colorado. the last prisoner executed was gary lee davis in october of 1997. joining me now from colorado is a iris eton, a criminal defense attorney. iris, good to have you with us today to help guide us through some of the legalities that are coming down the line. it's been reported that the district attorney chambers has sought more death penalty cases than any other current colorado d.a. so she's professionally on board with it, has no problems seeking it. but in addition to talking to the victims and their families, what other factors will be in play here? >> the biggest factor in play is going to be whether or not mr. holmes has a mental illness. and it's going to be a long road in order to have both of the authorities and his defense lawyers to get to the bottom of that. >> iris, the three inmates currently on colorado's death row, as we said, it's very rare for someone to get the death penalty, but two of them have been put there by the arapahoe county district attorney's office. what are the main challenges in

defending a death penalty case in colorado? and is the possibility of a plea bargain an option as we move further in the legal process? >> like you said, miss chambers is the most likely to pursue the death penalty of any district attorney in the state of colorado. as rarely as it is sought in colorado, and has been over the years, but the factors that she'll look at in whether or not she's going to plea bargain the case have a lot to do with whether or not what they uncover, as his bizarre behaviors is from a mental illness or not. and the plea bargain will be life without parole. if that is a possibility. or it could be an agreement that he spend the rest of his life at the colorado state mental health institution in pueblo as a result of a not guilty by reason of insanity agreement. >> iris, a few moments ago, the house speaker john boehner was asked ability possible new gun legislation in response to what happened in colorado. i want to play for everybody what he had to say about that.

>> the president has made clear that he's not going to use this horrific event to push for new gun laws. i agree. >> in hearing that, in your estimation about what's taking place in colorado and from your legal expertise there, is this something, do you think, that's going to be largely discussed within the state of colorado, something that needs to be addressed there? not just only in light of what we saw here, but for other things that we've seen happening nationally around the country? virginia tech and also the tucson shooting with gabby giffords. >> i think that that's going to be a draw that's going to take people into thinking about that kind of policy. however, it's true that people that, like, perhaps mr. holmes, we don't know whether or not he's having an onset of schizophrenia, which is common for people his age, and having bizarre behavior, as he has shown. so far, as has been evidenced with what's been on the television and what's been televised. so maybe it's true that there needs to be some gun control

legislation. however, his bizarre behavior and how this occurred, i don't think gun control would necessarily have prevented it. >> iris eytan, nice to have you on this morning. thank you for your time. >> thank you very much. the ncaa sanctions against penn state are sending tremendous ripple effects through happy valley, and some members of penn state's board of trustees says they are angry that the university is not appealing the sanctions. now, among them, a $60 million fine, equal to just one year's gross revenue of the football team, which will go to help victims of child sexual abuse. the team also banned from post-season ball games for four years. and a reduction of scholarships, 10 initial and 20 total a year also for four years. now, the accumulate effect, potentially devastating to state college's football season. and business leaders say they're already expecting fallout. >> for a lot of businesses in the area, that's when they make their profit that's going to see them through the winter months.

so it is crucial. >> and joining me now is attorney michael bonny, lawyer for the 18-year-old known as victim number one, who helped launch this case against jerry sandusky. michael, what are your clients, number one, that is, the client, victim number one, the reaction to these sanctions? have you had a chance to talk about that? >> i actually have not. my client and his mother have been out of town. i don't know what their reaction is. i can imagine that they feel some measure of satisfaction that the ncaa came down as hard and as heavy as it did. >> from a legal perspective, and someone who has spoken extensively with this young man and his family, what's your reaction? >> i believe that the sanctions are severe, but appropriately so. i think that a message, a strong message needed to be sent, not just to penn state and its culture of football overall, but all institutions of higher

learning around the country, that this type of cover-up activity at the highest levels of the university cannot be tolerated in a civilized society, and that the maniacal behavior of jerry sandusky cannot, cannot allow have happen at these institutions, just because, turning somebody like that in would cause some measure of a hit taken to the football program. that's just got -- all the priorities are upside down. >> michael, the paterno family continues to emphasize that joe paterno did nothing wrong, did not condone what sandusky did and that he committed no crime. now, the university has taken the opposite tack on that, by removing his statue in the ncaa forcing the team to vacate all of its wins from '98 through 2011. when you think about what your client, at such a young age, at

