>> what do you think of when you see a tree? a treatment for cancer? alternative fuel for our cars? do you think of hope for the environment, or food, clothing,

shelter? we do. weyerhaeuser. growing ideas. "inside week on washington" front runner newt gingrich. mitt romney feeling the heat. >> he is a lifelong politician. >> herman cain is on the ropes. barney frank calling it quits. >> i do not choose to run for congress in 2012. >> also, joe biden in iraq as the troops prepare to leave. >> i am running for office. >> who is this guy, can we trust him? >> and is this a great season for campaign ads or what? >> we do not always see eye to eye. >> no, but we agree, our country must take action to address climate change.

>> newt gingrich says i was only one in the room who do not know i was dead. soaring in the polls, he received the endorsement of the conservative manchester union leader. the same newt gingrich's campaign staff walked off the job in june. the same nuking bridge mark shields has characterized as carry more baggage than united van lines. here is newt gingrich this week in south carolina. >> i have a long record of persistence. i ran twice and lost. i spent 16 years here. i thought it was better for the house that is what a free society is all about. >> i have a very long record of consistency. does anyone have a problem with

that sentence? charles krauthammer? >> i think there is no doubt he is on a rocket ride right now, and the party -- a party for a few weeks that was considering herman cain as a serious candidate for the presidency -- the man who says the country needs a leader, not a reader, can certainly nominate newt gingrich. i do not know how our probable is, but it is certainly looking far more likely than it did a few months ago. >> mark? >> the republican field stands -- mitt romney, michele bachmann, jon huntsman, rick santorum, stand between a landslide reelection victory of barack obama, if newt gingrich's the nominee. if he is the nominee, it will not be a competitive race.

it will be a landslide, a walk to reelection, at a time when the nation needs a major leader. >> i do not think barack obama has done such a good life that he deserves a new gingrich as an opponent, but it is possible. it is possible because of the time. we are very close to the iowa caucuses and new hampshire primary now. it feels like this has been going on for ever, but it is about a month or less. the time to watch that fizzle is evaporating. he beat the clock. >> i have a very long record of consistency. colby, anything wrong with that statement? >> everything that is going on right now, god answers democratic prayers.

we are just hoping that he can hold on. >> john mccoy made it clear, i thought that the gingrich could stand up from the crime. >> could he win the presidential nomination? >> if it were to be decided this week, i think he would, actually. but because it is a long slog, because the election will be done on a proportional basis, you cannot win all the delegates in a state, i am not sure he can do it for the long haul. he is now on a rocket ride, but i think he will come to earth. he does not have the structure right now. he may do it, to carry him through and build the delegate count he needs. >> gingrich says he can win the nomination. can he, mark? >> yes, if he wins iowa and new hampshire. no one who has won both states has been denied the nomination.

this could be a first. scrutiny attaches. the only speaker in the history of the united states to be disciplined by his colleagues ethically for violation of tax loss. -- laws. he paid a $300,000 fine. the plan on leaving the speakership like it was a voluntary changing of his tires. there was a revolt in his owned ranks scheming to get rid of him. it was a very popular movement. >> can he win the nomination, nina? >> i think he could, but it is unlikely. even though i say that the democrats should be so lucky, i also say, be careful what you wish for. >> colby? >> i hope he does. >> but can he? >> if he comes out of new hampshire a close second, but then goes on to south carolina, wins, he is going to carry a

lot of those southern states. he stands a good chance, except his biggest enemy will be newt gingrich. he may include somewhere along the way. >> a close second, 1992, a close second is perceived as the winners and times. -- sometimes. >> mitt romney is the prohibitive winner because he was the governor of massachusetts. he is very well-liked there. >> the problem with mitt romney, the case for him, he can win. there is not a compelling case that anyone can give voluntarily that they like romney, believe in him, that they believe he will make a big impact, they are supporting him because he can win. i think romney has to forge a case for himself as well as a case against the bridge. -- against newt gingrich in the

next election. >> but it is not only a calculation about who can win. that is an important element. the other problem is there is a suspicion on the portion of the base that he is not a true conservative. what newt gingrich has, he has all the baggage in the world. ideological as well. it is not just the personal stuff and the lobbying. it is all the flip-flops that he did, that that you showed nancy pelosi. -- the ad you showed with nancy pelosi and global warming. the thing that he has, this credits him for a great event which would be a takeover of the house, after half a century of it being owned by democrats. and thus, he has earned credit with them. the problem is, when you talk to independents and democrats in the general election, that counts for nothing. that is why it will be hell or high time by the general

election. >> having heard from ginger white who said she spent 13 years in the arms of herman cain, have we now heard the last of mr. cain? --i think mr. cain shouldn't should buy a one way ticket home will be sitting down with mrs. cain, who will be raising cain about his activities. i hope this is the last of what we hear from herman cain. >> you know your campaign is in trouble when the candidate uses in a press conference the word consensual. the only thing that is probably worse it is if you come in for the reception and the person introducing you is gloria allred. >> let's hear from evan thomas, of politico. >> mitt romney, what have you learned? >> surprisingly, he has a sense of humor. it is well-hidden.

