add trump, michele bachmann, herman cain and knew newt gingrich. the latest person to be under the scope. >> a big vote coming up today on payroll taxes. >> the house will work its will today. >> an amendment green lighting the pipeline from canada to texas need senate to determine the tax cut doa. a surprise play passing on his right to a pretrial hearing today. >> put together the best possible defense that we can do. stay the course to fight -- we will wait for the opportunity to present our side and we couldn't do that today. >> and freedom fight. the wife of an american contractor jailed in cuba for two years makes an emotional plea for his release. good day. i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. in our daily fix today, new polling from nbc news and the

wall street journal shows with the first voting only three weeks from today, republicans are not happy with tlir choices. only 21% of registered republicans say that the current field is strong. with many good candidates to choose from. 51% call their choices average. 27% say the field is weak with hardly any good choices. chris alisa is managing editor of post politics.com. there is a look at the poll. what does this tell us about the mood of the electorate certainly out there in iowa and the field, republican choices that they have in a very big field. >> let me first say, andrea, i get excited what new poll comes out. that's an exciting time for me. this is good news. i'm glad we get to talk about it. look, i think it is surprising. at least to me, that you have only 20% of people saying they have a strong and a lot of good

choices. that's a number we likely have seen this past summer. we did see this past summer. usually what happen says, and this goes for democrat and republicans, people, when the race isn't engaged, people aren't that engaged. they think, none of these people are that great. but as the race gets more engaged, tle know people better, see people on television, see them on national news. >> right. >> usually that number in terms of how much you approve of the field, goads way up. it is interesting that it is not going way up at the home and we are only three weeks away. >> especially when you have had this number of debates and such a high viewership of the debates. certainly people in iowa have been looking this field over. what do you think is remiss here? have you a number of candidates to appeal to the very conservative evangelical voters. what's missing from this field? >> i think from what you have seen throughout the past year, andrea, is mitt romney 20 to 25% in most polls nationally.

that means 75 to 80% of the republican electorate who basically decided they don't want to be with romney mp pe have gone through a series of choices but they haven't happened on any anyone who they fell in love with. michele bachmann was in that place. donald trump was in that place. herman cain was in that place. now newt gingrich is in that place. will those con sefb tifs who decide they don't want mitt romney, is it just latest example and does romney end up winning by almost default the same way john kerry won in 2004. >> with a little help from howard dean at the time. >> right. >> thanks very much, chris. great to share poll day with you. and of course the ref of the wall street poll will be on later in the news. now with us, ann seltzer and malhall prin. time magazine's editor at large. first to you, you were involved

in a bloomberg group. to try to understand how newt gingrich, the front-runner would stand up to their concerns about his waste and some of his positions and personal life, what were some of the reactions? >> you know, andrea, i think the most poin poignant exchange was asking these various people support willing candidates why they supported the candidate they did. one very passionate ron paul supported said moral values are the most important thing. the economy will go up and down. we don't need a save for for that. if we don't have moral values, we don't have flig. . across the table from her was a newt gingrich supporter who said, i couldn't agree with you more. but if we don't have the right person in the white house, we've got nothing. i sort of chimed in and said, what about family values. because mike huckabee won last time based on the platform.

a gingrich supported says, the the economy is a family value. ing fixing the economy is a family value. they are among the strongest people in the room in terms of the solid if i of their support. i felt like the initial test of could they stand up, do they stand up to the attacks that are coming, i felt lake they could. >> very interesting, first person observations. mark, what does this tell you? and what thought i had in going over our new poll and the fact that so many people are dissatisfied with the field is that you some outliars in this field. you had some really extraordinary failures of various candidates be ups and downs. we have scent herman cain experience and problem rick perry had under a couple debates. does that continue in dissatisfaction with the field? >> i think it does, andrea. we are heading into a period where increasingly people will

want people to predict what will happen here. this is an unpredictable situation as people have seen. the dissatisfaction with the candidates is reflected for me most clearly in the small crowd size in iowa with few exceptions we see events with a couple hundred people at most, you think about 4 years ago. drawing thousands, you know, many hundreds, on a routine basis. so there is, despite this conventional wisdom that republicans a desperate to beate president. in this field of candidates wsh much is made about the weakness in the field. if this field it is not surprising to me that a poll would show there a level of dissatisfaction. none of these candidates is driving an economic message. no one has the total package right now. >> rudy giuliani had something to say about newt gingrich. and this probably goes back to their experiences four years ago

pb four and five years ago. this is rudy giuliani praising newt and undercutting romney. >> one of the strengths he has is a common touch. he is able to talk to people. he dprucomes from a poor family. understands poverty from that point of a view. though the polls show that both of them do about equally as well or poorly against obama. i think the instinct is that gingrich might be the better candida candidate. might make a better connection with what we call the reagan democrats. >> well, newt gingrich having a common touch. that causes them to ignore tiffanys, ignore freddie mac, there's a lot of baggage there. >> yeah. i think those things are slightly less uncomfortable than the idea there may be bigger embarrass many.

