ice cube, wipe it up. i'm using a paper towel on a burner. there's no fire, there's no flame, so it's so safe. >> and the minute you put the pan back on it starts boiling right again. >> wow. >> now, because we're cooking without fire, jenny, i'm going to take a sheet of play money and put it between the p.i.c. and the pan. instantly it starts boiling again. >> have you ever seen anything like that? cooking through paper? >> so now we're cooking far more efficiently, we' saving 40- to 50% of the energy. >> right. >> isn't that amazing? >> announcer: seeing is believing. look what happed when the nuwave p.i.c. was put to the test on the streets of san francisco. >> all right, this is gonna blow your mind. this is the precision induction cooktop, and it is portable, eco-friendly and it saves you a lot of money, saves you a lot of time. >> wow. >> cooking time is cut in half. you see that the water's boiling now? >> yeah. >> the great thing about induction cooking is it only heats the part of the pot that is magnetic, so everything else stays cool, watch this. ah! [group exclaims]

okay, everybody, put your hands on it. >> isn't it hot? >> no, it just heats the magnetic part of the pot. this is at 110. you can leave it at 110 and it won't get gloppy, it won't get stale, it won't harden. >> and you don't have to be a big chef to cook. like, i don't have time to cook. this would be great. >>xactly-- this makes you look like an actual good chef. it's temperature-controlled, so i pop my fried chicken right in there and i know exactly what temperature it's at, and you know if you go down one, 10 degrees, boom, drops just like that. can you do that on a gas range? >> absolutely not. >> no. >> not at all. >> this is temperature-controlled so you don't overcook it, you don't undercook it. >> i love the temperature control-- that can cook meat without drying it out. >> man: mmm! >> that's amazing! >> what do you think? >> nice and crispy. >> you can fry, you can simmer, you can steam, you can fondue, you can do everything with this-- i love it. >> it's amazing-- i've never seen anything like it. >> i love that if you take the top... the pot off of the top, it stops and that the handles were cool. that's really amazing. >> and you know what the great thing is, you guys? it's portable. you can take this whole thing over to the table, plop it down

and it will stay at 110 right in the middle of your guests and you can dip all day. dip, dip, dip, everybody dip. and the best part about it? you can grill on the table. >> man: oh... >> what do you think about that? >> mmm... >> so it's raining outside, it's the middle of winter, you still get grilled food. will it change the way you cook at home? >> group: yes. >> the p.i.c. makes everything so simple. >> it looks like you ordered it from a restaurant. >> it does look like i ordered it from a restaurant. that's because i'm a good cook now with the p.i.c. [laughter] >> announcer: introducing the revolutionary precision induction cooktop from nuwave, the leader in portable induction cooking technology. the nuwave heats up twice as fast, uses up to 70% less energy and is safer than any cooktop. best of all, the nuwave is the only portable cooktop that gives you precise temperature control with the simple press of a button. >> it takes the human error out of cooking. there's no more guesswork in what temperature you're cooking at. >> announcer: make pasta in half the time.

melt butter with no chance of it burning. melt chocolate to creamy perfection. make sauces with perfect temperature control. gas and electric stoves have hot coils and open flames which can burn you. the nuwave p.i.c. transfers heat only to your cookware, so it's 100% safe. look what happens with this egg: the pan is hot, but the cooktop is not. that's the magic of induction cooking. >> it gets hot within five seconds, but then you take the pan off and put your hand on the device and it's cold. >> announcer: why crowd your kitchen with expensive, bulky appliances? the nuwave precision induction cooktop is a complete kitchen all in one. it's your portable indoor grill, temperature-controlled deep fryer, festive fondue maker, timed rice cooker, healthy vegetable steamer, programmable slow cooker. >> it's small, it's efficient, it's clean and it's safe. >> announcer: the oversized 12-inch tempered glass surface can handle even large pots and pans. the nuwave p.i.c. works with most cookware-- just check for the "induction

cooking ready" symbol. its compact size makes it the ideal solution for r.v.s, small apartments, and dorm rooms too. and because it's portable, you can take it anywhere, so it's perfect for buffets and outdoor parties. induction cooking can cost thousands of dollars, but the nuwave precision induction cooktop is a bargain at just four easy payments of only $33.33. your nuwave comes with the quick start guide, gourmet dvd and the nuwave recipe book giving you the precise temperature settings to make all your favorite meals come out perfect every time. and get this: when you call now and order direct, we'll drop a payment! you pay only three payments of $33.33. that's a 25% savings. but 're not done. you also get the nuwave stainless steel 3-1/2 quart pot with premium tempered glass lid. alone, it's worth more than $100, but call today and it's yours free. plus we'll also include this stainless steel steamer basket. wait, there's more good news.

