[ alarm buzzing ] [ rumbling ] [ people screaming ] it was such epic stain fighting, even chuck norris could respect it. twice the stain fighting power as the next leading liquid value brand. era, the only detergent that's chuck norris approved. good saturday, everyone. it is high noon in the east. 9 in the west. welcome to "week ends with alex witt." alex is off. i'm craig melvin. hunger games versus harry potter. along awaited sparkle. and a test drive on mars. but, we start with front page politics and a passionate plea to paul ryan it seniors in

florida. with his mom by his side, he talked a lot about medicare at the largest retire community in florida. promising over and over again that his plan would not change benefits for people close to retirement. >> when i think about medicare, it's not just a program. it is not just a bunch of numbers. it is what my mom relies on. it's what my grandma had. and we have to keep that guarantee. >> nbc's ron mott is there. ron, we listened to the speech and he made it very personal. how did it play down there? >> it played very well. having a 42-year-old vice presidential candidate try to make a pitch on medicare, you need someone to personalize that. so he brought his mom with her hair today. her name is betty douglas.

she is a snow bird as he described her. she is here during the cooler days. so we imagine she will be back in the fall. he says their plan will not change their benefits. they want it make that promise real for the generation. he says it is the future generations that requires there program to undergo some surgery, if you will. and so what he hit on hard was the president, he used the word raid, r-a-i-d. saying the president raided the pled care program to pay for the affordable care act, which the right likes to call obama care. here is what he says what happened in this country if this program is not changed and put on a different track on a different track. listen. >> nursing homes go out of business as a result of this. 4 million seniors are projected to lose their medicare advantage that they enjoy and they cheese

today under this obama care plan. our solution to preserve, protect and save medicare does not affect your benefits. >> so this fight over medicare between both campaigns of the obama campaign and romney campaign, take it to the air waves as well, we had a little exchange here on the ground here at the villages here in florida today between a romney supporters and obama supporters over the whole issue. folks, voters are also fired up about this as much as candidates are. >> how large is that retirement community? >> well, we have been told that earlier one of the residents here told tus was about 60,000. we have since been corrected, that there are about 85,000 people that live here and another phase they will build that will take the residential population up over a hundred thousand. so a lot of people here who depend on medicare and they want it see this program continue for years to come. paul ryan and mitt romney believe you have to make some changes to do that. back to you.

>> from the villages around florida, thank you. more front page politics. with president obama back on the campaign trail as well. he has events in new hampshire where he is expected to criticize the republicans for planning to cut medicare. gop canned dade mitt romney made his case on medicare today in his new weekly pod cast. >> the romney/ryan plan preserves and pr tekts medicare and guarantees the future of the program by forcing insurance companies to compete for business. choice and competition will drive cost down and make quality better. resulting in more affordable, better care for our seniors. >> mitt romney and his running mate, paul ryan, will be back together again monday. instead of campaigning separately as originally planned. they'll also be in new hampshire for a town hall meeting but they will separate again for the last week before the start of the gop convention in tampa. paul ryan just released two years of his income tax returns. he paid a higher percentage than mitt romney.

higher tax rate than mitt romney. joining me now for more front page poll politics, jonathan and erin mcpike from real clear politics. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> morning. >> john, let me start with you. you cover congress in-depth for "times." you know this better than just about anybody else out there. how much actual truth are we hearing from either of the campaigns at this point about medicare? >> well, just listening to paul ryan and when he says his plan is not going to affect you, the seniors he is talking to, he's right. his plan would not kick in until those who are 55 now, turning 65. so the people who are in medicare now and getting medicare will be held harmless. the people under 55 would see very big changes. and there's a big question, because remember, george w. bush

when he wanted to partially privatize social security, he made the same pitch. he said no one over 55 will be affected by this. but you know what happened is that seniors didn't care about that. they said, look, we want the same system that we have, for our children and our grand children. and they still rebelled against it. so it is not at all clear that just telling people, don't worry about yourselves, we're just talking about your children, i don't know if that's necessarily going to work. it didn't work for george w. bush. >> what about this argument that republicans have been making in talking about the $700 million that the president has cut from medicare. where's the truth there? >> well, remember, most of that $700 billion over -- over a decade, that comes from subsidies to what paul ryan was talking about. medicare advantage plans. subsidies that were given to insurance companies to try to entice them into the medicare program. more than a decade ago. those subsidies were always

supposed to be temporary because once the private insurance companies were in medicare, they were supposed to drive down cost, not receiving subsidies and remember when paul ryan put together his own budget, both thissier and last year, he took those savings and he put them in his back pocket to pay for other programs and to lower the deficit. so obviously, that time, he didn't think those were such onerous cuts. >> erin, all of this policy talk is really theoretical until the actual election happens. today we have paul ryan there in one of the world's largest retirement communities talking about medicare. can they win in florida if this campaign continues to be about medicare? >> if they can talk about it in a smart way, that con vins senior citizens that, no, they wouldn't change the current medicare system for those over 55, then yes, it's possible. i will tell you, though, that

some of my democratic sources were telling me that obama campaign was looking at spending less in florida. both sides were thinking that florida was starting to trend mitt romney's way. that it wouldn't really be smart for the obama campaign to continue spending as much money as they have been spending in florida so maybe they would want to reroute that to other states. now that paul ryan is on the ticket and they are having this fight over medicare, the democrats say, forget that. we are all in in florida. it is definitely high on their list again and retight as a state. it is hard to say. it is how the romney campaign can continue to talk about medicare. if they can get an upper hand over it the next two weeks. i guess we have one week left go until then. >> presumably, they have done a most of polls. presumably the republican party, the dnc, they figure it'll be a very popular issue, no?

>> of course they think it will be a popular issue. but democrats usually have the upper hand. in this case, republicans are starting to think they might have the upper hand if they can talk about it in the right way. >> remember, they had the -- the republicans went into this issue with the big advantage with seniors, president obama has not been popular with seniors. he was more than particularly popular in 2008, and he is really not popular now. so it is not like this was 50/50 split and they are fighting over this now. remember, the republicans had a big advantage with seniors and especially seniors in florida. >> how is all of this, i know we talk about the presidential race a lot here. how is all of this, the medicare debate, affecting house and senate races? >> that's affecting it a lot. remember, the democrats really did not want to have this election about the economy. they really didn't. and you know, it was too easy

for incumbent -- i mean for the challenger to incumbents to say, are you better off now than you were four or five years ago? but when it is about medicare, remember, they have been gearing up a fight against the ryan budget plan for more than a year. this was their game plan, so democrats view this as a gift. if nothing else, they are not talking about their biggest vulnerability, their economy. they are talking about what they think are the republicans biggest vulnerabilities, entitlements. >> erin, what do you think we see in the house and senate? >> i think we will see some interesting things that republicans at one point thought they could take back the senate. now that looks harder. as far as the house is concerned, sourcers on both sides say it is very unlikely that democrats have a chance at taking back the house this cycle. even with this new development. >> all right, erin mcpike, real clear politics. thanks to you both. appreciate your time. >> thank. >> are joe biden's so-called