i don't know that the tiffany's is that kind of embarrassment, but we asked voters about what they felt about what what chris christie today say. do you want a president that will embarrass you or a president can you be proud of? that was a moment for the gingrich supporters that gave them pause. they felt good about their candidate but weren't sure everybody else would as well. they are driven to find a winner. >> does rudy jude giuliani coming out, is this really just giuliani's resentment against mitt romney. >> you pit your finger on what i think is the key dynamic right now. there is an open question as to whether the establishment can stop him the way they stopped

buchanan and mccain in previous cycles. this is dangerous for the romney people. if the establishment says, he is a perfectly fine nominee. dick cheney's comments undermine that as well. >> all right, what a year. thank you very much. three weeks out, ann selzer will see new iowa and of course, as well. jerry sandusky waived his right to hearing, hospitaling no t.o. go right to trial. he, of course, pleaded not guilty. sandusky and his wife returned home. you are looking live right now of his home. his attorney went back it the courthouse to talk about their strategy in the wake of this morning's dramatic developments. >> we're toward defend. we have always been ready to defend. today's waiver has nothing to do with conceding anything.

there is no plea negotiations. will be no plea negotiations. there th is the fight to death. this is the fight of jerry sandusky's life in the hey, craig, great to see you. a lot of surprises. there was t was packed courtroom. thousands of people trying to get in and there was only a room for about a hundred. they were upset there was no show. >> it only took a few min pupts this week tend was said this preliminary hearing was going to happen. low an behold this morning, they changed their mind. apparently the decision was made yesterday. he spoke with the prosecution after the prosecutors say sured him they would not raise the $250,000 bail on jerry sneeks app after he learned would he not be allowed to essentially go after the credibility of witnesses presented today, he

decided that it was not going to be in the best interest of his client. jerry sandusky, as you mentioned, decided in addition to wavinging today's prelimb fair prelimb nar rg preliminary hearing. the next time we see him might be in the trial. i spoke with victim number six a short time ago via telephone. he told me that essentially the victims relieved. they were held in waiting area. they were prepared to go into the gruesome details of what happened to them. but as you might imagine, it not happening today was a great relief to those victims, andrea. >> craig, the bottom line was that sandusky aeb his attorney had nothing to gain. they know from the grand jury what the victims are about to say. the best thing for them is to not have this portrayed publicly

and expressed with all of the gruesome details as you point out tp p t was a blessing for the victims not to have to go into the details but also clearly a good tactic for the defense. >> and the attorney said that. he went on for about two and a half hours after the hearing. he said that having victims in court today, going on and on, detailing what happened, and having all of the reporters who gathered here from all over the country and world, having them talk about that today and tomorrow would not benefit jerry sandusky in the least bit. >> craig melvin, thanks so much. great to see you. thanks for your report. still ahead, what newt's former colleagues are saying about the one-time king of the hill. romney campaign's jim talon join us. plus, is america really leaving iraq? nce, it's a bit like asking if they want a big hat... ...'scuse me...

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officials near tacoma, washington are investigating a fatal helicopters crash that killed four army aviators that killed four last night. it is not clear if two choppers collided or crashed separately. leon panetta is in kabul. texas held a huge homecoming celebration for soldiers returning home from iraq. they were reunited at fort bliss. god bless. home for christmas. and the last of american soldiers of course scheduled to leave iraq over the next few weeks. but the u.s. government isn't really going anywhere. new cons late are being built to house diplomats and civilians that will be in iraq for years and years to come.

the u.s. ambassador to iraq spoke to jim jeffrey about it last night on rock center. >> have you ever seen a u.s. diplomatic enterprise of any kind? anything to compare with this? >> saigon, when i left in 1973. >> that's not very happy -- that's not a very happy comparison. >> you asked me for numerical size, not an expression of happiness. >> di. >> honest diplomat. jonathan is an iraq war veteran, and worked in the pentagon. you have a great perspective, two tours in iraq. let's talk about whether we are really drawing down. 17,000 civilian contractors diplomats will be at the embassy in baghdad. the largest in the world. it is an incredible encampment. we looked at the pictures.