18 years old, has been through personally, what do you think that he is going to feel knowing that part of his contribution to all of this was a much larger effect to state college p.a.? do you think he feels the pressure of that responsibility, of having come forward, doing the right thing, and knowing all the things that are happening after? >> i can say that a person at that age couldn't have possibly imagined the rippling effect and the extensive ramifications of his simply reporting the horrific abuse that he suffered at the hands of jerry sandusky. now looking back, again, not having spoken with him, i really don't know what he's feeling right now. i can say only that he believed that when sandusky was found guilty, justice was served, and

we all believe that with others being now let into the criminal system, like curley and schultz, and it is hoped spanier closely behind, that those ramifications are very important, to me as well as to my client. >> michael, real quickly, the "new york post" page 6 is reporting that your client is going to be writing a tell-all book. do you know negative about that? >> only that they're having very preliminary meetings with lit air agents. that's all i know. >> attorney michael boni, appreciate your time this morning. >> thank you, thomas. still ahead, a stunning warning from syria. it's threatening to use chemical weapons against any country, any country, trying to help rebels topple the regime. plus -- >> knowingly twisting my words around to suggest that i don't value small businesses. >> the president will do everything in his power to try and get people to talk about shiny objects. >> the presidential campaigns

are back on the tack. i'll talk to today's power panel about, you didn't build this, of course we built that offensive. and if you've got something to say about today's show, you can always join in the conversation. tweet me @thomasaroberts. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new dentyne split to fit pack. it splits in to two smaller, sleeker packs that fit almost anywhere so you can take them everywhere. dentyne split to fit. practice safe breath.

back to the campaign trail and back on the attack. president obama is pushing back about what he calls mitt romney's twisting of his words about small businesses and small business owners. >> earlier today, governor romney was at it again. knowingly twisting my words around to suggest that i don't value small businesses. i understand these are the games that get played in political campaigns. although, you know, when folks just like omit entire sentences

of what you said, they start kind of splicing and dicing. >> this as the rnc delivers this counterpunch on behalf of mitt romney in an ad entitled, "they're not gaffes." >> the private sector's doing fine. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. >> this war of words coming as governor romney gets ready to address the same veterans group the president addressed yesterday. he is expected to lay out his foreign policy agenda, just before heading on a six-day swing across the pond. nbc's ron mott is in reno, where romney is going to speak in just a few hours. ron, what have we heard? the expectations of what mitt romney will deliver today to those vets. >> hey, there, thomas. good day to you. i think what mitt romney is going to deliver is what president obama tried to deliver yesterday, is that these veterans, americans have wanted to take care of these veterans. now, mitt romney is off after this speech today, he's off to london for the olympics. he's then going to go to poland

and then also another trip in israel, in the middle east. so he is going to try to impress upon these folks that he wants them to know that the president has failed them, the veterans. he's failed the veterans and he wants to be able to replace what the president has not done for them when he takes office in january. so mitt romney is going to come here today, address these inadvertence. we saw some of these folks last night. they are worried about their benefits. they're worried about defense cuts and cuts to their benefits. so we'll have to see what mitt romney has to say about all of that. of course, the president has been talking about small businesses. mitt romney is trying to exploit the president's words about, you didn't start that. so we'll have to see what these focus think about all that today, thomas. >> nbc's ron mott, thanks so much. we want to bring in our tuesday political power panel. and joining us is april ryan, white house correspondent for american urban radio, msnbc contributor, and republican strategist, susan del percio.