gaffs as important as to average joe as they appear inside the beltway? we will talk about that inside strategy talk. meanwhile, security forces in afghanistan are on high alert for national holiday there. caution comes following a deadly week for u.s. forces. nbc's atia abawi is live in kabul. atia what are the brand new instructions for american troops there? >> hi there, craig. there are many force protection measures they've implemented here in afghanistan for the americans and coalition members through out the bases in afghanistan. one of the measures that pentagon did release is the fact that u.s. service members have to carry a fully loaded magazine inside their weapons at all times now. that's obviously saying they must be prepared just in case there's another insider attack. these insider attacks also known as green on blue attacks when afghan service members have turned on their coalition partners. this year alone, we've seen more than 30 of these so-called

incidents with 39 fatalities i among the coalition, most of those being americans. we've got to say, craig, this a crucial time in the war, where many americans expect to withdraw from afghanistan in a couple years time. right now they are expected to train the afghans to take responsibility of their own country. right now it is becoming very lard, eroding trust between the afghan and u.s. forces, when the u.s. forces don't know if the afghan service member they live with on the same base, that they fight with every single day, is their friend or their enemy. craig? >> atia abawi, thank you, be safe. west coast headlines are next. with the dire predictions for forest around the world. first, an immigration fight is under way. between the white house and several state. later, the degree of impact running mates have when voters go to the polls. all that and much more in strategy talk. [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role

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making news on the west coast. the herald and news in claj klamath falls, oregon. scientists believe that as hot and dry times continue, the world's forests will not be able to keep up with or absorb the carbon dioxide produced by humans burning fossil fuel. the santa maria times in

california is running a story. there's the headline there. money found, lesson learned. about a special needs student who found some stolen money during a bank robbery. the 37-year-old man turned the $500 into police. the bank plans to send the man a gift as a thank you. and the seattle times has a front page story. with the title. there it is there. too many canadians? not everyone thinks so. it is about the surge of canadian shoppers at the border between washington state and canada. some resident in the town of bellingham are upset about the crowds and have been complaining loudly on facebook in the nearby town of burlington is welcoming canadians and their business. another state joins arizona in blocking dreamers from getting state services like driver licenses. the governor, republican from nebraska, fold the lead set by arizona's governor jan brewer last week. both are defying the obama administration's new policy to give work permits to young

illegal immigrants. sheer what arizona's governor said about it. >> it has already been determined you're not allowed to have a driver's license if you are here illegally. with the obama amnesty plan, that doesn't make them legally here. because they haven't even applied yet for whatever work permits they will go for. >> victoria is an nbc contributor and a fellow at university of texas. good morning to you. >> good morning, craig. >> we have seen nebraska do it, arizona do it. which state is next to defy the obama administration's wishes? >> you know, we're going to see close to two dozen states that put forward anti-immigration legislation since 2010 probably follow suit. arizona is always in the leader of the pack. so we are going to see the same states that did copy cat laws of sb 1070. they are showing the president that you may put this federal policy into place, but as states, we still have the prerogative to oversee what residents of our states get in

terms of taxpayer funded benefits. for example, instate tuition, driver licenses. they still want it assert their power. >> how big of a problem will this potentially be for the administration? >> it is a very big problem because it reminds the latina electorate that this is just a band-aid. that the bigger problem of immigration reform has not been tackled. so by brewer coming forward, highman coming forward, it says, hey, you haven't solved the problem and even deeper, he broke a promise. a broke a promise on a full scale surgery, not just a band-aid. >> there were supposed to be 200 illegal young in his country because of deferring deportation for two years. how much does this change things? >> day-to-day, it doesn't change that much. under federal immigration law, these undocumented youth cannot access welfare programs, medicaid. under arizona law, you can't

access instate tuition. so nothing changes. he is just really reasserting what arizona state laws are and the federal laws are. >> we should point out here that paul ryan voted against the dream act and latino democrats. and a number have characterized the republican's vp pick as extreme. is paul ryan going to turn off latino vote sners. >> in voting against the dream act, paul ryan wasn't much different than the bulk of republicans in congress. some have been talking, that perhaps catholicism of ryan could connect with latinos. however that being said, we've seen from different surveys that the catholic moral issue of it is way below the economic issues. think it'll be a wash with ryan and latinos. >> as always, thank you francesca. >> thanks much.

next on the list of top five trending stories, forgiveness. forgiveness of a pop band charged with hooliganism. that's right, that's the charge. even though the women are forgiven they still support the decision to prosecute the band. the pop band was sent to prison for two years after taking over a cathedral during a deliverance of vladimir putin. it is showing rush why's intolerance for descent. it's time to live... wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the

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he said it could be the most important product launch for apple investors ever. we all know youtube is the video giant but video is becoming a major component of facebook. in fact wbt social media leader just surpassed yahoo! to become the second biggest video site on the internet. time now for stand-outs and successes. first and foremosts. today's list of number ones. with all of the surf and sunshine, is it any wonder that people in hawaii are most likely to be satisfied with their lives? in a new gallup survey, hawaii had the highest percentage of resident who are thriving. u.s. is secretary end south dakota third. on the other hand, west virginia ranks dead last. just below -- not dead last, but just below delaware and maine. another dubious distinction. for the sixth straight year a federal report names mississippi the fastest state in america. skinniest state, colorado.

>> i got in, i got in! i got into princeton, yeah! yeah! >> yeah, like that guy there, student at princeton university have a good reason to celebrate. princeton, you see, tops the new forbs list of america's top colleges. williams college ranks second. stanford comes in at third. that's a great scene there. summer box office. avengers. on its way to an easy victory with earnings of more than $600 million bucks in north america alone. that's a record. that's also a quick run through today's number ones. r hospital wanted to provide better employee benefits while balancing the company's bottom line, their very first word was... [ to the tune of "lullaby and good night" ] ♪ af-lac ♪ aflac