amazing pictures we saw last night. very vulnerable to iran. >> i think that's a bit overmuch to say. it is still a war zan. there are still issues. these are not security contractors. the focus of our efforts from this point on. ing diplomatic development. civilian assistance. >> but what we saw were two language trainers, two diplomats, two women. they say that they are in an armed battle gear, that's just to go through baghdad, not even basra. >> security continues to be of concern. the reality is we set the objective to leave iraq after we have established a level of security that the iraqi people

can maintain. and we have succeed fled that. i mean, the president when he ran, he said i'm going to gettous ut of iraq as soon as iraqis can manage the situations themselves. >> what about the fact that commanders in the field did recommend, we have heard this from critics of the president, but we have also heard it indirectly from our own reporting. >> right. >> that commanders did want a residual force of more than 20,000 men and women, but they do not get the agrem from the malachi government. >> one of the things that happens is when the iraqi government decides they are capable maintaining their own security, they are now a sovereign state. as partner states, then that's their decision to make. can you have critics all the time. a lot of critics are the same people that got us into the war in the first place. >> sure. i understand. >> under false pretenses. they are trying to cover up for their past miscalls. >> do you think this is going to go well? >> i think this is going to go

as well as it can. we could stay another ten, 20 years. but that's not going to make it ever get a hundred percent better. the iraqis are capable and so kudos to the president or handing off to the iraqis. >> thank you for your service. >> thank you. >> thanks for being with us today. is mitt romney really the next hillary clinton? the political briefing is next on andrea mitchell reports. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first, it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you. love it, or get your money back. have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep.

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just how much trouble is mitt romney's campaign in? for the first time yesterday rb rom nooe acknowledged he might not win the nomination. >> look, in trouble would mean that something bad might happen to me. i'm not in trul. i'm in a great spot. i could become our nominee or someone else can become our nominee and can i do back it business and back to my family. either one of those is a very nice outcome.

>> john can be somehow i just don't -- i'm not buy the. you don't work this hard, spend this much money and put your family through this. >> yes. i'm sure he has an option for which one he hopes might come true. if romney is somehow able to fight his way through this challenge, this very stiff challenge that newt gingrich has given him, and become the nominee, will be a better and stronger nominee by virtue of having to fight for the job. and also show more of himself and his values, what he stance for, in the settings like the interview he did yesterday like mike allen and like the other interviews he is doing. he is controlled, almost plastic like or manequin like figure. he is now in a situation where he won't win by being a manequin. he has to show us who he is as a leader and as a person tz their strategy was it hold back, not permit him to be out there and do interviews.

other than the debates, he was not available it anyone. then what we have seen is that he couldn't take a punch. he didn't respond in a natural easy way and he made the mistake, certainly in the last debate he made, with the $10,000 b bet. so do they think now that this is, you know, going to get him ready for what is to come if he survives this challenge from newt kbri gingrich? >> right. their old strategy didn't work so they have to adapt it a new strategy. you're right, you are not a boxer unless you are in the ring frequently. so mitt romney hasn't had that much practice starring with a tough interview. he will now get it. i think romney calculation is that, look, any dream that this would be an easy waltz to the nomination that he is is nominee to plid to late january, you can forget about this at that point. this is a long hard slog to the nomination, if it in fact, he if

he gets the nomination. gingrich will now increasingly, look at it as someone who may be plausably a contender for the nominee. this is long haul. similar to 2008, hillary versus obama. >> similarly to barack obama who became a better candidate because of the clinton challenge, mitt romney does have the organization and money to go the distance and he said it could go to june 15 in california. which is not what many originally predicted. >> good for our line 6 work though, andrea. >> always good for our line of work. thank you so much. >> so long, andrea. and newt's former allies on the attack today. congressman jim talent will join us next. plus, in prison for cuba for two years. what did a u.s. contractor do to get himself sentenced to 15 years in a havana jail. this is andrea mitchell report only on msnbc. ♪