nbc contributor and democratic strategist, jimmy williams. it's great to see all three of you. sus susan, i want to start with you, because you're right in front of you. we have a small portion of the speech mitt romney will deliver this afternoon. it says, "if we do not have the strength or vision to lead, then other powers will take our place, pulling history in a very different direction. a just and peaceful world depends on a strong and just america." romney is going to be critical of the president on what he's doing for america as a whole, but internationally as its biggest representative. there's one thing about being critical on domestic soil, it's different about being critical on foreign soil. but does romney need to provide more of a laid-out agenda than just criticism. what is he going to do? what will his foreign policy look like as president? >> he definitely does have to lay it out. and like a lot of things, things aren't going to happen until after the convention. he's going on this tour, london, israel, poland.

and it's going to certainly build up his credentials when it comes to foreign affairs. but he is appealing to the veterans with this language. a lot of veterans coming home do feel that they question america's place in the world, after ten years of war. and they feel that they haven't gotten the strongest leadership under president obama. >> although he has been the one to pull everyone out of iraq, to talk about pulling everyone out of afghanistan. >> i'm not the one justifying it, i'm just repeating what i've heard and you hear coming back, with veterans coming back, and other people commenting on what veterans are coming back. >> all right, team obama was already critical of this trip, saying it's less about foreign policy and more about grabbing cash overseas. four years ago, though, john mccain criticized obama's policy, inexperience. it backfired when hundreds of thousands came out to hear him speak in berlin and beyond that. is there any way this trip could backfire the same way for team obama? >> i don't think that anyone's going to -- i mean, listen. as long as governor romney doesn't make a major gaffe or do something -- make a major mistake, per se, a political

mistake while he is abroad, i don't think anyone's going to pay any attention to it. is he there to do fund-raisers? yes. and he is going to the heart of the middle east, to israel, something that fairly or not fairly, whether you agree or dislike the president, obama has not done. and has said he won't do until his second term. so, consequently, he is going straight into that region. and we'll talk about that. the question becomes is, will romney criticize the president while he is on foreign soil? and i don't think that would be a very smart thing for him to do. he wants to lay out his vision for foreign policy, as the future president of the united states. that's one thing. but to criticize a sigt president while in a foreign country would be very bad on his part. >> in addition to the president's comments, the campaign is out with a new ad. i want everybody to take a look and listen. >> you didn't build that.

>> wait a minute, romney deliberately altered the meaning of the president's words. actually, he was talking about building infrastructure and education, not that individuals don't build their businesses. romney's been caught doing this before. >> so democrats have used romney's own words against him over the last few months, so does the president's campaign risk lacking like it can't take a dose of its own medicine? >> well, i'm going to say this. i think both of them are going to have to take a dose of their own medicine, because they're both going to be doing this. four months left, it's going to be a slugfest. it's going to tick up and it's going to be worse. because the race is just so close. you have a sitting president who has high marks over mitt romney in various areas, but not on the economy. everything is about the economy right now. what affects your pocket. so this president is definitely, i mean, he looks laid-back sometimes, but he's a fierce competitor and he's definitely going to try to win. and trust me, when you hear those ads saying, i sanctioned this, he sanctions it.

>> let's take a look, as you bring up april, there's the new "usa today" poll out, showing exactly what you're talking about. and the business background of mitt romney really making an impact with people, with people believing, 63%, that he would have good decisions over our economy. that as president obama has to deal with what his economy truly is. jimmy, as we look at this, are attacks on romney ice east business record just not working, not resonating, because it doesn't seem to be chipping away at the overall perception of him being a strong business leader. >> well, i can't tell you, i don't know what the "usa today" poll, whether it did likely voters or registered voters. i know that over a thousand voters, thursday through sunday, but it didn't tell me whether they were likely versus registered and that makes a big difference. what i can tell you is that most polls will show you, a, as april just said, this is going to be a remarkably close race, and b, the president in the gallup tracking poll is up by a point. listen, i keep saying this to people off the record and i'll say it on the record. if john mccain, in a really bad