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♪ i'd do anything for you, dear ♪ ♪ anything 'cause you mean everything to me ♪ ♪ i'd know that i'd go anywhere ♪ ♪ for your smile ♪ anywhere ♪ yes, i'd do anything ♪ anything for you ♪ welcome back to "weekends

with alex witt." i'm craig melvin at the half hour mark. critics from the right are saying that vice president joe biden is a loose cannon and should be replaced while critics on the left put the spotlight on paul ryan's budget plan and request for stimulus funds as well. joining me, martin frost. also, daily beast column nest, meagan mccain. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> morning. >> congressman, let me start with you. democrats really rocked in -- they locked their aim on paul ryan and specifically what he said, the medicare stuff. can a presidential campaign really win by focusing on the vice presidential candidate? >> generally, the election is decided by looking at the two presidential candidates. it is very rare that a vice presidential candidate makes much of a difference. this time may be the exception because ryan is so far out in front on the medicare issue. whenever you talk about medicare, that's a bad day for

republicans. the conversation is not about the economy. the economy is the issue where republicanes have a chance of scoring points but ryan changes the subject, moves it to medicare. i don't think the election will be decided on the basis of ryan being on the ticket or not on the ticket. but it is not helpful for republicans for this coined of conversation to be held on medicare. >> you can provide a unique perspective here on vp picks. how important is the number two on the ticket? is that something that we talk about a great deal in the media and folks in the beltway or is it something that really affects people? >> in my opinion and experience it makes a great difference when the vp is chosen. i think what is going on this weekend and what a negative impact it is having on the obama campaign shows exactly how -- >> do you think the -- i mean we talk about -- >> joe biden is the gift that keeps on giving. i love everything is does. it is so embarrassing, so ridiculous and so over the top. i called him an idiot on the column. >> did you? >> yeah. i think it shows what a true

fiscal conservative and pro paul ryan is. >> you also wrote that they should dump him from the ticket and hillary clinton should become part. but he know that won't happen. >> we know it won't happen and we know she is just teeing up for 2016. we know she is a much better leader than biden and it just makes us look better. >> congressman within i want to bring you back in here. four years ago it was biden versus palin. we know how that turned out. when you talk about biden versus ryan in a policy debate, how does the dynamic change? >> first of all, biden was in the senate for become 40 years. he is a very knowledgeable guy on foreign policy and domestic policy. he will do just fine. but i want to go back it what meagan said. i find it hard to believe she was defending sarah palin. sarah palin was a disaster -- >> you weren't defending --

>> i was referring to paul ryan just now. >> no, no, she was saying a vice presidential candidate does make a difference. >> in that case, palin hurt mccain. everybody makes a plis take from time to time. ryan had to acknowledge he made mistake. he didn't think he asked for any stimulus funds then he went back and research and said some of my staff sent a letter asking for stimulus funds. and the thing that is a basis of just reacting to a constituent. so everybody will make a mistake from time to time. biden is a solid guy, a good vice president and doing very well in debates and i think ryan will do well in debates too. >> were you defending sarah palin? >> just now, i was speaking about any running mate making a difference positive or negative. i have a fond memory of being on the road with sarah palin. that's not what this conversation is about. >> do you think that her affect on that tick wet as positive one? >> yes.

i love sarah palin at the time. it is just that everything -- >> at the time. >> everything since the election -- >> we are republican women, that's an easy google search. that's not what this conversation is about. we are talking about paul ryan. if you look at his true record, he is a true fiscal conservative and i think that's what voters will concentrate on when they go into the voting booth. >> the time the vice presidential candidate made a difference in my lifetime is lindon johnson in 1960. he helped john kennedy in some state. >> you raise an interesting point. if you look back over the past few cycles, john edwards couldn't deliver north carolina. i don't believe al gore helped clinton in tennessee. >> certainly didn't. >> so i mean, if the number two on the ticket, if they can't bring votes, what then should the number two on the ticket do? >> accentuate the candidate. and you know, showcase all of

the things that maybe he doesn't have to do. for me what i like about paul ryan other than a true fiscal conservative. he is young, interesting. >> he's sexy and in good shape. i don't know if we are allowed to say that any more. >> lots of women have said that. >> you don't think mitt romney is young and sexy? >> if i had to choose between the two for dinner, i would choose paul ryan. but those are the things i'm excited about. >> craig -- >> go ahead. congressman -- are you about to tell me about young and sexy folks? >> no, no, let me be clear. i think paul ryan is a descent guy, a smart guy. i don't think it makes that much difference in the terms of the presidential election. this is a choice between obama and romney. to the extent that republicans get tied in the knots talking about medicare and not about the economy, that helps obama. i'm all for the discussion being about medicare. i this adiscussion of the economy has a down fall for obama. we will see how it turns out.

>> last question, quickly. ten seconds if you can. how surprised were you with the ryan pick a week ago. >> i was surprised. i thought romney would be more conventional. but it is a descent pick. >> how about you. >> i was shocked. i thought it would be rob portman. freaked out. screamed in the car. so excited. >> what about sarah palin. >> i didn't think he would pick sarah palin. i didn't think any woman add shot this time around. >> congressman thank you. appreciate you. >> megan, thank pup you. we ran out of time. >> thank. >> the andy cohen and the creator of the real housewives series. the one question that president obama refused to answer. but first, alex asked him just how real the housewives are. >> success of the whole housewives series which is phenomenal. first off, that has exceeded your whilest expectations.

>> yes. absolutely. >> you never could see it going here. with regard to the orange county housewives. that's one that i know the most. and watching a woman like vickie. >> yes. >> how do you sit there and watch what they are saying back and forth and look at someone like that who is clearly delusional about maybe this brookes guy in her life and everybody says, do you ever go after the show and have a little chat, heart to heart like big brother or son? >> not at all. not my rule to get involved in how they make the decisions they make. it is just not my job. >> but, is it truly reality or is it encouraged reality or scripted? people always wonder. >> people do. it is reality. and the reason that we get what we get is we cast women who are willing to put it all out there and who are not shrinking vie lots. it is not the real wall flowers of orange county. these are women who are in it to win it and they've got huge

personalities and those personalities kind of dictate where the cameras go. >> right. but how do you audition these women? what is it that you asked of them? >> we look at their homes. we have them give us a sense of their family night. we shoot with them and their friends. so we just try to get as big -- as much of a sense as who we are. we ask them questions about their views on friendship. their views on their friends. their views on their husbands. their familyes. how they raise their kids. and we look at that and figure out if they would make a good house wife. >> are they friends when they're not camera. >> yeah. >> would you get a sense they hang out year round? >> depends on who you are talking about. friendships change as friendships in life change. >> would you subscribe to the old adage that any publicity is

good publicity as long as they spell your name right. >> i don't. >> who is that wack-a-doodle -- sorry, i mean, that -- danielle stob. >> you have to figure out, is it good for the show or bad for the show, or good for this person or bad for this person to be involved in the show at this point in their life. and that's a conversation we have. >> look at the magazines. >> that's my shrine to things of -- those are bravo people and me people and friends and everything else. yeah. i keep adding to it. >> this book which i have to admit i read, and i didn't intend to read the whole thing. i thought i would prep for this and read part of it and all that. i actually couldn't put it down. because it was a fun read. >> thank you. >> and fast read. >> thanks. >> why did you want it write it now? >> it is something i wanted it write for a long time. i just needed a deadline. so i got myself a deadline and i wrote it. but i just -- this book has been