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top be headlines right now. unusual violence in belgium where officials are grappling with an assault on holiday shoppers with a man armed with grenades. the attacker is dead, 75 are injured pf after gunfire in the city. police say it is unclear if the attacker committed suicide or died by accident. putin is not having an easy ride back to the presidency. now a new candidate has emerged to challenge putin. russian billionaire and owner of the new jersey nets decided to run in next year's election. he says, government officials who fail to establish a dialogue with society will have to go. former senator and governor john corzine is back on capitol hill today. but his return engagement for this former politician and wall street investor is not an easy one. he is trying to explain to former senate colleagues how he managed to lose track of $1.2

billion of customer funds that went missing when his company, mf global collapsed. the company cfo and ce or are testifying and all three are saying they don't know where the money is. >> i never intended anyone at mf global to misuse funds. i want to address the missing money. again, i was stunned to learn that hundreds of millions of dollars in funds were not reconciled on october 30. >> will the controversial opinion about the morning after pill get a second look? they will look at whether the government acted legally or not, when permitting girls 16 and younger easy access to contraceptive plan b. there a week after the rejection of the fda proposal to allow

access to the morning after pill over-the-counter. a nationwide ban to electric devices for hands free devices in cars. the only exception is gps. this has to be enacted into law for it to take effect. >> mitt romney is interesting trouble convincing republicans he is conservative. >> i think people recognize that i'm not a partisan republican, that i'm someone who is moderate and that my views are progressive and so they will vote for me regardless of the party label. >> that was then, this is now. one of those former house republicans is with me now. jim talent also served as senator from missouri and is now a romney supporter and certainly, knows a lot about newt gingrich having served with him. thanks very much for joining us. first of all, to this new romney video, this is romney running

for governor in massachusetts. clearly running in a blue state. how do you respond to it? >> i say look what he did when he was governor and look at the proposals he presented now. the irony is that mitt romney is running on a record and on a set of proposals. that is far more conservatives since regan. he mentioned before speaker gingrich and my comments regarding him, i think the contrast there is with someone who has proven by his record and actions he is an unreliable leader. his exhibit one are his comments about the ryan plan is the reason his campaign collapsed earlier in the year. >> what do you say to former vice president cheney and rudy giuliani and others coming to newt gingrich's defense, and saying he has changed. even lindsay graham meet the press, who led the uprising against gingrich, was in graham's office back then.

and said gingrich changed. >> i think that absolutely captured it. i got this question on a talk show, do you think we will see the old newt or new newt? i said, the country is close to going over the edge. we are in an incredibly dangerous situation. went we are going to nominate someone who we are hoping someone who has always been the same way in his career? this is five months ago he did this to paul. this is not 20 years ago. four years ago he opposed the surge. those are the two biggest aspects of the conservative agenda the last four years. i'm not prepared to take a chance he is no longer unreliable. >> we have a new nbc news wall street journal poll today and you have a lot of people, 21% not happy with choices they got. not happy with the field. they have add lot of time to evaluate mitt romney. why do you think he is not getting the love? >> he has a lot of people very happy with him. he had a very strong support across all segments of the party. i think the republican party embraces new leaders slowly.

i think there is a lot of people -- i understand they are incredibly frustrated with washington. they want someone who throws reeer to cal bombs effectively. i would say to them, look, what we need here, and that needs to be part of it, but we need a proven person effective at turning around screwed up institutions, their culture and their decision. he is the man for the season, he is the man for the job we have ahead of us. >> i want to correct the record here. i misstated numbers. 21% believe a strong field, 27% say that they are hardly any good candidates. 51% think they are average. this sort of so-so some good candidates. they are up there on the board. >> it sounds to me about right, andrea. there are a group of voters undecided and they are parking at one place or another or another. i think at the end of the day they will go tore the proven leader and not with it case for the spoken leader and a guy that's that's just unreliable as

the leader and said things that sabotage the agenda. he said, look, with friends like this, who needs enemies. >> jim talent from the romney camp, thank you very much for joining us today. >> thank you, andrea. >> this month marks two years that american contractor allen gross has been suck in a cuban jail. gross has been working for the age ensieve international development when he was arrested for bringing in lap tops and cell phones into cuba. he was convicted of quote crimes against the state and sentenced 15 years in prison. joining me now, allen gross's wife, judy gross. jiedy, i know you traveled three times to cuba. what are you learning and what is the mood, first of all, of your husband? have you been able to see him and talk to him in prison? >> the most recent trip was about three weeks ago. his mood was the worst i've seen. you have to know him. he is gregarious and outgoing and a jokester. and he is just very depressed.