year for republicans in 2008, can get 47% of the vote, i can guarantee you that mitt romney is going to get at least 47% of the vote, if not more. >> no. no. >> this is going to be a remarkably close race and it's going to go down to certain states. to your question, do those ads work? they work in certain places. blue-collar, ohio, parts of virginia, the suburbs of virginia, et cetera, florida. north carolina. it matters where those ads run and if those ads do what they're supposed to do in those states, then obama wins. if not, he won't. >> april, jump in there. jimmy's going on the record, guaranteeing that romney's going to come in at over 47%. >> let me say this to you. i hear what you're saying, but there were different times then. john mccain, when he received that what you're saying, that percentage, there was a war going on. there was -- we were going into recession. so i believe that mitt romney may -- we're in a different time. he may get more.

you never know. but i'm going to say this to you. you have to remember that times are different, and situations are different. people want to know, what have you done for me lately? and it's about money, money in your pocket. so that's the whole thing. that's what makes the ball go around. >> susan, the last word? yes or no, would he get over 47%, like jimmypredicts? >> yes. >> yes, jimmy, you're on the record. >> we'll see. >> today's power panel, my thanks to all i don't haof you. sally ride was an inspiration for women around the world as the first woman in space, but she's also making history for something else that you might not have known about. plus -- >> she was willing to give up hers to let me run, and i was willing to give up mine to make sure she lived. >> you have to hear their story. it's incredible. these two women, the best of friends, putting their lives on the line for each other during the colorado shooting. their story, plus president

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virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ here's a look at some other stories topping the news now. president obama says syria will be held accountable if the country decides to use chemical weapons. russia also issuing a warning today. yesterday, a syrian government spokesperson offered the first acknowledgement that the country does have weapons of mass destruction, and would use them in the face of a foreign attack. syria later claimed these remarks were taken out of context. former "news of the world" editors rebekah brooks and andy coulson will face charges for their alleged roles in the growi growing tabloid phone hacking scandal if britain. prosecutors say six others will also face charges. authorities say some of the suspects are accused of eavesdropping on celebrities, including brad pitt and angelina

jolie. authorities are investigating an overnight standoff at the university of connecticut that ended with a gunman committing suicide. police say the despondent man appeared on the avery point campus yesterday afternoon. he shot himself early this morning, following several hours of negotiations. well, it's going to be a hot one in pennsylvania today. and for more reasons than one provided by mother nature. hundreds are expected to protest the state's strict new voter i.d. law. we're going to take you live to that capital. and it's more than a million square feet and shows the toll of the aids epidemic, what it took on america. up next, the aids quilt marks an important milestone at the international aids conference going on right now in washington, d.c. let's take a paint project from "that looks hard" to "that didn't take long". let's break out behr ultra... ...the number one selling paint and primer in one, now with stain blocker. each coat works three times harder, priming, covering,

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movie. the three arrests are described as separate incidents. they range from someone who appeared intoxicated at a showing to someone who allege tli threatened a coworker after seeing the movie. the arrests come amid heightened security at certain theaters in wake of last week's shootings. and remembering some of the heros on that fateful day, of the 12 people who died after the gunfire inside, nine -- or, excuse me, inside that theater. we're told that three of those men who died, they did so shielding their girlfriends. jonathan blunk, matt mcquincqui and alexander teves. alexander's father was among the family members in court yesterday for james holmes' hearing. >> i saw the coward in court today. alex could have wiped the floor with him without even breaking a sweat. >> joining me today from colorado is nbc's miguel almaguer. miguel, so fill us in on what we are expecting from hearing about the victims, because now it