we'll also send you the nuwave perfect green non-stick cookware set, including a nine-inch omelet pan, plus a 10-1/2-inch sauce pan that can be used with your glass lid too. the non-stick surface is coated with duralon diamond-infused nano-ceramic coating. it helps you make great-tasting low-fat meals. we'll also send you the nine-piece deluxe fondue kit, perfect for making your favorite fondues. hold on. are you ready for an amazing deal? act now and we'll send you a second nuwave p.i.c. ablutely free! you'll get a free nuwave with all the free bonuses-- all you pay is the s&p for each set. keep it for yourself or send it as an unforgettable gift from you. this buy one, get one free special promotion won't last long. and listen to this: we'll let you try the nuwave p.i.c. risk-free, not for 30 days, not for 60 days, but 90 days. if you're not happy, return them, but keep both sets of bonus cookware as your free gifts. all you pay is the shipping and

processing for each of them. this special television offer, worth over $600, is not available at stores and won't last long, so act fast. don't forget to ask about special savings on the nuwave cast-iron barbecue grill and griddle, the 10-piece perfect green cookware set, the nuwave pressure cooker, plus the complete line of nuwave ovens. call or go online now. [♪...] >> one of my most popular dessert dishes is called the chocolate three ways. it's made with a triple chocolate brownie, done with a chocolate espresso sauce that i do, and also white chocolate gelato with a little bit of rock salt and olive oil, and the p.i.c. induction burner, i can keep it warm and adjust it in 10-degree increments and spoon the sauce right on-- it's perfect temperature all night long... opposed to my double boiler that i had before, risking to get water in the

chocolate-- would actually make it separate. so i love the p.i.c. when it comes down to keeping things warm, and that chocolate sauce can get out fast and i can move that dish out of the kitchen quick. now the p.i.c. is allowing people at home to cook like you can in a restaurant. >> well, so far we've been showing you what you can do when you can precisely control low temperatures, like for perfectly melting chocolate or for simmering cereal. >> but, everybody loves a great steak and everyone hates it when their steak does not come out just the way they like it. but with the nuwave p.i.c., because it comes with precision temperature control, you won't ever undercook or overcook that steak. >> for grilling, use this great ca iron barbecue grill pan that can come with your p.i.c. now, if you like your steak rare, check this out. it's going to be red and juicy on the inside, but perfectly brown on the outside. if you like it well done, it's not going to be burned on the outside, but it's going to be perfectly well done on the inside. how? because the p.i.c. gives you perfect temperature control. look at this, first i seared it

to 575, now i've reduced the p.i.c. to 375 and check out this laser thermometer-- exactly 375 degrees. >> check out how 375 degrees gives us those great grill marks without burning or charring. >> and you know what i like with my steak? >> i know. >> a perfectly baked potato, which i can do right here in my nuwave oven in minutes. >> or if you like my favorite thing, sweet potato fries. whatever you make in the nuwave, it comes out perfect every time. [chuckles] >> announcer: according to the u.s. department of energy, 50 cents of every dollar you spend heating up your gas or electric stove is wasted. but not so with your nuwave p.i.c., because it uses induction technology. this infrared camera shows how a traditional cooktop heats the area all around the pot. but look how the nuwave p.i.c. heats up only the pot. this means no more wasted energy. >> i love that i'm saving energy, that i'm only heating up

the bottom surface of the pot where i need the heat to be, and i really think we're seeing a difference in our electric bills and i love that. >> i feel really good when i'm using the p.i.c. 'cause i'm using less energy to cook whatever it is i'm cooking, and i feel like in my little way i'm doing something for the planet. >> one of the best things about the nuwave presion induction cooktop is it's portable. i can take it anywhere, i don't have to leave it in the kitchen. so i'll take it into my dining room and i'll set up my own egg station, so when i have visitors-- especially my family-- i can cook my own omelets, they can cook their own omelets, they can cook their eggs, they can cook pancakes and it's just this simple because i've got precise temperature control. and look how beautifully non-stick this is. all i have to do to make the omelet is tip it, the omelet runs back. i tip it again, it runs back. i'm going to be able to fill this up. so everybody can have whatever filling they like. i always like to have some mushrooms, some cheese, some peppers... >> and you know i like the healthy spinach, bob. >> ohh... >> i just ruined

his omelet. >> [laughs] well, with the perfect green fry pan, we just simply fold that over, it's going to continue to cook while it's in the pan. i fold that out and look at this: my pan is clean, i'm ready to cook another omelet again. >> the heating is consistent, so i can set up a buffet with four or five of these and have different temperatures that are going to maintain. i think one of the biggest complaints is that sometimes the last people that go through the buffet, they get the cold food, and with the p.i.c., the food stays warm through the entire event and the guests really appreciate that, as does the host and hostess. >> my husband loves the nuwave p.i.c. because he can grill indoors instead of having to go outside. he can actually join us as a family and we can all be together and cook. >> announcer: introducing the revolutionary precision induction cooktop from nuwave, the leader in portable induction cooking technology. the nuwave heats up twice as fast, uses up to 70% less energy and is safer than any cooktop. best of all, the nuwave

is the only portable cooktop that gives you precise temperature control with the simple press of a button. >> i love the temperature control. >> as you press the buttons, you can see exactly what the temperature is-- you can watch the water boil change. >> mm-hmm. >> that's incredible. >> anything you boil water for... [snaps fingers] it's that quick. >> announcer: make pasta in half the time. melt butter with no chance of it burning. melt chocolate to creamy perfection. make sauces with perfect temperature control. gas and electric stoves have hot coils and open flames which can burn you. the nuwave p.i.c. transfers heat only to your cookware, so it's 100% safe. look what happens with this egg: the pan is hot, but the cooktop is not. that's the magic of induction cooking. >> group: wow! >> woman: it's not even hot. >> will it change the way you cook at home? >> group: yes. >> announcer: why crowd your kitchen with expensive, bulky appliances? the nuwave precision induction cooktop is a complete kitchen all in one. it's your portable indoor grill, temperature-controlled deep fryer, festive fondue maker,