and very angry. just not himself at all. >> and his health? is it also an issue the longer he stays in jail? >> he has very bad arthritis. so he is having trouble getting in and out of chairs and walking like he did. >> what is our government doing? i know we hear statements from the state department but what really is happening on the ground? jimmy carter tried, bill richardson stride and others who have good relations from havana. what are you hearing back channel as well as from the state department? >> main lit issue is we don't know what cuba wants. and they have not made it dleer any of the visitors who have gone down there or to us or to the state department. >> what was he doing with the lap tops? we know there are restriction owns communication devices going into havana. what was the purpose of this usa id mission? >> there are three main jewish communities on the island, but

all very spread apart. alan was helping them with their intranet so they could communicate with one another and with the internet so they could download prayer books, things to us that are everyday kinds of things. but to the cubans, to the jewish community, it was a huge deal. >> why was the government doing this? why was a government contractor doing this? >> this is part after government contract through usaid. >> for religious freedom? >> they call is t a democracy program. >> what is it like when you have -- are facing so many obstacles and you don't really know what the hidden agenda is, because we have such bad relations with havana. only today republicans put an amendment on the continuing resolution which would roll back some of the openings that the obama white house has approved for more travel, more remittances, by cuban-americans to cuba. so you can see that there is just residual infighting on

capitol hill. and your husband is sort of caught in the middle of all this. >> absolutely. he is absolutely a pawn. not just between our own government but between 50 years of poor relationships and programs that haven't worked with cuba. so he is really stuck between cuban government, american government and now some people who seem to have a different agenda. >> do have you a view on the embargo? >> my personal view? >> yeah. >> yes. i think it should be lifted. i think that we have nothing against the cuban people. they are the ones who are suffering. the government, maybe we don't agree with entirely, but these are just people who are fighting everyday to get food. >> and i know alan's mother is elderly. tell me about evelyn gross, your mother-in-law. >> she's a strong, strong woman. i guess the acorn doesn't fall

far from the tree. alan is also strong. but she is suffering lung cancer. she has cancer in both lungs. >> how old is she? >> 89 she has side effects from the drugs. she can't say alan's name without crying. she is very fearful she won't see him again. if you have a pressage, tle watch us in havana. we have very good relations in long standing journalistic relations, what would you say to raul castronev. >> i would say, is this what you would want for your own family? and i would say alan has nothing against the cuban people and unfortunately he is just a pawn in the two governments. >> and you believe that a

15-year sentence for bringing in some lap tops -- >> is ridiculous. cell phones, 15 years. that's quite a -- he was not overting the government. he wasn't a spy. he doesn't even speak spanish. just cell phones. he has no intention of doing anything to the government or overturning any government. >> do you think this is in their mind connected to the prisoners who are here who they believe are held unjustly, the cuban five? >> i honestly don't like to put them in the same sentence because the cases are so different. >> judy gross, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> your repeal for your husband, alan gross still in prison in havana. >> thank you. >> thank for being here. the payroll tax showdown. critical vote hours away. congressman steve israel will join us live from the hill next on andrea mitchell reports. this is ridiculous. yeah, and it's got apps. nice. it's got vudu, twitter, facebook. no honey, not facebook.

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hi there, everyone. why did jerry sandusky waive his right to what could have been a dramatic hearing. his attorney says he made a tactical decision that kept sandusky from coming face it face with some of his accusers. i will talk with kathleen caine who is running for pennsylvania attorney general and michael smerconish about today's surprising developments. plus -- >> how does the n word even motivate to you play basketball

and what does that have to do with anything? >> m a high school basketball player stands her ground against her own testimony mates who repeatedly use the n word as part after pregame warm-up chant but how she ended up suspended for five days, i will talk with her live. >> right now, the white house says that president obama would veto house republicans version of the payroll tax cut extension because it does include required approval within 60 days of that keystone pipeline from canada to the gulf of mexico. democratic congressman steve israel from new york is also the chairman of the democratic congressional campaign committee. thanks so much for joining us. >> do you agree with the president's vietnam why threat on the payroll tax extension if it involves this pipeline authorization some. >> i do. and i think it even goes beyond the pipeline. the republican payroll tax cut would actually cut medicare between 400 and 500 million dollars. you know, every election,

andrea, and every vote is about who you are for and whose priorities you will stand up for. house democrats in this white house have been fighting to extend a payroll tax cut that will save middle class and working families $1,000. and how republicans have been relentless in opposing it. in order to protect 300,000 people who are making over a million dollar a year from a surcharge on every dollar over a million dollars. so well continue fighting for the middle class and the republicans tried to obstruct. they have tried to destruct. they have tried to put pizon pills in this. i don't know what it is about a middle class tax cut that these republicans do not like. >> but you are head of the campaign committee. is this going to hurt some of your key democrats in swing districts if they vote against this? >> house democrats, those voters, in those swing districts know full well that house democrats want a simple clearly understood proposition that, if you are the middle class, you