inside me for a long time. >> i can tell. it's in your voice. >> it. >> it is as if you are talking to us. >> exactly. so i just was -- i was really hungry to write this. and share my story. and i'm so excited about it. and people are really responding well to it. >> i understand you played, plead the fifth, with the president. >> i did. >> at sarah jessica parker's. >> yes, i did. >> what was that like? >> it was amazing. there had been many serious questions or about six or seven that had been predetermined and it was predetermined that at the end of the night i would get up and play my signature game, plead the fifth, with the president. and i did. and it was exciting. it was exhilarating. and he was really cool. and i said, look, the rules are, i give you three questions and can you can plead the fifth to only one. he said, okay, do you give me the questions all at once? then i get to choose? i said, no, that's the game, mr. president. so the question that he plead the fifth on was, what item of

clothing in the first ladies closet do you not care for. >> he is smooth. >> he said oh, i'm pleading the fifth, are you kidding me? >> then mrs. obama said, i want to know now. i want it know what the outfit is. >> i loved what he answered that when you said, what do you like most about being president. and he said -- >> the biggest perk. and he said, the truman balcony. he said it is the best view in washington. >> we will have more from alex's interview with andy cohen coming up just a little bit later here. of course, be sure to tune in to watch what happens live sunday through thursday. 11:00 eastern on brava. now, top five trending stories. move over harry potter. cat nis has outsold the seven book harry potter series. the company says the hunger games is the most borrowed e-book in the kendel library.

amazon's uk website announced last week that el james, author of the 50 shades erotic trilogy, is the best selling author in its history. [ female announcer ] with swiffer dusters,

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returns would be made public then last weekend revealed her husband was refusing to release them. now she forced to when verse herself again, after talking with mondale, her financial advisors and her husband. >> the couple released six years of tax forms and showed they owed $53,000 in back taxes and interest on a real estate deal. documents also showed taxes that added up to 41% of their income as well. in the current campaign, former massachusetts governor mitt romney refused to release tax returns other than his 2010 and preliminary one from 2011. this week the former governor's camp said that romney paid a tax rate of at least 13% every year for the past ten years. as for vice presidential candidate paul ryan, he released fwo years of tax returns this week. it showed he paid a tax rate of 20% last year and 15.9% in 2010. switch gears now. must see, must avoid. whitney houston's final film

make its big screen debut. teaming up with jordin sparks in "sparkle." >> sparkle, you can have a gift. it's how you use it. >> the film is set in the 1960s, following three sisters, on their quest for girl group stardom under the watchful eye of their mother. in touch weekly senior editor kim serrafin. whitney houston's last film before she died. many folks thought this might be the come back performance for her. is this a must-see? >> definitely a must-see. and not just because of white knee houston but really, if you were on the fence, go see it because of whitney houston. this would have been her come back. i think this would have totally reinvigorated her career. it showets she shines as an actress. she was mostly known as a singer but she had some big acting

roles under the past. and i think this shows she was on the right path to getting herself back together. she didn't have the voice, we knew her voice declined over the years but she has so much heart. i think if you watch it now, you almost see parallels in the movie with her life. it is interesting watching it now after we know everything that happened to whitney houston. but a great movie. and definitely, know that there are cliches in it. dream girls. star is born. basic same story. girl group com to life in the mo town era. she is the mother of the three girls. but it, again, has parallels to her life. a lot of great singing. go see it. definitely must-see. and very fitting to have it as whitney houston's final role. would have been nice to see how it help herd career. >> also a lot of buzz this week because of robert pattinson playing a billionaire whose limo ride across manhattan pie vales out of control. does this one deliver? >> i'm going to say must-see.

>> really? >> you may have heard robert pattinson, and his little movie, "twilight." he got a little press this week, for something or other. he has more range than playing a vampire. it is an skoesten shl. and he is great in it. it the 99% from the 1% from a novel. >> jennifer garner and joel who are parents that magically grow their own child, called "the odd life of timothy green." are you going three for three? >> i am going three for three. and expendables, this weekend. jennifer garner. this is pg. some people think it is sappy and sweet but it has that cap ra feel. go see it and know it is very

sweet. but it is nice. parents will like it and i think kids will like it. >> kim, always a pleasure. thank you. >> thank you. now to number four on our top five trending stories. mars rover heads out on the first road trip of the planet tonight. the rover will aim its laser microcast for the first time. taking 30 shots at a rock formation. part after two-year mission to determine if the planet most like earth could have ever hosted ma kroebal life. who are you, really? country? rocker? glam?

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♪ i'm in love with the other woman ♪ ♪ my life is fine >> for all you ray parker junior fans out there. the republican national convention. nine days away now. thousands of delegates and even more are getting ready. workers are busy putting the final touches on the floor. this is the time lapse the rnc

give us to from inside the tampa bay times forum. press press second cal downy joining me live. no politics, no policy this morning, good sir. just want it talk preparations. >> outstanding. >> are you ready? >> you bet. >> really? >> we are, craig. >> we could do it tomorrow? >> well, we are less than ten days away and by the time everybody comes to town, we are going to be ready. >> just to give background for folks who aren't ready for the story, why did the gop pick florida as this year's convention site, in the first place? >> it was an emic contest of rock paper scissors. tampa picked rock, and they won. >> what other cities were under consideration. >> that contest took place well over a year ago. i think stretching back to even two years ago. tampa is a fantastic city. mayor buck horn, democrat, is very good to us. local restaurant, hotel owners, business people, all welcoming

arms. enthusiasm down here is very high. locals are referring to it as the economic convention. >> who are some of this year's notable speakers? >> we've announced a long list of speakers. >> besides mitt romney and paul ryan of course. >> chris christie will be our keynote. senator rubioant ducing governor romney. haley, martinez, kelly ayote. archer davis, former democrat. a very long list of very dynamic speakers. >> governor mcdonald. condoleezza right also scheduled it speak. i want to ask you about these conventions. ill ask the dnc press special the same question here next week. are they still relevant? it is a lot of balloons. a lot of booze. a lot of money spent on a big party for the most part where the outcome is predetermined. we know who the vp pickle be. platform for the most part is

decided before it starts. could you spend this money in a better way? >> look. conventions serve a couple of purposes. the one, which is consistent, going back to when conventions started, it serves as a rally point for the party. everyone comes together from across the country. and you know, the enthusiasm grows and we launch governor romney and paul ryan into the general. the other point, is the audience that we'll reach. we will take governor romney's message, unfiltered, to the people. we expect upwards of 40 million people to tune in. during the daytime on cable, the audience is probably upwards of 18 million. that says nothing of the audience that we will have on-line. we have launched a very robust social media component to this convention. it is called convention without walls. you know, a soldier stationed overseas is going to be able to

tune in and share the experience just as if they were a delegate on the convention floor. >> thank you, sir. good luck to you down there in tampa. >> thanks, craig. folks, we invite to you watch msnbc for live coverage of the republican national convention. 20 hours of daily coverage kicks off with way too early in the morning with morning joe. rachel maddow. all beginning a week from now. straight ahead, swing states lawsuits challenge new voter id laws.