timed rice cooker, healthy vegetable steamer, programmable slow cooker. >> if i had this, i would fry all day, every day. [laughter] >> so i can steam my vegetables on top, i've got my couscous, my rice, my pasta underneath, everything is done, you come home from a hard day at work, 10 minutes, you got food for the whole family. >> announcer: the oversized 12-inch tempered glass surface can handle even large pots and pans. the nuwave p.i.c. works with most cookware-- just check for the "induction cooking ready" symbol. its compact size makes it the ideal solution for r.v.s, small apartments, and dorm rooms too. and because it's portable, you can take it anywhere, so it's perfect for buffets and outdoor parties. induction cooking can cost thousands of dollars, but the nuwave precision induction cooktop is a bargain at just four easy payments of only $33.33. your nuwave comes with the quick start guide, gourmet dvd and the nuwave recipe book giving you the precise temperature settings to make all your favorite meals come out perfect every time.

and get this: when you call now and order direct, we'll drop a payment! you pay only three payments of $33.33. that's a 25% savings. but we're not done. you also get the nuwave stainless steel 3-1/2 quart pot with premium tempered glass lid. alone, it's worth more than $100, but call today and it's yours free. plus we'll also include this stainless steel steamer basket. wait, there's more good news. we'll also send you the nuwave perfect green non-stick cookware set, including a nine-inch omelet pan, plus a 10-1/2-inch sauce pan that can be used with your glass lid too. the non-stick surface is coated with duralon diamond-infused nano-ceramic coating. it helps you make great-tasting low-fat meals. we'll also send you the nine-piece deluxe fondue kit, perfect for making your favorite fondues. hold on. are you ready for an amazing deal? act now and we'll send you a second nuwave p.i.c. absolutely free! you'll get a free nuwave with all the free bonuses-- all you

pay is the s&p for each set. keep it for yourself or send it as an unforgettable gift from you. this buy one, get one free special promotion won't last long. and listen to this: we'll let you try the nuwave p.i.c. risk-free, not for 30 days, not for 60 days, but 90 days. if you're not happy, return them, but keep both sets of bonus cookware as your free gifts. all you pay is the shipping and processing for each of them. this special television offer, worth over $600, is not available at stores and won't last long, so act fast. don't forget to ask about special savings on the nuwave cast-iron barbecue grill and griddle, the 10-piece perfect green cookware set, the nuwave pressure cooker, plus the complete line of nuwave ovens. call or go online now. [♪...]

>> announcer: the nuwave precision induction cooktop is the most convenient and efficient way to cook. you get the convenience of traditional stovetop settings plus the flexibility to control the temperature in 10-degree increments. sear a steak to perfection or melt chocolate or butter without a double boiler. you can do it all with the nuwave p.i.c. the smart sensors inside ensure you'll create delicious meals every time by maintaining the constant correct temperature. it's like having a professional chef cooking for you. the result: no more mistakes, no more burning. >> it takes the human error out of cooking. there's no more guesswork in what temperature you're cooking at. it's very easy to just set the temperature at the touch of your fingertips. you can go up 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees. in a matter of seconds, you're at that temperature. it's going to be perfect every time. >> now we'd like to talk about the perfect temperature to fry chicken. now, up to now we've been talking about what you can do when you have precise

temperature control on low temperatures, like with chocolate, right? look at that, jenny. that's been in there for hours, it's still not sticking, it's still the perfect, perfect creamy texture. >> did you taste it? >> i know, it's almost unbelievable, isn't it? >> delicious. oh, and then we went to high-temperature searing. so with the push of a button, we got this to 575 degrees, seared the steaks, then we brought it down to 350 and we have beautiful grilled sausages, pork chops, salmon, even those grilled vegetables-- they were good too. >> well, frying temperature is 375 degrees, especially when you're using vegetable oil. we want to hold that perfect temperature, so lookit here. we have a probe in here, we set this to 375 degrees. it says 375 degrees. our chicken is frying gently, it's not going to burn. >> here on my burner-- it's a typical electric coil under here... >> i can see jenny's been cooking over here. >> this is what happens. it's not safe. and not only is it not safe, i have no idea what the temperature is-- i'm just guessing. >> when you get that really good fried chicken at one of those fast food chicken places, it's because they have a very

expensive deep fryer, they've set it at 375 degrees, they can use that oil all day long without it burning. well, now you have that precise control at home with the precision induction cooker. let me give you an example. in the test kitchen, we cooked over 200 pieces of chicken, and this is what the oil looked like. >> it looks like it just came out of the bottle. >> and this is breaded chicken, right? here we cooked just 20 pieces of chicken on a gas stove, same results would have been on an electric stove-- you'd guess. you set it someplace between medium and medium-high, you don't know. the minute it smokes, it's gone, it's ruined. that's typically what happens. you have to throw the oil away. >> yeah. well, that gets expensive. >> announcer: third-party analysis shows the advantage of nuwave's precise temperature control versus conventional stove tops. oil cooked with an electric stove contained 45% more saturated fat. oil cooked with a gas stove contained 10 times more transfatty acids. oil cooked with an electric stove contained over 90% more cholesterol than oil cooked with the precision induction cooktop. now some of your favorite foods

