. that guy is smoking on the campaign trail. there's none that stand a strong chance of beating him. >> professor, comparing the president with these four candidates is kind of not really a fair comparison as a campaigner, is it. >> he's a monster. he's a beast. he rises up to the occasion. he's able to close the deal and finish the job. he continues to use the pulpit of the presidency to speak on behalf of the majority of mempbs. we thank her fer acknowledging he can't control gas prices. he has a lot of fuel left inform his tank. i think he will be leaving them in his dust come election time. >> thank you. coming up, how do you say

pandering in alabama? here is kelly evans with the cnbc market wrap. >> this just in. jp morgan is raising its dividend by 20%. it's not only boosting shares but the entire market. take a look at that. we're talking about key levels. the nasdaq closing above 3,000 for the first time since december 2000. big day in treasuries. that's it here from cnbc first in business worldwide. [ male announcer ] lately, there's been a seismic shift in what passes for common sense. used to be we socked money away and expected it to grow. then the world changed... and the common sense of retirement planning became anything but common. fortunately, td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life.

take control by opening a new account or rolling over an old 401(k) today, and we'll throw in up to $600. how's that for common sense? aflac! ha! isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] choose the same brand your mom trusted for you. children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade. i was strong before weight watchers, but i'm stronger with it.

i believe because it works. ♪ if you want it you got it [ female announcer ] join now for free. hurry, offer ends march 24th. weight watchers points plus 2012. because it works.

voters in mississippi and alabama take iing to the polls s afternoon are faced with many difficult choices. for over the last week, we have

seen newt gingrich sporting a new shirt, rick santorum dig into some barbecue ribs, and mitt romney confess their love of grits. terri sul is the first african-american female member of congress. good afternoon, ma'am. >> good afternoon, martin. >> i understand you voted in alabama this morning. is that right? >> i did. i boarded a plane to d.c. to come back for this session. but i have to tell you that the lines were pretty lean at the polling station at 7:00 a.m. >> we're hearing from republicans organizing the votes. do you have a prediction to offer on what you think will happen in alabama? >> i have to tell you that whatever is going on with the republicans choosing a candidate has been more of a circus and added to the fact i think our president will be the next president of the united states. so i don't venture to guess what's in the mind of republicans right now, but i can tell you that the evangelical

alabamaens still believe mitt romney not only doesn't have a good accent but doesn't know grits when he sees it. >> how do you take your grits? >> i personally like mine with a lot of butter and a little bit of salt and pepper. >> how do you feel as a local observing this pan doring? this attempt to mimic what mitt romney thinks the people of alabama will respond to. he's almost behaving as if they are a different class of human beings. >> well, listen. we alabamaens are like americans. we really want a solution to our economy. we want a jobs plan. we want to make sure we get this economy back on track. and so i think that the bread and butter issues of this economy is what every candidate should be talking about. and not trying to pander to local accents or cuisines. >> can i ask what your reaction

is to recent findings in a ppp survey which says that many people, indeed more than half in your state, believe that the president isn't a christian? that he may be a muslim. >> i thought we put this to rest. i think for the last four years, we have been talking really adding kree dance to the birthers movement by even talking about whether or not he's even american. the fact of the matter is, the people in alabama are suffering just like americans across this nation are suffering. we need to figure out a way to work together, democrats and republicans, to get things done to get americans back to work. that's the issue we should all be focusing on. >> i think we all agree. there's a hearty grits and an amen for you. thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] this is lois.

the day starts with arthritis pain... a load of new listings... and two pills. after a morning of walk-ups, it's back to more pain, back to more pills. the evening showings bring more pain and more pills. sealing the deal... when, hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. it can relieve pain all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lois... who chose two aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. [ female announcer ] and try aleve for relief from tough headaches. oh! [ baby crying ] ♪ what started as a whisper ♪ every day, millions of people choose to do the right thing. ♪ slowly turned to a scream ♪ there's an insurance company that does that, too. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

♪ amen, omen is this where we're at now? we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber one. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems,

tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not...that... we'd ever brag about it... turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh? how did that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine 2012 iihs top safety picks. so we're celebrating with our "safety in numbers" event. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 passat for $219 a month.

it's time now to clear the air. instead of following our "today" show colleagues, we're going to where ask in the world is mitt romney? it's mitt romney son of the south. we know from recent history he's held multiple positions on a variety of issues. it's not just his policies that change with alarming frequency, it's also his personality. just a couple months ago, mitt romney spoke at a breakfast meeting in new hampshire. it was a chamber of commerce event. he was surrounded by entrepreneurs. so what happens to the personality of mitt romney in such a setting? did he talk about the hearty breakfast he's just been served? oskt of course, he doesn't. he's a heartless businessman and

desperately appeals to an audience who takes no prisoners in pursuit of his success. now compare that performance with iz unrestrained pandering to the people of alabama and mississippi. >> morning, y'all. i got it started right this morning with a business kit and some cheesy grits. >> i'm learning to say y'all. i like grits. strange things are happening to me. >> of course, we all tend to adjust our conversation depending on the people we're speaking to, but mitt romney isn't doing that. what he's doing is exactly what he's done when it comes to matters of policy. he doesn't know what he believes until he meets the people he's speaking to. that's when he decides which mitt romney he's going to be. that's why mr. romney should, as a matter of urgency, adopt the

words of his campaign slogan. "those are my principles and if you don't like them, i have others." thank you so much for watching. dylan ratigan is back and well and ready to take us forward. welcome back. >> nice to see you. how are you? >> i'm good. >> i love this electoral blue on tuesday. >> it's rather fetching. >> it's not as good as the olympics, when the color scheme is bursting. it's second to the olympics. >> i take no credit. it's our wonderful graphics department. >> a chair would be nice with that color. or maybe a curtain. >> i don't know. whatever you'd like. >> it's a nice color. we'll continue. nice to see you. >> thank you.