comes time for family planning for certain funerals, but also good news that some of the victims will be getting out of the hospital, because they recovered well enough. >> yeah, thomas. we know that some 70 people were injured during the shooting, 12 fatally. many of them have been hospitalized for several days. more people actually getting out of the hospital every day, at least the last day or two. we do know that there will be some funerals that will be held here over the next couple of days. some this weekend, some here in the state of colorado. others out of state, because of course all of these victims didn't necessarily live and grow up here in colorado. but as you were talking about earlier, one of those family members that was in court, there was another family member of one of the victims that was also in court yesterday. david sanchez says it was important for him to come to court to represent his daughter, katie mediall medley, the pregnn inside that theater. she was not injured, but her husband, caleb, was shot through the eye. yesterday they were in the same hospital when she gave birth to

their baby and her father thought it was important for him to be here and also look at the suspect for himself. >> nbc's miguel almaguer reporting for us from colorado. miguel, thank you. and we have another extraordinary story of bravery and survival emerging. it comes from two best friends. 19-year-old allie young and 21-year-old stephanie davies says they are inseparable and proved it when stephanie was shot and allie refused to leave her side. >> i opened my eyes, i was on the ground, blood everywhere. and iher saying, allie, get up, get up and i was like, i can't move. i can't get up. and she said, get up. and people started running down the aisle, and i'm in the aisle, just laying there.

so she grabs me and pulls me into the seats where your feet would be. she puts her fingers over my artery. my carotid artery had exploded, that's where i got shot. >> i'm telling her, allie, just stay there, don't move, just keep breathing. you never really know how close you are to somebody and how important they are to you until you can test your friendship and literally say that you were both willing to lay down your lives for each other. because she was willing to give up hers to let me run, and i was willing to give up mine to make sure she lived. >> just think about that. stephanie stayed until the gunman was gone and s.w.a.t. teams arrived, and she even helped carry allie to an ambulance. allie suffered multiple gunshot wounds and has no use, currently, of her right arm. another step in the showdown over pennsylvania's new voter i.d. law. the justice department is now investigating this rule, which requires voters to show a government photo i.d. before

they cast their ballots. several groups are suing the state, claiming this law is unfair. nbc's mara schiavocampo joins us live where hundreds are expected to gather for a rally coming up in less than two hours. and our own "jansing and co.," that team did some research and found out it's way easier to buy a gun in pennsylvania than it is to vote, because it takes longer to register and it could cost more for people who don't drive. what are people saying as they're ramping up to this rally, again, the expectation that hundreds will be there on the steps? >> reporter: yeah, well, thomas, as you can see, it's still pretty quiet. things are just getting underway. bus loads of protesters are starting to arrive here because the event doesn't start until 1:00. and the naacp says they're expecting hundreds of people to come here and protest these new voter i.d. laws. the law was signed by the governor earlier this year, the republican governor, and it will require governors to present a government-issued photo i.d. before they can cast a ballot. and going back to the study you

just did, you hear proponents of this legislation often argue that they can offer free i.d.s to people and that it's pretty simple to do, but you have opponents on the other side who counter that by saying that, in fact, sometimes it costs money to get the documents needed to get an i.d., like a copy of your birth certificate or a marriage license. and some of the challenges people face are if their names were changed because they are married or divorce or someone was adopted. they don't have birth records or born in a rural area, they point that out as things that will make it difficult for people to get the proper i.d. and voting rights groups are very concerned that this will disproportionately affect groups like minorities and elderly and poor and the students, who normally support the democratic candidate for president. >> why do some people believe getting an i.d. is still such a problem in modern times? >> reporter: because in some cases, there's a lot of red tape

to go through in terms of the documents that you need. and you know, what you hear from a lot of the voting rights groups is that this is just one more impediment to voting. that in a lot of cases, this is going to affect people who are already registered to vote. people who if not for this requirement would be able to go and vote without a problem, in the state of pennsylvania, a study was done that compared voter registration roles with the department of transportation driver databases and found there were about 50,000 people who were registered voters but did not have a driver's license. they said, these are people who are registered to vote, are likely to vote, would be voting otherwise, but in this case they may have trouble doing that this time in november. >> mara, thank you. today we take time to remember woman who broke barriers in this world and beyond. astronaut sally ride died yesterday after a 17-month-battle with pancreatic cancer. in 1983, she became the first american woman to fly into space.