can be healthier with the nuwave precision induction cooktop. >> when you're cooking with frying foods, you're, um, you're trying to keep that temperature high so the grease doesn't get in the food, where you're not ending up with greasy chicken or greasy fish. and with the precision induction cooktop, i was able to master frying that chicken perfectly. >> announcer: the nuwave p.i.c. has been tested and recommended by the cooking club of america and is the safest cooktop ever invented. did you know that every 85 seconds, a fire strikes a home in america? and most often, that fire starts in the kitchen. >> my very, very first fire was a 16-year-old kid who was cooking french fries on the stove and he forgot about them and he burned his parents' entire house down. >> announcer: well, that will never happen with the nuwave p.i.c. there is no open flame, no red-hot electric coil to catch fire and as soon as a pot is removed from the nuwave, the conduction of heat stops. >> the safety features of the p.i.c. impressed me so much

that i'm going to send one to my mother. she's getting a bit elderly and forgetful and i'm always a bit worried that she might start a fire and the p.i.c.'s going to eliminate that problem. it's a great thing for the elderly to have and it's going to be a nice present. >> during our show, we've showed you what a difference the nuwave precision induction cooktop can make in your cooking. whether you're cooking breakfast or snacks. >> lunch, dinner, hors d'oeuvres. >> whether you're grilling or griddling, when you have prese temperature control, it can make all the difference. >> whether you're searing at high temperatures... >> or whether you're having precise temperature control at only 110 or 20 degrees for perfect chocolate, you have got it. in 10 degrees intervals you can go from 120 to 130 to 140, all the way up to 575 degrees, which you can never get with your stovetop-- you're always just guessing. so to sum it up, what do you get with the nuwave precision cooktop? you get, first of all, speed-- it heats up really fast. >> and safety. there's no red-hot coil or open flame.

>> and you get precise temperature control that you can never get with your old electric burner or gas stove. and you save... >> both: money. >> so, here's how you can get your nuwave precision induction cooktop right now. >> announcer: introducing the revolutionary precision induction cooktop from nuwave, the leader in portable induction cooking technology. the nuwave heats up twice as fast, uses up to 70% less energy and is safer than any cooktop. best of all, the nuwave is the only portable cooktop that gives you precise temperature control with the simple press of a button. induction cooking can cost thousands of dollars, but the nuwave precision induction cooktop is a bargain at just four easy payments of only $33.33. your nuwave comes with the quick start guide, gourmet dvd and the nuwave recipe book giving you the precise temperature settings to make all your favorite meals come out perfect every time. and get this: when you call now

and order direct, we'll drop a payment! you pay only three payments of $33.33. that's a 25% savings. but we're not done. you also get the nuwave stainless steel 3-1/2 quart pot with premium tempered glass lid. alone, it's worth more than $100, but call today and it's yours free. plus we'll also include this stainless steel steamer basket. wait, there's more good news. we'll also send you the nuwave perfect green non-stick cookware set, including a nine-inch omelet pan, plus a 10-1/2-inch sauce pan that can be used with your glass lid too. we'll also send you the nine-piece deluxe fondue kit, perfect for making your favorite fondues. hold on. are you ready for an amazing deal? act now and we'll send you a second nuwave p.i.c. absolutely free! you'll get a free nuwave with all the free bonuses-- all you pay is the s&p for each set. keep it for yourself or send it as an unforgettable gift from you. this buy one, get one free special promotion

won't last long. and listen to this: we'll let you try the nuwave p.i.c. risk-free, not for 30 days, not for 60 days, but 90 days. if you're not happy, return them, but keep both sets of bonus cookware as your free gifts. all you pay is the shipping and processing for each of them. this special television offer, worth over $600, is not available at stores and won't last long, so act fast. don't forget to ask about special savings on the nuwave cast-iron barbecue grill and griddle, the 10-piece perfect green cookware set, the nuwave pressure cooker, plus the complete line of nuwave ovens. call or go online now. [♪...] >> woman: this has been a paid presentation f >> that's all for now. i'm lester holt. thanks for joining us. this morning on "meet the

press," where does the race for the white house stand just one week after the paul ryan pick? >> on. >> the trail, the medicare debate has erupted. >> he's raided that trust fund, and you know what he did with it? he's used it to pay for obama care. >> i have strength -- >> what is the future of the program for seniors? it's a big question at stake in the election. and the tax debate. team obama still wants more from mitt romney. >> i did go back and look at my taxes and over the past 10 years i never paid less than 13%. >> with us for a debate this morning, two influential voices in their party. chair of the republican governor's association, bob mcdonnell of virginia. and the chair of the democratic governor's social, martin o'malley of maryland. plus we'll hear from former new york city mayor rudy giuliani. then, the campaign's tone, how nasty it's become. >> so mr. president, take your

campaign of division and anger and hate back to chicago and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting america. >> our political roundtable on the road ahead. democratic mayor of atlanta, kasim reed. tea party backed gop senate candidate from texas, ted cruz. nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd. and columnist peggy noonan from "the wall street journal," and e.j. dionne of "the washington post." good sunday morning. we're a little more than a week away now from the republican convention, and the campaign has turned even nastier with a big focus, as you know, on medicare. romney's new vp peek paul ryan campaigned in florida with his mother, and president obama stepped up his attacks in new hampshire. >> you think they'd avoid talking about medicare, given