he has an absurdist sense of humor. this is a humiliating process running for president, and he does not take all that seriously. >> the toughest thing he has ever done? >> it sure is, and he says that. he said in 2008, it helps to learn from your mistakes. romney learn from his mistakes. that is an important thing for a president. >> what about newt gingrich? >> he was pretty giddy about the fact that everyone wrote him off. he is compared himself to re -- he is compared himself to ray crocker, bennet mcdonald's, genius of he has a tv studio in his backyard. >> the obama campaign, do they have a plan? >> no, if there was an obama bumper sticker that said obama's 2012 and nothing else on it, that would be it. they are going to make mitt

romney into the wall street cheater. not by obama himself, but the campaign will be tough on him. >> that was evan thomas. mark and i were in a focus group last night in fairfax, virginia. what did we learn from that? >> mitt romney does not have an emotional connection to voters. republicans do not think they have a strong field. some were disappointed. they think their field is weak. they want to win. they really want to win. >> what sticks in my head, the woman who said, i want somebody i want to be excited about, somebody to campaign for. >> you have to say, this is a weak field, but also, at this stage, people often feel that

way, and then they get excited later. i agree with you, mitt romney, he is like everybody's first husband. the one that we do not really want to stick around with. but he is actually a disciplined candidate. the worst thing that has happened to him, other than newt gingrich, is that he subjected himself to read interview with brett baier on fox and did not do so well. >> it was a disaster. this was an opportunity for him to do something simple, discuss his record. it was not a gadget interview. brett was fair and straightforward. it was very disconcerting to see romney crack under that. he can dish it out, but he

cannot take it. >> he has run at a decent campaign over all. >> it is levin new england patriots. they have a big lead, and they are sitting on it. he has had one challenger after another that has combusted spontaneously. newt might or might not, but romney's problem is, running in a wide field when you have these debates, and there have been a 11 of them when you're on the stage with nine others, nobody gets to follow up. when he did the interview, brett was ready and would follow up every answer with another question, and he was also well prepared and had previous statements. it was an unusual situation. if romney had not been candid before, and he implied as the

field narrows, he may have a hard time. >> after three decades in congress, barney frank is quitting. the massachusetts congressman. we hadtip o'neill, speaker of the house, president, senators. things are changing of there. what is your reaction? >> as far as i'm concerned, if a person can take toy barney frank votes, there will be no change. in fact, it will be a game. -- gain. we would be losing barney frank's voice. i am not a fan of him this. he is a mean and nasty. >> i am a fan. i confess, when i read all the stories, i did not realize he was that mean to people. >> he did not like stupid questions. >> if you sit back to him, do

not give me a stupid answer, then it is ok with it. he is so smart. when you read hank paulson's book, you realize as we were about to go off the cliff, it was a barney frank and worked with the bush and mr. should keep us from going off the cliff. >> barney frank was elected state representative in 1972. george mcgovern lost 49 of 50 states. he was hurting. barney frank went up to george mcgovern and said, he did not know him, and he said, i run on your coat tails. he has had a remarkable career. the personality problems are real, but the intellect is towering.

>> he will be remembered as the guy in the years when we could have had reigned in fannie and freddie, defended and protected them, and try to intimidate those who wanted to tell the truth about it. i think his leaving the congress will raise the level of civil discourse in washington. >> mixed reviews on barney frank. the unemployment is down to 8.6%, the stock market is going up. the white house must be happy about this. >> republicans are not happy because the rate the economy seemed to be taking traction. the stock market, to serve some context, this was simply intervening in the european debt crisis. that gave some reassurance to the markets, globally, and there might be some solution to this. that is just going to be

temporary. the recurring problem is deeper than that. that could have an impact on the economy as well. >> i watched the news conference the other day with eric cantor and john boehner. they appeared to be ready to deal. >> they are ready to deal about the payroll tax cut because they are getting hit with that. i think it is really the payroll tax. people who are favoring the rich and not the middle and lower classis. they do not want to be seen in that light. if you are saying we want to extend the bush tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year, but we do not want to extend a payroll tax cut for people making considerably less, it puts you in a political unpleasant situation, let's say that way. >> the -- everything the

administration has done, the legislation introduced, had been making in narrative of class war. republicans are the protectors of the rich. obama cannot run on ideology. obamacare, stimulus. he can run on stewardship. -- he can not run on stewardship. the country is in bad shape. he will run on class warfare. there is nobody that things a one-year or two-year holiday will have any effect on employment. >> excuse me. >> purely a political ploy that will be used to run the campaign with. all i'm saying is it is part of a larger strategy with that is about framing. >> certainly, there is something to what you say, but it is also

true that you do not have a recovery unless people have money in their pockets to spend. i do not care how many tax breaks you give to wealthy people, to so-called create jobs. they are not going to create jobs unless there is a demand for services and products, and there will not be unless there is pete -- money in people's pocketbooks. >> john boehner showed why he is speaker of the house. he saved republican from maneuvering themselves -- we borrowed tax cut from donald trump, but not for sally ordinary or joseph spector. they were opposed to the tax cuts for people earning $55,000, $60 -- $60,000 a year. the reality, frankly, is the made the case at tax cuts are wonderful job creators, which they have not been, under a