and as a result, a household name, she went on to found her own company, motivating young people to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. in 2010, she spoke with nbc about encouraging girls in that arena. >> most important, it's the teachers and the schools holding the high expectations and getting the message to the students, the girls as well as the boys, that we expect you to do well, that you need to do well, that these subjects are important for your future, no matter what career you go into. you don't need to be a rocket scientist, math and science are still going to be important. >> and ride is posthumously making history. her obit revealed that she's a lesbian and is survived by her partner. sally ride was 61 years old. tuck government says it's being forced to act since the company providing security for

the olympics does not have enough guards for the games. we're live in london with the new backup plan that was announced this morning. also ahead, we're going to take a look at some of the biggest american stars of the game, including this guy, take a peek, ryan lochte, he's the swimmer who is michael phelps' biggest rival. hold on, don't go anywhere, this guy, right there, ryan lochte. good thing i had my magazine on standby. we're back after this. [ male announcer ] for making cupcakes and deposits at the same time. for paying your friend back for lunch...from your tablet. for 26 paydays triggered with a single tap. for checking your line, then checking your portfolio. for making atms and branches appear out of thin air. simple to use websites, tools, and apps. for making your financial life a little bit easier.

[ roger ] tell me you have good insurance. yup, i've got... [ voice of dennis ] ...allstate. really? i was afraid you'd have some cut-rate policy. [ kyle ] nope, i've got... [ voice of dennis ] ...the allstate value plan. it's their most affordable car insurance -- and you still get an allstate agent. i too have... [ voice of dennis ]...allstate. [ roger ] same agent and everything. [ kyle ] it's like we're connected. no we're not. yeah we are. no...we're not. ♪ ask an allstate agent about the value plan. are you in good hands? welcome back, everyone. world leaders at the aids 2012 international conference in our nation's capital say the combined force of science and finance is the only way to globally conquer the disease. the annual gathering taking place in d.c. is also serving as a touchstone, where thousands gather to remember all those lost to the disease. lives now embodied in a sprawling and colorful memorial known as the aids quilt. the quilt started 25 years ago,

with a single panel. today, there are 48,000 panels that represent the lives of 94,000 human beings. julie rhode is the ceo and president of the names project foundation, which oversees the guilt. julie, good to have you here and hundreds of thousands of people will converge to oversee the quilt. the goal is to cede the need to have panels. where are we in that goal? >> i think science has articulated a brand-new message here, which says if we test and treat enough people, we will change the course of this disease. and i think what we need to do now is reenergize the conversation and what reenerg e reenergizes that conversation is the story of the real lives that we have lost and how many more lives we could save by garnering up support and amplifying the messages here, so that we all know, we can't let this happen again. >> julie, earlier this week, a

section of the quilt was displayed in the east wing of the white house. i think we have a picture. white house photog pete sousa took a picture of the president as he paused to take in this quilt. have you talked to the president and what was his reaction? >> i haven't personally had a chance to speak with the president, but we all need to recognize the fact that the reason the international aids foundation has made it into this country is that this president lifted the ban on hiv-positive people traveling into the united states. that's a very big step. and he's been quite committed to seeing that we have an aids blueprint for this country. and he's invested, of course, internationally in petfar as well. >> do you think generationally we need to get more serious about this, because four in ten

new hiv infections occur in people under 30. >> i have to get more invested in this subject completely, whether it's young people, old people, all of us have a responsibility and a role to play in advancing this conversation. and once we start talking about hiv and aids again on both a domestic and international level, i can tell you that young people who came out to fold unfold quilt, they are totally invested in this. they want to be a part of the solution. they're ready to be mobilized. all we have to do is give them the opportunity. >> it's quite a visual there on the national mall. names project foundation, ceo and president, julie rhode. thanks for your time today. i appreciate pinpoiit. >> thank you. so we are just two days away from the olympic games. that is actor patrick stewart right there, best known for his role in captain jean luc picard in "star trek." ugh, no! [ sighs ]