the fact that both of them have propose proposed cuts to the medicare system. i guess think figure the best defense is to try to go on offense. >> i want to introduce you to my mom. this is my mom betty. here is what mitt romney and i will do. we will end the raid of medicare, we will restore the promise of this program, and we will make sure that this board of bureaucrats will not mess with my mom's health care or your mom's health care. >> that back and forth on the campaign trail is just this weekend. joining me now governor of maryland, martin o'malley and governor of virginia bob mcdonnell. governors welcome both of you. hold your fire on medicare. we're going to get to some of those specifics in just a minute. i want to ask more generally governor o'malley what is the ryan effect on this race, one week after he was selected? >> well, i think it's still

shaking out. but clearly now, if we did not -- if there was not already a real stark difference in the approach to job creation, growing the middle class, expanding opportunity, now we see the leader of the tea party republican congress, their budget chief, actually stepping up and so we have a real clear contrast now when it comes to basic commitment like the commitments we've made to seniors in medicare. so i think that as this shakes out you're going to see a very clear contrast between president obama's vision of an america with more opportunity, and the romney/ryan vision of less. >> governor mcdonnell for all of the energy and the excitement on the republican side that you have talked about, you do have republicans talking about risk. risk politically, and the fact that a ryan budget that a lot of republicans have been running away from, ever since he first introduced it. >> good morning, david. good to be on with my friend

martin. this is a serious election. and it calls for serious candidates that have real solutions. so we are in debt $16 trillion. we have a horrific economy with the president's policies. 8.3% unemployment, over 8% in 42 months. it takes big ideas, and things that are going to take some sacrifice for a lot of people in order to get our country back on track. paul ryan has been honest about what it's going to take. medicaid is in trouble. medicare is going to go broke in 12 years. and it takes some real changes in the spending habits of the united states of america to get our country back on track. so i think paul ryan's a serious candidate with real solutions, time for rhetoric is over. there's plenty of rhetoric out of this administration, and now we need real answers about how to get america out of debt and back to rk. and paul ryan's got some good ideas on how to do it. >> as you both know, his counterpart, the vice president of the united states, joe biden, created one of the more emotional moments on the campaign trail this week, raised a lot of eyebrows, got a lot of back and forth going.

he was talking tuesday in virginia about romney/ryan policies with regard to financial regulation, and this is what he said. >> romney wants to let -- he said in the first 100 days he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. he's going to put you all back in chains. >> governor o'malley, put you all back in chains. what was the vice president doing there? was he over the top? >> i think it was an indelicate play on the republican words of shackling the economy with regulations, and shackling small businesses, and so it was certainly an indelicate choice of words. >> he wasn't injecting race into the campaign? >> there's not a racist bone in joe biden's body. i'll tell you the injection of race into this campaign has been coming from the false allegations, allegations that politifact and others have said

are totally false on a very racially -- racially imbued issue of welfare reform. the false attacks on the president, i think, are -- are far more out of line than the indelicate choice of words of the vice president. >> governor mcdonnell, your former governor in virginia had a different view. he spoke this week and took issue with the vice president and the president, as well. this is what he said after those remarks. >> when he says they are going to put y'all back in the chains, what he means, you were there. i wasn't. and when you go back, i won't be going with you. biden's remarks brought race into the campaign, and they were not necessary. cool it. back up. and there's nothing wrong with saying i was wrong. i had never intended to do this. what i said was inaperot rat, it was wrong. you can't defend it. >> the president, the vice president said there was no

racial connotation, it is overscrutinizing what candidates said when there are so many words say on the campaign trail. how do you feel? >> i agree with governor wilder. and president obama and vice president biden have doubled down on those remarks. listen, in the past couple weeks, he's had that incendiary and way over the top remark, he's had allegations about mitt romney not paying taxes, you've got a super pac ad that says that mitt romney actually killed somebody's wife. i mean this is way over the top. as long as the debate is about issues, whether it's welfare reform or other things that are based on policy, that's fair game. we can disagree on that respectfully. but these character attacks by the other side are just horrific. but i understand it, because if you've got a record where you've got $16 trillion in debt, and no energy plan, and a jobless rate over 42 months over 8%, of course you can't run a campaign on the issues and you're going to have to resort to that.

i think it's way beneath the dignity of the american people. very dismal for the hope and change campaign, very optimistic in 2008. now it's divisive. when we focus on serious issues like debt and medicare reform it will be better for the people. >> you've got governor romney talking about a campaign of hate on the president of the united states. strong words. >> governor romney's the sort of guy, david, that you'd never want to play pickup basketball with. he's always fouling and he's always crying foul. governor romney himself has launched a series of attack ads, falsely accusing the president of unwinding welfare reform. it's been determined false. governor mcdonnell himself was labeled as false by his own politifact in virginia for saying that the president's trying to do that. so i think what we've seen telegraphed here on the hyperscrutiny of vice president biden's remarks is the intention of the romney campaign to do everything in their power to rough up the president, to go

after him with a huge money advantage, and to attack his character. and if necessary, to do it on grounds of an impasse fraught with racial tension and racial resentment. >> let's talk about the effort to rough up both sides. this issue of mitt romney's taxes came up again. the obama campaign putting pressure on him to release more of his tax returns, saying just release five years and we'll let the issue alone. mitt romney, governor mcdonnell, spoke on this on thursday at an impromptu event where he was talking about medicare and then he answered a question about his tax returns. here's what he said. >> i did go back and look at my taxes and over the past ten years i never paid less than 13%. i think the most recent year is 13.6% or something like that. so, paid taxes every single year. >> direct question related to that answer, was that 13% in federal income tax? is that what he paid? why won't he answer more? should he? >> this issue is not about mitt