you do a lot of kayakingno. whoooa i'm in a river. what are some good kayaking words? like...rapids? look, i'm going through the rapids. ok. i'll take it. new offers in new places so you can try new things. sync your american express card with facebook, foursquare, and twitter to find savings. that's the membership effect of american express. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." i'm craig melvin. alex is off today. it is 1:00 in the east. 10:00 out west. president obama is off on the campaign trail to new hampshire. he is expected to again blast the romney/ryan ticket.

especially on their budget plans. presumptive vice presidential candidate paul ryan spoke at the world's largest retirement community. with his mother on hand, ryan talked about important issues for retirees, including of course, medicare. >> you've heard the president has been talking about medicare a bit lately. we want this debate. we need this debate. and we are going to win this debate. >> mitt romney and paul ryan will be campaigning side by side on monday in new hampshire as the gop candidates try to build support before the start of that republican convention later this month in tampa. tuesday, romney will head to texas. paul ryan heading to philadelphia. let's start in florida. nbc's ron mott is at the villages. ron, this was paul rye and most detailed speech on medicare so far. how did it go over down there? >> hey there, craig.

i think it went over very well as far as folks who came out to hear him today. this is large lay pro romney/ryan crowd. a if you obama supporters among the crowd here but mostly by and large a romney/ryan crowd here. what paul ryan said he wanted to come here to do is tell people what the president isn't telling him. he said the president raided this medicare program to pay for the affordable care act which the republicans like it call obama care to the tune of $716 billion. and so the crowd obviously moaned and groaned when they heard that. the benefits as currently prescribed will not change. what has to change, he and governor romney say, are the program benefits for the next generations to come after that because right now, he says the program is on a track it fail and to go into insolvency and bankruptcy as the president put the program in that dire straits, if you will.

this has been a real strong week for paul ryan, by and large. he rolled out of course last saturday in norfolk, washington. he has been in eight states, all battle ground states that obama hope to pick off from the team. from ohio to florida to colorado, virginia, nj north carolina, wisconsin where paul ryan is from as well. this is a glitch free week. on monday at des moines iowa state fair, there was a medicare protester who got up close and personal with paul ryan on the stage there. in the past 24 hours he had to reverse his position on whether or not he sought stimulus funds. whether he sought funds when he spent publicly railing against the program. he said he did win, help win financial aid for one o two organizations in wisconsin. all in all, it's been a pretty good week for him. he and mitt romney will reunite on the campaign trail with a town hall up in the battle ground state of new hampshire. >> in florida on this saturday.

thank you, sir, appreciate you. >> okay. >> let's turn to the president now. mr. obama is on the trail in new hampshire at this hour where he is likely to touch on the gop's medicare plan once again. nbc kristin walker joins us live from the white house with details on that trip. kristin, what can we expect to hear from the president today? >> good afternoon to you, craig. president obama will give a prebutt to the romney troop. he will focus on taxes and medicare specifically. we're expecting him to really hit the medicare issue hard today. well hear him talk about the fact that he believes the ryan plan would turn medicare into a voucher system. this is something the community in new hampshire cares a lot about. 13% of the population in new hampshire is 65 or older. that number is expected to increase by the way, over the next several years. so in order to hold on to new hampshire, a state he won in 2008, he will have to woo that population. the seniors. and also of course, independent.

now if you look at polls in new hampshire, right now they are pretty favorable to president obama. they show him with about a 4 point lead. remember, this is a state that romney also has a foot hold in. he staged a number of big speeches there. events there. campaign events and he also has that home there in wolfborough. he spent a lot of time pressing the flesh in new hampshire as well. so right now, president obama hoping to hold on to that state and again, he is really going to press the issue of medicare today. >> you mentioned dem grat graphics there. let's continue that conversation. less than three months until election day. swing voters of course, absolutely crucial. what do we know about these so-called swing voters and how important they will be to the election this year in particular? >> well, craig, i've been speaking to some political analyst about this. they believe swing voters make up anywhere between 3 to 5% of the population. so who are they specifically? typically i they pay less attention to politics.

typically they tend to be more independent, but not exclusively ind pennant, and there are fewer swing voters this year because partisanship is up. that's an interesting point. and we've seen that play out in our own politics here in washington, d.c. so those are who the swing voters are. and the candidate are going to have to vie to get their attention because they are not that tuned in typically to what is happening right now. and again, i've been talking to political analysts about this who say, what is the key issue that they care about? it's the key issue that all-americans care about right now, the economy, number one issue. i asked some of the folks i've been speaking to, when do they typically make up their minds. >> that's exactly what i was going to ask you. >> right. it is hard it track that. a lot of times it is within the days leading up to, they believe believe, the election. and who they feel the most comfortable with. who they think is going to steer the country in the right

direction. they are a hard group to track, craig. but they will make all the difference in this election. in part because the polls are so close. nationwide and also in battle ground states. 3 to 5% is critical. >> 3 to 5% in eight or nine states. what you are saying is this election will be -- it'll boil down to 68 people. >> half of which in iowa -- >> maybe a few more. >> thank you, kristin welker from the white house on this saturday afternoon. joining me for more front page politics. the political editor, perry bacon, both msnbc contributors. i want to start off with where i left off with kristin welker. a story of undecided voters were swing voters, it is mind boggling when you stop to think, perry wheb you stop to think about how much money, some $500 million so far, on tv and radio, how much money has been spent so far on such a small sliver of the electorate bp.

>> we're going to get through the end of this election with about a billion dollars spent. and like you said, about 90% of people already know who they are voting for and probably knew who they were voting for in october of 2011. it is a lot of money spent. that said, you saw paul ryan today trying to bring his mother with him to talk about medicare and the reason is, that's one of the issues they care about, is paul ryan and mitt romney trying to change medicare and what are they doing with that program. >> dave, how do you think paul ryan did in florida this morning sh. >> dewell. but very slippery in a couple of important ways. he refers to a bipartisan plan. i think what he was referring to is some ideas he and ron wyden proposed, senator from oregon, democrat. two times it's been voted on, didn't get democratic support. kind of gives the impression he is stalking about details. everything in the presentation made it look like that, but he was mentioning more aspect of

the democrat's current existing plans and in the worst possible way. and not really talking about his. the way he -- i've seen him kind of describe the plan, i saw him campaigning in virginia yesterday. it is more just that they are going to give seniors a choice and keep the promise of medicare. but they are designing promise down, sort of. the promise isn't that you will have the medicare system that you have right new. the promise is to roll the ladder up behind us if we are older than 55. people younger than that will have vouchers. he didn't get into the details when he was announced as vp that people thought he might. >> perry, there are a lot of folks who remember some years ago when president bush, then president bush, talked about overhauling social security. he talked about privatizing social security. that was a short conversation. and there were a lot of folks inside his own party that basically said, whoa, whoa, whoa, mr. president. let's not go down that road just yet. do you think this will be a winning strategy, talking about

medicare to older voters in florida? >> one thing in the bush example is a good one. in 2004 when bush ran for election, he rarely spoke with social security reform. then he tried to interact it and it was very unpopular. i'm surprise ride an and romney are discussing this issue in the middle after campaign. usually very difficult to talk about big changes like this that are controversial in the middle of a campaign. also because in 2010, republicans won because they did so well among the elderly vote. they won the elderly vote by 20 points and that drove them to victory. so it is going to be a big risk they are taking here by talking about this issue in such detail because they need the vote much more than the democrats do. >> dave, mitt romney, paul ryan together again on monday. joint campaign event we haven't seen a whole lot of that just yet. we don't expect to see too much of it. are they better together or better apart? >> well, i've seen ryan apart. i've seen the show that they are letting him put on.