continue to get the $1,000 tax cut. and it is house republicanes who are saying, no to tax cut for middle class families. in order to protect their 300,000 of the richest americans. we are going to drive that contrast and even more ownrous contrast and that is how do republicans pay for their extension of the tax cut, andrea. they pay for it by cutting medicare for senior citizens between 400 and $500 million. they give something to middle class with one hand and tick it away from the other hand and it is fundamentally wrong and it is why they are in so much trouble politically. >> the payroll tax seems to be annish a you that republicans are on the defensive. you know, let's face it. the white house got out in front of them on that. at the same time, there is quiet agreement behind the scenes on a continuing resolution to avoid another government shut down. you guys figured out that america is really angry at congress and that no one want to

see this whole charade again, of another showdown, between dem krts and republicans. is that going to get done and are you going to end up -- does john boehner need democratic votes on the payroll tax extension? is there going to have to be a compromise on this as well? >> since day one, since republicans took the grfl and took majority, they have consistently said we will maintain a compromise. you will get democratic votes on something fair to families. in march they tried to shut down government for the woman's right to go to planned parenthood. they tried to shut down the debt ceiling despite democrats willing it make pretty tough compromises. here we are in december. we have said again to speaker boehner and to republicans, as long as it is fair it middle class, we will support a budget and funding resolutions that continue the operation of government. >> have you ever compromised away military women rights to certain contraceptive help, to abortion for instance, if they are raped?

is that already a compromise that democrats are willing to make for military women? >> no, it is an compromise -- >> not a compromise that this democrat is willing to make. if you remember when democrats were in charge, when we had the majority, the first thing we did was passed the lily led better act for women in the workplace making less than a man for a similar job. we repealed don't ask don't tell. >> we will see whether the president vetoes it as well if military women have the same rights. >> all women should have equal rights. i have not yet heard from the white house what their view it and if that poison pill has been inserted. i would oppose that kind of extraneous language. >> congressman steve israel, thank you for being with us. the house votes later this

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>> which political story will make headlines in the next 24 hours. contributor and managing editor chris joins us now. hey, chris, we understand newt gingrich will talk about brain science research on wednesday at the university of iowa. >> yeah. i will touch on it quickly, but it's fascinating. he was the iowa and international front-runner. he is doing a brain science research panel and attending mike huckabee's movie in des moines in the evening. it's a non-traditional schedule for a non-traditional candidate. >> i don't think it's a mistake. >> it's working. >> it's working for him and working for huckabee. >> newt is looking to huckabee 08 and trying to copy it. >> for all of us poll junkies

and you're one and i'm one. >> heck yeah. >> we have seen already that republicans questioned by peter hart are not happy with the choices. we will see what they have to say about the front-runner and the former front-runner as well as the rest of the field. thanks so much. >> can't wait. >> that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." tomorrow national security adviser steven hadley. remember follow the show online and on twitter @mitchell reports. >> great to see you. we are talking about the poll and get a preview of a new poll that shows a majority of registered republicans think the gop field is "average or weak." newt gingrich endorses a controversial marriage plan that is supposed to top the sanctity of marriage. he did not sign it. he just endorsed it.

jerry sandusky was supposed to go face-to-face with accusers and stunned the court with the decision to waive the right to a preliminary hearing. this may all lead to a plea deal. how many times investigators say a driver involved in this deadly car crash sent and received text messages in just 11 minutes. they are calling for a ban on all cell phones while you drive. so we switched to the bargain detergent, but i found myself using three times more than you're supposed to and the clothes still weren't as clean as with tide. so we're back to tide. they're cuter in clean clothes. thanks, honey. yeah. you suck at folding. [ laughs ] [ female announcer ] just one cap of tide plus bleach gives you more cleaning power than six caps of the bargain brand. visit facebook.com/tide to learn about special offers. that's my tide. what's yours? [ female announcer ] we never forget

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a vad -- avoiding his accusers. jerry sandusky said he is ready to fight changes, but today in a surprise move, a decision that allows him to skip a dramatic hearing that would have included testimony from his alleged victims y. his attorney did not want the hearing to take place. >> newt gingrich wanted to ceasefire and pull back from