romney's tax returns. that's not what americans care about, they care about their own tax returns and the whopping increases that this administration has put on the american people and what they're going to put on. he's paid his taxes. he's released more documents than he needs to. he's made a lot of money. he's been successful and he's a very generous guy. i'd say let's talk about what the american people are going to vote on and that's jobs, debt, spending, energy, and the american dream. mitt romney's laid out a five-point plan for the middle class focusing on debt reduction and small business and trade and workforce development. i mean, these are the substantive issues martin and i -- >> why -- >> that americans care about. not tax returns. >> is he lying about his tax returns? do you think he didn't pay taxes? >> it's hard to imagine that he would continue to hide and make them the big secret of the campaign whether or not he paid taxes. the only thing we know for sure is one year of returns. we know that he had swiss bank accounts, cayman island accounts and we know under paul ryan's plan he'd actually pay not 13%

but he'd pay less than 1%. so i don't know why governor romney won't come out with his fax returns. certainly when he was reviewing the tax returns of vice presidential hopefuls like governor mcdonnell or indeed paul ryan he asked for more than one year tax return. >> is there any evidence to suggest that mitt romney did not pay exactly what he should have paid in taxes under the law? >> well, look, this is what we know. we know -- >> no. >> we know that he has been engaged in tax avoidance schemes with offshore accounts, with -- in the cayman islands and the bahamas. >> you're not suggesting anything unlawful. >> but it is tax avoidance. at a time when our country needs everyone's help to accelerate our nation's recovery, he's hiding his money in offshore accounts and betting against the future of the united states. hardly the credentials of a person that we should elect to lead us forward. >> governor mcdonnell, quick response on that. >> that's just flat wrong, martin. i mean this is the same reckless, and slanderous remarks that harry reid said in a couple of weeks ago.

and this, you know, this is not what the american people care about. this is below their dignity. this is about how do we get the greatest country on earth out of debt and back to work? and obama's just flat failed. nice guy, bad policies. hasn't got the job done. it's time for a change. and i'd say the ryan/romney ticket is positive and realistic and believes in the american dream and wants to get people back to having an opportunity to succeed. that's what we need to talk about. and these other diversionary issues on accusing ryan and -- of throwing grandma over the cliff, and romney of killing somebody's wife, and not paying taxes, these are diversions. let's talk about the issues. >> let's talk about medicare then. there's been so much noise and back and forth on medicare. let me try to boil it down this way. there's still questions out there about each side and how they would approach it. this is what we know. let me start with the president's approach and i want to put it up on the screen for our viewers. the president wants to leave the program in place the way it is. it's a defined benefit program.

he does already pass under the health care law will reduce payments to hospitals, to health care providers, and private insurers to the tune of $716 billion. you've heard that figure a lot this week. and he claims that he would extend the solvency of medicare eight years until 2024. here is the romney approach as we understand it so far. beginning not until 2023, to change the program. he would offer premium support or a voucher so that seniors could buy private insurance through competition. there would also be a choice, romney says, and you could have the option of keeping traditional medicare. he says he would end the president's health care plan, take that $716 billion that was moved out of the program, and put that back in to the medicare program. so, governor o'malley, that's the approach. what are the key differences that people need to understand. >> the differences really go to the heart of what kind of country we want to become. i mean governor romney's plan is for a country of less.

where we actually cap what we do to protect the security of seniors. we give them a voucher and we tell them, good luck. you're on your own to cover whatever the difference is. and the congressional budget office has estimated that this will lead to our nation spending anywhere from 5900 to 8,000 less per seniors. those are balances that are going to have to be covered by senior citizens themselves. >> that was scoring of the ryan budget which would not necessarily be the romney plan. >> governor romney said that there's really very little difference. >> let me have governor mcdonnell respond to that point. the argument is if you put seniors in a position where they're exposed to the vagaries of the private market they're going to have to pay more, again we're not talking about current seniors or current beneficiaries, but down the line, that's what folks would be forced to do. >> well, you need to know that the medicare trust fund is going broke in twelve years, and president obama's not only for

the status quo but he wants more spending without reform. that's just irresponsible and reckless. every governor in the country is reforming pension systems because it's a defined benefit and the numbers just don't work. i think romney and ryan are honest in saying, look, we're not going the right direction. if you want money there for future generations, you need reform. paul ryan, and i think you've accurately described the differences, paul ryan doesn't touch any benefits for people over 55. but after that, yes, gives people some choices. do we not trust people to make good decisions for their own health care? or do we believe government's got to make every decision for you. that gets to the heart of it. but if you get rid of obama care and take that $716 billion back you can do an awful lot to shore up the solvency of the system and that's what they're going to do. >> one of the claims out there, and paul ryan has made it, is that the president has robbed the medicare fund of $716 billion. now democrats have attacked republicans in the past for doing the very same thing. but these are not benefit cuts. and indeed ryan made those same