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security for the 2012 olympic games is in high gear.

the british government deploying an additional 1,200 troops to protect the venues. this after the security contractor failed to supply enough guards. and we're hearing that while the olympic opening ceremony rehearsals have gotten good buzz, the participants, well, they're sworn to secrecy. rob simmelcare of nbc sports is live in london where he'll be anchoring our olympic coverage here on nbc. he is not sworn to secrecy. so rob, another week and the worry is the forecast now. >> when is weather in london not a concern. they are coming off the wettest june in the history of london, which is an incredible statement unto itself. but the good news is, it's actually cleared up quite nicely since saturday. it's been sunny, today, mid-80s, beautiful. the forecast for friday and the opening ceremony right now is a little bit hit or miss. chance of showers, but they think they've got a pretty good chance at getting the this thing

off without any rain. i think a lot of people expect rain at the london olympics. maybe a little rain actually might add to the drama and the theater of the event. >> certainly the personality. we are getting a beautiful shot there of the tower bridge. let's talk about the security problem, the ramp-up they were having for that. is it having any effect? do they worry about that having effect on the crowds? >> reporter: well, it certainly has been a major topic of conversation and just checking in today, when i came into the international broadcast center in the olympic park, i was greeted by british troops in fatigues, all running the security checkpoints. so not what was really planned initially when they drew this olympics security plan up, but they called up another 1200 today and i think the statement right now from london, from the organizing committee and from the ioc is that they've got what they need. the security is going to be taken care of. they're trying to move the conversation past the security issues but i think given the history of this city, you know, in 2005 when they were awarded the olympic games, the day after

that was the terrorist attack in the london subways that killed 53 people. so security always a concern here and it will be throughout the 17 days. >> taking it seriously. thank you. we look forward to your coverage right here on msnbc. we will let you go. we will talk about something that probably you've seen around at the newsstands because some of the biggest and brightest athletes of team usa are getting a glossy boost courtesy of the folks at "us weekly" which has a special issue commemorating some of the standout stars representing the u.s. at this year's games. albert lee is the executive editor of "us weekly" magazine and joins me in studio. i was telling you, i was coming back from south carolina and i almost bought it but i was fearful that i would leave it in the seat back pocket of my plane. >> it might get swiped from you. >> how long did it take to put this together? >> we started putting it together at the end of the year. months and months of photo shoots, of interviews, because as a lot of people know, right now the athletes are in complete lockdown. we're just days away from the

games opening ceremony so all of this stuff had to do -- had to be done really, really far in advance. >> great pictures. it shows a lot of personality not only of the athletes in motion of their sport but also some behind the scenes stuff. let's talk about jennifer nichols, the archery star. >> she has a fascinating story. 27 years old and is currently engaged to someone she met at law school. a lot of people heard about lolo, the track and field star, who declared she was a virgin. jenny also saving herself for marriage. in fact, when we shot her down in dallas, she was staying in a hotel and her fiance stayed in another room because they don't believe in cohabitation. >> wow. a lawyer who knows how to wield the arrow and bow. let's move on to the water. the rivalry, they're friends, they have been competing against each other a long time, michael phelps and ryan lochte. people like to think there's this rivalry. we will see it in the water. >> right. this rivalry, people are making out to be sort of ali-frazier

proportions. michael and ryan have known each other since college, have been friends for a really long time. so they're kind of taking it in stride. what's really fascinating is we interviewed their mothers. when you interview their mothers, it's a completely different story. they're both very, very competitive. >> the mama bears coming out to see their sons do well. when we talk about the fact that michael most likely will not be competing again in rio, ryan lochte probably will. >> that's right. michael's basically said, you know, he never wanted to compete over the age of 30, so he said he's ready to retire. he's ready to just be on the sidelines this time and he'll cheer on ryan. >> was it hard to pick who was going to be on the cover? you got the two swimmers and one gymnast. >> there was a lot of debate in the office certainly. one of the things about this issue is we wanted to show the athletes not just, you know, all the hard work they put into their game but also their personal stories, their families, which is why we wanted to photograph inside their homes, inside the training camps, inside their gyms, and show the personal side.