and i think actually, he adds quite a lot when he is on the stage with romney. what he's been doing is giving the impression that romney is making bolder decisions than would he have otherwise made. it is kind of the opposite. ryan had a bold medicare program in his budget that keeps that $716 billion he is talking about, keeps that reduction under medicare spending. just gets it in different ways. romney says he won't cut that money. when they are together, i think reer toically, ryan is able to give some cover to romney on some numbers he is proposed that frankly, don't add up. when i say numbers, he hasn't been as specific as ryan has been in the past. i any that respect they go well together. >> dave weigel, perry bacon, thanks to both of you. appreciate you. >> thank you. >> folks, be sure to stay up-to-date on all of the latest political developments. all you have to do to do that is go to first read on our website,

msnbcnews.com. thousands in washington state are forced to flee powerful wildfires are starting to return home this saturday. crews are still battling more than 50 blazes still burning across the country there. they hope to have nearly 23,000 acre fire east of seattle contained tomorrow. in idaho, resident are told to evacuate. and in southern california, check this out. torrential rains have triggered some massive mudslides. this video was shot about 75 miles east of los angeles where fast moving water swept trees, rocks and other debris down a mountain. rescuers had to help one woman who was caught off guard by the current. now that a judge is has refused to block pennsylvania's controversial voter id law, what are its opponent going to do next. also, politics, why has chelsea clinton changed her mind about running for political

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right now, president obama has taken the stage in windham, new hampshire. he is at a campaign event there. he just started talking about mitt romney and paul ryan. let's listen in. >> then somehow prosperity will rain down on all of you. that's their theory. in fact, the centerpiece of my opponent's entire economic plan, is a new $5 trillion tax ut kut,

a lot of it going to the wealthiest americans. hu new running mate, congressman ryan ryan-he put forward a plan that puts 1% in taxes each year. and here is the kicker. he expect to you pick up the tab. gf for romney's tax plan. this is not my analysis now. this is the analysis of independent folks who analyze tax plans for a living. that's what they do. their analysis show that governor romney's plan would raise taxes on middle class families with children by an average of $2,000. not to reduce the deficit, not to grow jobs. not to invest in education. but to give a another tax cut to folks like him.

now, as governor romney and his running mate, when they're here in new hampshire on monday, they will be here monday, ask him if that's fair. ask him how it will grow the economy. ask him how it will strengthen the middle class. they have been trying to sell this trickled down snake oil before. it did not work then. it will not work now. it is not a plan to create jobs. it will not reduce the deficit. it will not move the economy forward. it's the wrong direction for america. now, you know, the truth is, i think they know it's not a very popular idea. you can tell that -- you can tell that because now they're being dishonest about my plans since they can't sell their plans. i mean, they are trying to throw

everything at the wall just to see what will stick. the latest thing they've been trying is to talk about medicare. now, you would think they would avoid talking about medicare. given the fact that both of them have proposed to voucherize the medicare system. but i guess they figure the best defense is to try to go on offense. so new hampshire, here is what you need to know. since i've been in office, i have strengthened medicare. i've made reforms that extended the life of the program that saved millions of seniors hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs. the only changes to your benefits that i've made on medicare is that medicare now

covers new preventive services like cancer screenings and wellness visits for free. governor romney and congressman ryan have a different plan. what they want is to get seen yon yoseniors to get a voucher which could force seniors to pay an extra $6400 a year for their healthcare. again, this is not my estimate. remember those guys who analyze these things for a living? that's their assessment. that doesn't strengthen medicare. that undoes the very guarantee of medicare. that's the core of the plan written by congressman rye and and not dors endorsed by governor romney. crack done on fraud, waste, insurance company subsidies.

and their plan makes seniors pay more so they can get another tax cut to millionaires and billion airs. airs /* my plan extend the the life of medicare by nearly a decade. their plan would put medicare on track to be ended as we know it. it would be an entirely different plan, a plan in which you could not count on healthcare because it would have to be coming out of your pocket. that the real difference between our plans on medicare. that the choice in this election. and that's why i'm running for a second term as president of the united states, and i need your help. >> president obama there as windham high school in windham new hampshire. you heard him there speaking for a few minutes talking. preaching a familiar sermon. a sermon we have heard all week,

the president talking about medicare, talking about what his administration has done. talking about what mitt romney and paul ryan would do, introduced us to the word voucherized. that's the first time i've heard the president use that word. he talked about voucherizing medicare. and his opponent pedaling snake oil. paul ryan was down in florida. the world's largest retirement community. a few hours ago. also talking about medicare. mitt romney and paul ryan will be together on monday in new hampshire. new hampshire has four electoral votes. this is the sixth time that the president has been there this year. it is indeed a battle ground state. when we come back, we will talk about another battle ground state. we will take you to pennsylvania. voter id law there. the debate rageets on. we will pick it up right after the break.

with just 80 days until the election lawsuits across the country are challenging state laws that decide who may vote. and there is special urgency in swing states including pennsylvania where republicans fear voter fraud but critics say that the laws will turn off minority voters. joining me live now, amy warden. she covers politics in government for the philadelphia enquirer. she reported on this week's big story in pennsylvania. a judge, there is the headline there, judge upholds voter id law. amy, good afternoon. first of all, let's start with that headline, what does this now mean in pennsylvania? >> well, judge robert simpson denied a bid to block the implementation of the voter id law on wednesday. on thursday, the plaintiffs came back with their appeal to the

pennsylvania state supreme court. that's where we are right now. that ruling set the stage for new legal rounds and debate. what happens next? >> right. well, the plaintiffs have filed their -- have filed their appeal. they have sought an expedited hearing before the state supreme court, which could mean oral arguments in early september. on the other hand, the supreme court doesn't have to get that far. they could issue a decision before that. >> the justice department of course, is investigating the voter id law there. governor tom corbit's top lawyer wrote this to the department. i want to put this on the screen here. this is just an excerpt. i question whether your inquiry is truly motivated bay desire to assess compliance with federal voting rights laws or rather is fuelled by political voting