cuts in his own budget. in fact, he is denying payments to hospitals, providers, trying to get to the idea of more efficiency in the health care system instead of just paying for volume. don't you think that that criticism is ear the top by the republican ticket? >> i do. i do. >> i know governor o'malley does. >> we're broke. and we're being honest about the fact that we're broke. and obama care is the expansion of the federal government in our lifetime and as well generally not acceptable to the american people. so, we need to get rid of the 21 taxes and the $500 billion of new taxes in the obama care system. use the free market approach. and then some of those savings can be plowed back into medicare reform. but, to say that this is being -- that we're taking seniors and literally throwing them over the cliff, is the rhetoric from the left in the obama campaign, is really disingenuous. if we don't reform it, david,

here's the bottom line, and martin and i agree, if we don't reform this medicare system, martin and i when we get to 65, it's not going to be solvent and our families won't be taken care of. that's the biggest difference. we have rhetoric of obama and we have serious, hard talks and real solutions from the romney/ryan ticket. we're in trouble in the country. we've got to make changes. >> governor o'malley i want to end on this point just to shift it a little bit and talk about the broader economy. the reality for voters is they go to the polls in all states is the unemployment situation. here were some of the state by state numbers that came out this week. we'll put it up into a graphic. all of those in yellow, the unemployment rate ticked up in all of those states, i should point out that one blue section between indiana and pennsylvania, that's ohio, it did come down slightly. still, pretty tough picture for a president running for re-election. >> well, there will be ups and downs on this road to recovery. but there are some things that you cannot debate. and most important in my mind is this, we've had 29 months in a row of private sector job growth

in our country. that's the longest stretch we've had since 2005. there were more jobs created last year in our country than during the entire president of george w. bush. more jobs created the year before than during the enpyre presidency of george w. bush. the unemployment rate can and must be driven down but that's only going to happen when we make some changes in congress, remove the the obstructionist tea party congress. i mean to what end talking about the country's solvency down the road, as governor mcdonnell was, to what end and what does it help to give $5 trillion more in tax breaks to people like mitt romney and his friends? look our country is a country that can create greater opportunities, and a better life for our kids. but it's not going to happen if we continue to give away huge tax cuts to the wealthy. >> and the tax debate, the medicare debate, it's all going to continue. governors, as always, thank you both very much. >> thank you, david. >> we take a break here. coming up, a campaign as polar aized as we have ever seen.

what does it mean for election day and beyond? joining us the republican candidate for senate in texas, ted cruz is here. democratic mayor of atlanta kasim reed. our own chuck todd. "the wall street journal's" peggy noonan and "the washington post" e.j. dionne. our political roundtable is up next. we know why we're here. ♪ to connect our forces to what they need, when they need it. ♪ to help troops see danger, before it sees them. ♪ to answer the call of the brave and bring them safely home. [ female announcer ] around the globe, the people of boeing are working together, to support and protect all who serve. that's why we're here. ♪

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the president, i'm told, is talking about medicare today.

we want this debate. we need this debate. and we will win this debate. >> clear indication the republican party is trying to go on offense on medicare and remove it as the liability. we'll talk more about that in just a minute. we're here with our political roundtable. joining me columnist for "the washington post," e.j. dionne. columnist for "the wall street journal," peggy noonan. our chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd. democratic mayor of atlanta, kasim reed. and we welcome to "meet the press" for the first time, tea party backed republican candidate for u.s. senate in texas, ted cruz. he'll be one of the main speakers at the upcoming republican convention in tampa. welcome to all of you. mr. cruz, let me start with you. big deal when you won your primary fight, one of the biggest political stories of the summer, big party down in texas, obviously. as you won, there was a big rally for you. because of the tea party's strength here in another

campaign. this is a headline in the dallas morning news. party crasher, it said. cruz rides the anti-establishment wave, surges past your opponent. i want to start with you because you heard governor o'malley talking about paul ryan as part of the tea party obstructionist house of representatives. is the real ryan effect to you that we have seen the tea party re-emerge now in this campaign, and occupy the real space in the campaign? >> look, i think the biggest ryan effect is that this race is going to focus on issues. i am thrilled with the ticket paul ryan. my view for months has been if this presidential race focuses on issues, if it focuses on the economy, on president obama's abysmal economic record, republicans win. if it's a battle of personalities, republicans will lose. and the terrific impact of paul ryan is for the next three months we're going to be talking about economic issues, about how to get the 23 million americans that are out of work back to work, and i think that is great.

>> mayor reed, we're also going to be talking about what the role of government is. what government should do particularly in a distressed economy, and mr. cruz is right, there's a clear contrast here which is what president obama has wanted all along on his team. >> the bottom line is i think that the republicans made the decision to run for the second time a right election. my dad said republicans do well when they go out to the left. democrats go out to the left come back to the center. this is the second time they've gone right-right which means they're going to go in the woods. the fact of the matter is mccain picked palin, right-right. and now mitt romney who is a moderate is picking a person who is right-right. he's just a better salesman at it. >> well, e.j. and peggy, here's the weekly standard cover story this week. it's got paul ryan on the cover, the assault on paul ryan. e.j., have they landed any real blows? >> i think they have. i mean, mitt romney made in paul ryan the one and only decision he'll make in this whole

campaign that made both liberals and conservatives really, really happy. because conservatives like it for the reasons senator cruz said. they think that if we put our -- >> he's not senator yet. >> i like to make mistakes once in awhile. the paul ryan has made conservatives happy for all the reasons you said. and the liberals believe, and i think they're right, that when you put some issues on the table such as the steep cuts in taxes for the wealthy at a time when we need to balance the budget, the voucherization or a premium support on medicare, that these issues are going to move people away from the republican ticket. and it is doubling down on the conservative side, as the mayor said. and he is the mayor. the other thing that i think is going on here is an attempt to say that somehow in a liberal blog, the republicans are trying to argue right now on the one