every single athlete in this issue has an amazing, incredible story of overcoming the odds. hard to pick. >> who do you think, obviously michael phelps is somebody we know, ryan lochte, this good-looking kid that will be on a lot of covers, who do you think is maybe the undiscovered star of the olympics that you guys have your eyes on because with this unfetterred access that you got to put this together, there have to be certain people on your radar now that may not have been before. >> oh, sure, absolutely. one person we didn't put on the cover but you should keep your eye out for is gabby douglas, one of the gymnast stars. she won the national championships. she is cute as a button. she has got total spunk at our photo shoots. she was just vamping it up and having a lot of fun. >> albert, quite a spread. a nice job you guys did. thanks so much. appreciate it. that will wrap it up for me today. i'm thomas roberts. we do have olympics coverage right here on msnbc tomorrow with women's soccer qualifying rounds on wednesday, the men's soccer qualifying rounds on thursday. that means i'm going to be back with you on friday.

until then, you can tweet me always. don't go anywhere. "now" with alex wagner is coming up next. hey, thomas. teams obama and romney get back to business or politics as usual. we will compare the president's choice message with the governor's build that attack. plus, the magical mitts-try tour continues. a preview of the overseas trip and how his relationship with israel stacks up with president obama's. and new york city council speaker christine quinn joins us live in studio to talk about marriage equality. that is all coming up when "now" starts in a mere 180 seconds. [ kate ] many women may not be properly absorbing the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. is as much about getting there... ♪ ...as it is being there. ♪

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while president obama takes to the airwaves to discuss policy choices, mitt romney is back on the trail pushing editorial choices. but can you really run a campaign from the cutting room floor? it's tuesday, july 24th and this is "now."

joining me today, lynn sweet, washington bureau chief for the chicago sun-times. the man who forever changed the vice presidential nominating process, msnbc senior political analyst and "time" magazine editor at large, mark halperin. and the other man who forever changed the vice presidential nominating process, msnbc political analyst and national affairs editor for "new york" magazine, john heilemann. and "new york times" magazine editor, mr. sunday morning himself, hugo lindgren. politics is back in the mud pits. the romney campaign is reviving an attack line the governor started using last week, taking the president's words out of context. they had this banner set up in california last night saying we did build it. as i have promised, we will play the president's full original comments in context every day this continues to be a line of attack. let's take a listen. >> if you were successful,

somebody along the line gave you some help. there was a great teacher somewhere in your life. somebody helped to create this unbelievable american system that we have that allowed you to thrive. somebody invested in roads and bridges. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen. >> the president's campaign is unsurprisingly pushing back against the ads with two new web videos debunking the claim and the president addressed it last night in california. >> earlier today, governor romney was at it again. knowingly twisting my words around to suggest that i don't value small businesses. when folks just like omit entire sentences of what you said, they start kind of splicing and dicing, you may have gone a little over the edge there. >> i am flanked by genius political minds today.

it's hard to choose. mr. heilemann, when we talk about the romney campaign and whether or not this is a good line of attack, how long can they sustain this? >> oh, they can probably sustain it for a pretty long time. i don't disagree that the remarks are out of context but they are keying in on a narrative that exists in the world which is that the president doesn't -- is anti-business, doesn't understand the economy, and it is a fact if you go around and talk to small business owners, medium size business owners and large business owners, they do believe that. now, they may be wrong but that is a widespread view among people in the private sector. the president is either hostile to business or clueless about business. the white house knows that narrative and perception is out there and is sensitive to this. that's why they're fighting back against it. even though they're right on the merits, the context issue, they recognize they have a political vulnerability on this issue. >> mark, the president has a new ad out which we will get to in a second but how much doe