motivation. >> that just -- that news just came out today. so we don't have any reaction yet but there's no question that politics runs a pretty strong course through this entire debate. >> there's a new poll that shows this washington post poll that came out at the beginning of last week showing that 74% of people that 23% say voters should not have to show id. >> no doubt the polls show whelmingly that people do support the idea of presenting a photo id at the polling booths. i think the reality, as it came out in this court case, is a little more complicated than that. you have large numbers of people, different voting blocks, primarily seniors, who don't

have the proper state approved voter id. >> i've heard a lot of numbers about the potential for voters being affected in pennsylvania. what are you hearing about the actual number of voters in that state, in your state, who could be denied the right to vote. >> right. >> the numbers are all over the map and nobody can say exactly. the republicans coming into this debate and as they push for the legislation to be passed, said only 1% of voters may be affected. that, 99% of the voting population, would be able to vote without a problem. they revised those numbers after the bill was enacted into law and then they came out with a figure of as many as%. >> amy warden, thank you so much. do appreciate your work there, ma'am. keep in touch. this is obviously a story we

have been paying a lot of attention to there in pennsylvania and we want it continue to follow it. thank you for your help. >> thank you. >> coming up, today's big three panel talking about a dear old mom on the campaign trail. and what's this? chelsea clinton, not ruling out running for political office. really? you're watching "weekends with alex witt." sh tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air.

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he absolutely loved it. and i knew he was getting everything he needed to stay healthy indoors. and after a couple of weeks, i knew we were finally home! [ female announcer ] purina cat chow indoor. and for a delicious way to help maintain a healthy weight, try new purina cat chow healthy weight. alicia, thank pup times square on this 18th day of august. now 1:33 here. here are the fast five headlines. russian orthodox says the three punk rockers convicted of hooliganism have been forgiven by the church. the trio was sentenced to three

years for a punk prayer in protest of vladimir putin. they will still of course go to prison. meanwhile back here officials in dallas county texas will design whether to have aerial spraying to combat west nile. the effort to killed mosquitos was called off because of rain. in central ohio nearly 300 shar peis and chihuahuas were rescued. cages hadn't been cleaned in weeks. the humane society says the elderly couple who ran the kennel could no longer care for the animals. in maryland a fiery attack on a cab driver back fires which leaves his attacker dead. police say the suspect was a passenger who robbed and tried to light the driver on fire using a flammable liquid. instead, the suspect lit himself on fire. that driver escaped with minor injuries. and a library in ham den, connecticut is closed this weekend all because of bedbugs. a pest control company will work

to get rid of those, with furniture and books. those are your fast five headlines. back it politics now. republican vice presidential candidate paul ryan released his tax returns and he paid a higher rate than his running mate. gop campaign released dodgements including two years of federal returns. they show that ryan paid an effective tax rate of 20% in 2011. the campaign estimates that mitt romney will pay an effective rate of 15.4% for 2011. if your dad was president and your mom secretary of state, you would probably get asked about running for office a lot as well. but in a new interview with vogue magazine, chelsea clinton finally cracked the door open to a run. in an excerpt, here it is, quote, so if there were to be a point where it was something i felt called to do and i didn't think there was someone who was

sufficiently committed to he build healing jier more just more equitable more productive world? then that would be a request i'd have to ask and answer. so a change of tune here, ashley. what changed chelsea clinton's pliend? >> you have to remember that chelsea was born in the governor's mansion in arkansas. she's been in the political spotlight all her life. she says since she was four years old she today answer there question. are you planning it run for office? and her answer, up until now has always been no, no, absolutely not. no, no, no. and she sites for an example her mother who taught her that although it's important to be involved in the political process, there are so many more wayes it play a role. and chelsea has tried up until now, to play a different role. when her mother decided to jump into the campaign, and it's not clear which campaign that forced chelsea to rethink things, whether her mom's senate campaign or white house campaign, but it started chelsea to consider, maybe i can't write

off a run for office just yet. >> what does the very unique experience of growing up in the white house, what does that experience bring to the table as a candidate? >> there are so many things. the first thing is that chelsea has the name recognition. everyone basically in the world knows that chelsea clinton is the daughter of bill clinton and hillary clinton. she has name recognition right after the bat that so many candidates fight for. another thing is she knows how to deal with the issues in the present. she has very deep knowledge of all of the issues facing our country. she was in the white house while her parent dealt with that. she talked about coming home, and coming to the dinner table, talking about her biology homework then her dad discuss he the budget in pass and her mom discusses hall j care. it started now. now chelsea is very well spoken on a range of issues that someone her age typically is not. >> something else she is feeling

a bit of pressure to do, have kids. she tells vogue she knows she was the center of her parent lives and her mom really want to be a grandmother. so could this thing become a choice between a baby or run for office? >> you know what, no one can say what chelsea clinton's dilemma is going to be. what clae clear it seems, is that she want it have several more achievements under her belt before she decides to have a family. that example comes from her mother who before she had chelsea, was part of her law firm and was the first lady of arkansas. chelsea at least wants it finish her phd before, you know, starting the brude. and it may not come down to having a kid or running for office. hillary clinton, pressing chelsea for grand kids, made it clear she does not plan it return to the obama administration for a second term and she also said, hey, i don't plan it run in 2016 either. with all this free time, she

will have a lot of time to take care of those grand kids and change a couple of diapers and do whatever it takes. >> ashley, contributing writer, thank you. >> all right, no problem. have a good one. >> you as well. let's switch gears to three big money headlines. single hires and lobster low. economy analyst and author of black market billions. first of all, i always struggle with the last name. >> you got it perfect. >> okay, thank you 1067 for that. >> you're awesome. >> let's start with two of the biggest names in the tech world. facebook, apple. moving in opposite directions. what's going on with facebook? >> opposite direc says the operative word there. facebook for example is now val i'd at one of the biggest companies in the world. its market cap right now -- >> apple. >> yes, excuse me mp. yes, apple. facebook, stock plummeted on friday. 50% from when it first debuted at $38.

when it closed, it was at $19. >> what happened friday? >> what -- well, basically what happened on thursday, around -- investors, initial investors, had about 90 days to hold on to the stock. couldn't trade the stock. thursday was the first day they could do something with that stock. exchange that stock. sell it, trade it. and there isn't conclusive ef evidence, but there was conclusive evidence that earnings beat analyst estimates but came in on the income levels and in terms of -- also analyst are saying there was talk about how, you know, revenue streams for facebook wasn't as strong as they were expecting. there were a lot of nay sayers out there. >> stats for singlees. they seem to find jobs faster than their married downer parco parts. what can we make of that. >> 6 million singles unemployed. almost 90% of them now are unemployed p.m. versus the

married counter parts. unemployed. they are having issues trying to get jobs. about 20% of them now can't seem to find jobs. and what is happening right now is that people are saying, that singles, because they are under age of 35, a lot of them -- >> cheaper to hire. >> cheapter hire, more willing to move. and they are willing to have, you know, lower jobs, lower wages in terms of the jobs. >> and finally, here is a story we are both very passionate about. >> yes. >> whole sale lobster prices in this country, in new england, sunk to a 40-year low. yet you walk in a restaurant, try to get a robster roll -- >> still paying $30 for the lobster plate. >> who do we talk to? >> really we need to cook them. at the store they are 3.99 a pound. however if we go into the restaurants because of value pricing, they still charge $30 because that restaurant feels they are the only ones that can really provide that specific