hand that barack obama is a socialist who wants to socialize health care through the affordable care act and that he's a right wing brute who wants to cut medicare, which is the one effectively centralized program we have. i think the contradiction there, between those two arguments, is not going to work. >> peggy, initial thoughts here on the assault on paul ryan? >> look, i think the choice of ryan was admirable. you know. and i think ryan himself was an admirable and accomplished person, and a serious man. he talks about serious issues. he does focus things on the budget, and on entitlement spending. but i also think this is a little bit delicate for republicans. this is a stressed nation, this is a tough context in which to talk about things that people will hear as cuts. i respect the road the republicans are going down. i think so far in the past week the real news has been they've

been talking medicare, and they've been winning on it. but long-term i think the republican issues are growth, jobs, the economy, those are the things people trust the republican party on. this is all very delicate. it's strong, but it's delicate. >> we'll come back to medicare in a few minutes. but, there's a dynamic here, and you see it playing out, we've got some pictures from around the country, in terms of just how polarized the electorate is. and even different from four years ago, there was plenty of polarization. but here you do have a very clear choice. and the high-minded campaign has not really shown up yet. what you've got is a lot of anger on both sides. >> and that's going to stay. i don't think we're going to have a high-minded. i think the debates will be interesting to watch but let me go back to another point about sort of the ryan effect. i believe we're on day 25. it's been 25 days since the romney campaign had a coordinated push on the economy.

everything, and that was basically the day before he left or his overseas trip, the overseas trip got caught up in some things, the olympics, what he said in israel. then, the speculation, and the ryan pick shifts the issue area to medicare. you know, looking back, are they going to wish they had these 25 days back in talking aboutthe economy, in trying to make the case that they have a better economic? the romney campaign will argue, hey, we're already winning that. we can talk about other issues. but it seems as if, if you ask the obama campaign, hey, would you like to take 25 days off from talking about the economy, they'd have said yes. >> do you not argue, again, somebody who's aligned with the tea party, hey, all for the good? let's talk about debts, let's talk about taxes, let's talk about the government in the race? >> these issues aren't disconnected. the reason the tea party arose, the reason we saw a tidal wave in 2010 and i think we're seeing a tidal wave in 2012 is that the american people are fed up with

politicians in both parties in washington who keep spending money we don't have. we've got a $16 trillion national debt. larger than our gross domestic product. and the great virtue of the paul ryan pick is paul ryan is a serious, substantive man, who spent a lifetime in congress working to roll up his sleeves and tackle these problems, and you want to turn the economy around? get the boot of the federal government off the back and the necks of small business. >> peggy, i come back to this tone, do, because polarization does matter. it does seem even more polarized and it's got to have some impact on, "a," are there moderates who show up and vote? and who do they vote for? and how do you govern after this kind of condition? >> yeah, that's a problem. oddly enough, while it's so good in so many ways to focus on medicare, by making people over the next 60 days take very definite points of view, you may make it harder to make a medicare deal down the road.

but overall, it seems to me, i'm not sure the american people themselves are so polarized. i sort of have a sense that they pollsters, i think i'm going this way for the president. i think i'm going this way for mr. romney. there's so few undecideds. but lately i have a feeling there's a sort of feeling of dissatisfaction among a lot of voters with the choices they have. they are open to persuasion. they are open to listening for the next 70, 80 days, to a point of view that is serious and not low. they want hope. the big group of americans who are feeling cynical and disaffected. if somebody could reach to them and say i can help, that would be very powerful. >> the upside of the ryan pick, i think in this case about governing, it sort of widens the -- the width of this election, instead of a 51/49 race we might have a 53/47 in either direction. by having the medicare debate you're forcing the large

argument about that role of government so you're forcing everybody to take a side. where do you want the government to be? and the winner might actually have a governing mandate. for a small window, might actually have a governing mandate. >> i agree with chuck on this, that i think for all the talk about how nasty the campaign is, even before the paul ryan pick, which was a very substantive choice and a substantive argument about the role of government in the future of our country. the ryan pick sort of accelerates that process so it makes it even stronger. but it was there already. and i think that the issue, one of the arguments we're going to have is, is ryan about balancing the budget? he's been passed as a budget balancer. his budget doesn't balance until somewhere after 2030. ryan is about reducing the size of government and cutting taxes. i think at the end of this election, one issue we're going to decide, at least, is does the government need more revenue? yes. in order to balance the budget

or not. and you have a very clear difference on that. the voters are going to know that. and we're going to ask do we raise taxes on the wealthy at least to balance the budget or cut taxes further? >> i want to touch on this notion of paul ryan as a serious man. he voted for every budget busting measure on president bush. he voted for cuts. he asked for money under the american recovery and investment act. he voted for both wars. he put medicare on a credit card. and then all of a sudden in the last 24 months he's developing stature as a serious -- >> why -- >> in terms of this week he's underperformedarah palin. he's contributed about a 1% bump, and according to gallup, t republican vice president typically performs at about five points. >> should that be part of the record here? why is the tea party so supportive of a guy who is part of, or the tea party thinks was