2001, 2003 george bush tax cuts, so he saved them from themselves. for the first time, republicans have been out-maneuvered on the tax issue by democrats. they are trying to climb back out. >> i agree with you entirely. it is a maneuver. it has had no effect on employment or job creation. everybody knows that. it is a way to win votes. >> i do not think it is manipulating public opinion by the president to point out the philosophical differences between his party and the republican party. >> joe biden in iraq as the troops withdraw. >> it is because of you, the work that you and others in a uniform have done, that we're able to end the war. >> vice-president joe biden in baghdad. that was this week at a special ceremony honoring american and iraqi troops, marking the impending withdrawal of the

troops. colby, how is history going to treat the iraq war? >> not kindly. we are losing a country -- leaving a country that is not really in our hands. it is torn between the u.s. and iran, a situation that did not exist before we started the war, in their country. a lot of treasure is gone, a lot of bloodshed. i think getting out is probably the best thing we could have done. >> they are going to leave some troops there, but the iraqi government would not give them immunity, charles. >> that is what they said in the bush administration, but they were able to negotiate a way around it. it is clear, the three largest elements of the parliament, the maliki elements representing the shiites, be allowed a party, the sunni party, and the kurds, were interested in the president. the obama administration came into a war that was run. the surge had succeeded, al

qaeda was defeated. shiite militias were decimated. by maliki himself, with american and british help. he had one job, to negotiate a strategic alliance in the long term with a residual force. he had three years to do it, failed abjectly. it was not clear how the war will end, meaning, the real war, the ultimate outcome in iraq. it could be a reasonable outcome, but it has been damaged by the failure of the obama administration. >> failed abjectly? >> to set the record straight, that timetable was set by president bush in 2008 and agreed to. that timetable is now being honored the first war since the mexican-american war in american history that we went into without a military draft and tax cuts instead. a long, bloody war fought under

pretense. there were methods of mass destruction capable of being delivered, and the threat of a nuclear cloud. all of which was fraudulent and phony. >> people like charles always talk about the importance of realism in foreign policy. i do not deny saddam hussein was a horrible leader who did excruciatingly bad things, but if you look at the balance of power in that area of the world, we now see the main thing to worry about is iran, and there is no check on iran. that was the role that the rock -- iraq used to play. now it does not. >> charles? >> iraq was not a check on iran. iran was disarmed. it was under agreements it made with the united nations. we had to fly over it, we had a no-fly zone that lasted 15 years.

sanctions on iraq at the time were completely wearing away, entirely. it was only a matter of time until it went beyond itself. certainly, not an ally in the region. what it was was the first arab dictatorship that was destroyed, overcome, overthrown, and as a result, had a large influence on the arab spring. >> let's take a look at a couple of new campaign ads, next. >> who is this guy? can you trust him? >> this is the and the democratic national committee is running on the assumption mitt romney will be president obama's opponent. the rap on him is he is a flip- flopper. ron paul says the same thing about newt gingrich. >> he is the essence of a washington insider. >> i am hoping for a very creative campaign season ad- wise. what do we see as a successful campaign ad? >> the truth is always helpful.

>> but rarely there. >> the daisy commercial in 1964 that was used against barry goldwater -- if only played one spotted had phenomenal impact. as did ronald reagan's bear in the woods from 1994. those evoked powerful of motions. -- emotions. now, we are in an era where everything a candidate says is recorded and is available. you will see a plethora of spots featuring candidates saying things they wish they had not said. >> i am not looking forward to this season. they seem to get nastier and nastier. it is a sense of humor, it can work, but if it gets nasty, it is a turnoff.

>> the worst thing is, these days, multi million dollar organization that are "separate" from the candidate. the candidate has deniability, and these organizations run ads that say almost anything. there are lots of organizations, journalistic organizations their research this and tell you this is a lie, half-life, three-quarters of a lie. but it does not catch up to the average person who is watching television as their cooking dinner. >> you wish you could write these, charles? >> i write a lot of them, but i disguise them. i pine, as you do, for the old days, when nobody recorded anything. you did not have youtube, transcripts. we could say anything too well damn pleased and nobody would remember a week later. now with politicians everything is recorded and everything haunts you. i said newt gingrich had the

worst launch since the hindenburg, and i wish i had not. >> that is the last word. please erase it. thanks. for a transcript of this broadcast, log onto