lobster plate and there is that demand and therefore they will keep charging us. so we need to learn how to cook. >> the cost after lobster is not going down any time soon in the restaurant. >> i don't know how i feel about the lobster tapping on the window. >> i don't want to cook it because i don't have the stomach. but can i eat it. thank you. >> thank you for having me paul ryan's mother joining him in a key swing state. but will this mom appeal win hearts and voters? we will talk about it. you're watching "weekends with alex witt." there are projects. and there are game-changers. those ideas that start with us rolling up our sleeves... ...and end with a new favorite room in the house. and when we can save even more on those kinds of projects... ...with advice to make them even better... ...that's a game-changer in itself. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get this exclusive vanity with porcelain top for the new low price of just $99.

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check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. taking his medicare message on the road. speaking just moments ago at a campaign stop in new hampshire. the president compared his plan to mitt romney and paul ryan's. >> my plans already expected the life of pled care medicare by n decade. their plan would put medicare on

track to be ended as we know it. it would be an entirely different plan. a plan in which you could not count on healthcare because it would have to be coming out of your pocket. that's the real difference between our plans on medicare. that's the choice in this election. and that's why i'm running for a second term as president of the united states and i need your help. >> time now for the big three. and today's topics, breakout moment. foreign nonpolicy. and best week, worst week. let's bring in the panel. air erin mcpike wp susan bell percento and keith boykin. good afternoon to all of you. thanks for sharing your saturday with us. >> great to be here. >> erin, we will start with you. since sure not here in new york, before we get to paul ryan speech, we just heard from president obama there in new hampshire. is that the winning message?

is that the argument that will resonate with olders voters come november? >> it certainly may. of course, it is what the obama campaign has been saying all along. the obama campaign thinks with this pick of paul ryan that they now have upper hand, with maybe seniors, but especially in the state of florida if they just keep the focus on medicare and saying that, in previousity racings of the pry an plan, he has tried to end medicare or proposed such a thing. of course paul ryan changed his tune somewhat o on this but they do think this is a great thing for the obama campaign. >> here is the thing, keith and susan. we were talking about this a few moments ago. george w. bush, when he was talk about privatizing social security, that didn't go well at all. folks from both parties came out and eventually squashed that. a what changed since then? why do republicans think they can win an argument with elderly people in this country, win an argument on medicare reform? and the issue that typically

polls much better for democrats? >> i think right now we are seeing the economic times without a doubt, the talks of fiscal cliffs, problems that our global economy is in. everyone is very on edge. and the fact is, that everyone knows medicare cannot continue the way it's going. we cannot continue that spending. we simply cannot afford it. i think a very honest straight forward conversation about it is something that the republicans can potentially win on because people need to hear real answers right now. they've had enough. they are sick of elected officials doing the nibbling at the edges. they want to see real reform and to be certain they'll be protected in years to come. >> i don't think they can win the argument. that's the reason they are lying about it. they are going out there and saying that barack obama is going to cut $700 million from medicare. those are the same savings that paul ryan has in his plan. how can you say on the one hand that medicare is a socialized pl medicine in crazy entitlement. which is it? it is such an inconsistent

argument. people like paul ryan's mother, she is smart enough and old enough to see through ill logical argument they are making there. the republicans have spent 50 years opposing medicare. from 1952 to 1965, every democratic congress proposed legislation for medicare and every year republicans blocked it. they call is socialized medicine. they have been opposed to it in the clinton administration. opposed it in the reagan administration. opposed it in the bush administration. why do we think suddenly that republicans are trying to save medicare. it doesn't make sense. >> the fact are, 55 and older everything stays the same. if you are younger, just like people don't believe social security will be there for you. people know that we've got to change the system we have. >> my question, erin, and again, facts notwithstanding here, politically, politically strategically, how smart of an attempt is this? >> i'm sorry, it is more of an attempt as what? >> an attempt to start the discussion over medicare, to

have this discussion right new a few months before the election in november? >> certainly, republicans are a bit jittery about it because yes, under fact, under the past democrats have had the upper hand in talking about entitlement reform. there are jitters running through the republican party. speaker john j jitters throughout the republican program. he tried to calm down his caucus and advise them how to talk about it, but this is very dangerous for them and could be a problem at the voting booths this fall. >> you're 100% right, especially when it comes to some congressional races, they are very jittery. >> most recently, there's still upheaval in the middle east, the candidates aren't talking about that. neither mitt romney nor barack obama, no one is talking at great length about what's

happening globally. why is that? is it that we just don't care anymore or is it one of those things that republicans don't talk about it because the president is still, in terms of foreign policy at least, polls very well? >> i don't think it's something the country is comfortable with. this is our longest war. we've been in afghanistan for 11 years now, and the president is in a tough position because he's trying to bring the war to an end but he's also got to figure out how to do it responsibly. it's not a war he started, it's a war he's trying to finish. but not every president has been defeated. it's something the president has a difficult time talking about, because i guess susan and i would probably agree, and i think most democrats ask republ -- a republicans agree, this is a war that has to come to an end. >> there is a little overlap here but not much. come back. with the spark cash card from capital one, sven's home security gets the most rewards

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we're with the big three. best week, worst week. erin we'll start with you. >> best week, tommy thompson, the former governor of wisconsin, won his senate primary and senate republicans think it will help him beat democrat tammy baldwin in that state and they have another seat that may help get them back under control. good luck to them. worst week, the president, because it reunited this talk saying he could be dumped, but not a great week for headlines for joe biden. >> did you and susan exchange notes? >> no, we didn't, but i agree with her picks. tommy thompson, also a lot of people believe it was ryan's pick, that ryan endorsed thompson that put him over the edge towards vet end, so that's significant. and again, joe biden for stepping all over the president

when he was going to come out and talk about the romney ticket, we're talking about joe biden again. >> who is your loser of the week. >> arturo davis. i went to school with him. he supported barack obama in 2008 and then he lost his election for governor in alabama, he even lost prit math primary, he lost the black vote. now he's become a republican and wants to speak at the republican national convention. i have not too many flattering things to say about mr. arturo davis today. >> that used to be one of your home boys. >> used to be. >> while you're here, your best pick. >> my best pick of the week is my own book. "for colored boys who have considered suicide when the rainbow is just not enough." it just came out this week and hopefully people will go out and buy it. >> congratulations. >> erin, i always appreciate your time down there in washington, d.c.

susan delpursio, an all-around great person. thanks to all of you. that wraps up "weekends with alex witt." i'll be back here tomorrow. alex's vacation continues. have a fantastic day. pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections,

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