good morning everyone, i'm lynn berry, this is "first look" on msnb msnbc. >>> and we are going to begin this morning with the republican nominee in what may be the most important speech of his political career, mitt romney accepted the gop presidential nomination in tampa last night, arguing he is the hope and change candidate, not president obama. msnbc's steve handelesman reports. >> reporter: more swagger, a more gravelly voice, but the message was about barack obama. >> when somebody doesn't do their job, we have to let them go. >> reporter: in the most important speech of his life, mitt romney tried to talk voters at home out of sticking with president obama. >> i wish he would have succeeded, we deserve better, my children, my family deserves better. my country deserves better. to the majority of americans who now believe that the future will not be better than the past, i can guarantee you this. if barack obama is re-elected, you will be right. president obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans, and to heal the planet. my promise to help you and your family. >> repo

this is fir"first look" on msnb. >>> we begin this morning with decision day. the pressure is on for washington lawmakers to get a budget deal done before tonight's midnight deadline that will shut down the federal government. despite government calls for fiscal responsibility after days of failed negotiations, some of the main sticking points remain, the party stances on planned parenthood and the environment. for the very latest, let's go to tracie potts. good morning. >> reporter: paige, good morning. good morning, veveryone. no more extensions. that's the word from the white house today. president obama says he's not wildly optimistic that lawmakers can strike a budget deal and avoid a government shutdown tonight. after a second night of failed negotiations, president obama made it clear. >> i expect an answer in the morning. >> reporter: just hours from now, he will have to notify federal workers to stay home monday. the hangup, we're told, are republican demands. >> thank you so much for being here. >> reporter: to limit abortions, cut funding for public

this is fir"first look" on msnb. stay tuned.early" starts right now. >>> newt gingrich is a man on fire. double digits in iowa and showing leads of more than 20 points in south carolina and florida. will the lu romney crisis shadow cut into those numbers in the early conservative states? house republicans strike back on the payroll tax cut saying they will vote for it if the president includes the pipeline in the bill. the question is, what is president obama's answer to that offer? we'll tell you. >>> and just think, republicans. you could have had moments like this on the national stage if new jersey's governor would have responded to your love

on msnb. >>> here's a look at some of the stories also in the news today. >>> producers and crew on the film set of "transformers 3" got some unscripted action when the bumblebee got side swiped by a real police vehicle. some thought it was a scene from the movie. the wreck temporary halted production, but shooting will continue all week. >>> a florida woman is going to get some help from a problem that's been buzzing over her. a company that specializes in africanized bee also remove a huge beehive 30 feet high in her tree, after several others said they couldn't help. even the city refused because it was on private property. until it's down, she warns neighbors to stay inside. >>> the largest pumpkins are still rolling in. at a competition in california a gorgeous gourd tipped the scales at 1,435 pounds. this is the first time in 11 years that a home-grown pumpkin has taken the title. the winner's secret, you wonder? pumpkin seeds donated by a previous win perpendicular. >>> back in florida, ten little crocodiles cracked through their eggs one after another after another. they may be

this is fir"first look" on msnb. >>> and we're going to begin this morning with another candidate's debate. with less than a week to go before the arizona and michigan primaries the remaining republican candidates will square off tonight. and rick santorum, who has surged in the polls, may get a lot of attention. tracie potts joins us with those details. tracie, good morning? >> reporter: good morning. while mitt romney is fighting to win his home state of michigan. santorum is trying to turn his success there into votes in arizona. rick santorum is the one to watch tonight. he soared ahead nationally and in michigan. he still trails mitt romney tonight in arizona where the debates happen. >> i will win in the states that matter to win this election. >> reporter: santorum's now under attack in a new ad from ron paul. >> is this dude serious? >> reporter: focusing on social issues worked for santorum. mitt romney is looking right meeting with the tea party and hammering president obama. >> unfortunately, perhaps because of the people the president hangs around with, their secular agenda, th

this is fir"first look" on msnb. today we begin with a major gop victory. at a time when president obama can least afford it, republicans have scored an upset in a house race being called a referendum on the president's handling of the economy. last night retired media executive and political newcomer, bob turner, narrowly defeated david weprin, according to the associated press. democrats outnumber republicans three to one in new york's ninth congressional district, which hasn't sent a republican to congress in nearly 90 years. turner replaces congressman anthony weiner, a seven-term democrat who resigned in the wake of a sexting scandal in june. in nevada, former republican state senator mark amodei coasted to a victory in a district that's never elected a democrat. >>> meanwhile, as lawmakers on capitol hill spar over how to pay for president obama's american jobs act, the president is on the road working hard to sell his plan to the american people. tracie potts joins us more from washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. while the president'

. >> i'm betty nguyen and this is first look on msnbs day too early with thomas roberts starts now. >ently katie perry is having a concert on sunday that will have some sort of athletic intro and out troe. it's the super bowl that special time of year when the whole country comes together to watch dogs fall in love with horses. it's a for bidden love. >>> forbidden but first see tv. super bowl xlix just hours away we've got all the details on the big names descending on phoenix as they count down to sunday night. reading the tea leaves new action on the 2016 front key moves on mack nations by possible gone presidential contenders. >>> and eddie murphy making an announcement three decades in the making and it has nothing to do with beverley hills cop. this is way too early. >>> remember that song everybody, hay, i'm thomas roberts, good morning, it is january 30th welcome at that "way too early" a friday education that makes us want to party all the time. live that song. who knew that he could sing so well? ♪ >>> all right. so super bowl weekend is officially here the city experts more

this is fir"first look" on msnb. today, we begin with fear over the economy. a slew of recent reports have renewed concerns on both wall street and main street over the state of the u.s. recovery. today, the nation awaits what could be a crucial monthly jobs report from the government. all this as the country's stellar credit rating may be in jeopardy. tracie potts joins us from washington with more on all of this. good morning. >> reporter: hi there, lynn. good morning, everyone. economists are predicting 100,000 jobs created last month. that's less than half the growth we saw from the month before. it raises the question is this temporary or is this the beginning of weakening of this recovery? home sales are down. manufacturing is sluggish. consumer spending is weak. car sales are down. president obama will be visiting a chrysler plant today in ohio and then summer is coming with thousands of pink slips for teachers. here in washington, critics, mainly republicans, say the increases in food prices and energy prices are making it much worse for americans. but

only on msnb, the place fmsnb. >>> on capitol hill last night, senate lawmakers watched a bill aimed at lowering prices at the pump by doing away in billions of dollars of tax breaks for the nation's five largest oil companies. three democrats joined all by two senate republicans to vote against bringing the repeal up for debate in a test vote that came up eight yeas shy of a total 60 needed to advance. republicans said the legislation would raise gas prices and increase dependent on foreign oil. while opponents believe oil companies believe it is wrong to subsidize gas companies when they are making record profits. >>> meanwhile, there are small but significant steps towards normalcy for long suffering residents of the flooded mississippi region. after shutting down a 15-mile stretch of the swollen river in natchez, mississippi, yesterday, the coast guard is now allowing vessels to pass through slowly, one at a time. traffic is being limited in an effort to minimize strain on the river's already stressed levees. >>> now here's your "first look" at other news making news today. a gay

. >> i'm veronica de la cruz this is "first look" on msnb. "way too early" with willie geist starts right now. have a great monday. >>> two debates within seven days. the first tomorrow as we come up now on three weeks until election day in a race that is as tight as a drum. the question is, can mitt romney get a winning electoral map if he loses the state of ohio? >>> felix baum ggarner goes to space but comes down on his own power