and the south carolinians with all due respect were nut jobs from day one. and in july 1776 -- the same month as the declaration, a south caroli south carolinian named thomas lynch, great last name, thomas lynch says to the other members of -- at the continental congress, you start talking about slavery, we're out of here. he would never persuade the south carolinians. here is what you could have done. you could have isolated them. you have to get the virginians onboard and some of the virginians, many of them, are reasonable. they're slave holders. they know that slavery is a bad thing. they don't want to actually pass it on to their children and grandchildren because they think it corrupts the souls even of masters. george mason says that. thomas jefferson says it but doesn't do stuff about it because his party depends on it. james madison understands this in his bone. so does george washington. the reasonable virginians understand their slave holders, that slavery is a bad business. you have to persuade them. then the north carolinians have to decide wheth

i don't know how many south carolinians will resent that. i guess we'll have to find out on saturday. but i think for the most part south carolinians are willing to stand on their own and work hard and we don't generally want to take from what other people are making. >> we talked a lot in the early months of this campaign. tea party activists in your state, tea party activists all around the country. many of them, senator, were hoping you would join the race for president. you decided not to do that. now you've decided not to endorse as your state votes on saturday. some people look at governor romney, look at his record say he's an established politician but they don't view him as a tea party darling. some people say if he wins south carolina and he's the de facto republican nominee, some will say the tea party fizzled, that it didn't have much influence this cycle. is that fair? >> no, it's not. i've got a lot of tea party supporters and they seem to be equally split among all these candidates. there are a number of them supporting romney

south carolinians are looking for a conservative candidate that will get this candidate back workingagain, and i'm it. >> i believe the next seven days are as important as anything we may have seen. i believe that south carolinians will pick one conservative or by default we're going to send the moderate. >> reporter: now that iowa and new hampshire have wrapped up, wroor' starting to see the race move into bigger states where money talks. romney has raised $24 million but not as much as president obama. he's in chicago. he has three separate fund-raisers scheduled there. >> south carolina two weeks away. where do the candidates stand. >> reporter: mitt romney would like to say he's not a front-runner. look at the latest poll. it was taken before new hampshire. it shows mitt romney clearly in the lead. the folks hoping to slow down his momentum have a lot riding on south carolina. we're seeing all six candidates going into the state. we'll see that field 10 days from now. >>> to the other side, first lady michelle obama said she's tired of people portraying her as some angry kind of

please take a moment and join me in expressing our gratitude to a great american, and a great south carolinian, as he now has a home in the low country, judge michael ludig, executive vice president and general counsel for the boeing company and a tremendous friend to the state of south carolina. [applause] >> i run through this story that many of us know because there's a lot of lessons to be learned. first to the business community, when you're here, you're family. no one will do more to fight for you, no one will do more to keep you competitive and the -- than the state and people of south carolina. second for the federal government, the lesson must be that if you pick a fight with south carolina, you better be prepared for one because south carolinians take care of our en -- our own. we always have, we always will, and we will not tolerate indefensible acts against our citizens. and third, thelessson that i, and i hope you, take away from this episode is that together, speaking with one voice and driving toward a clear and focused goal, there is nothing that south carolina cannot accomplis

both inside and out of the boeing plant and what those jobs will do for the next generation of south carolinians. it was the greatest economic development success the palmetto state has celebrated in almost two decades in the people of our state wrapped her arms around the newest member of the south carolina family. part of the reason our enthusiasm is that boeing knew no bounds. we've seen how they operated in washington state. they took care of those who took care of them. while they were creating a thousand jobs here, here expanded 2001 washington state. not a single boeing worker was hurt by their decisions. in fact, just the opposite. a commitment from boeing to estate to a community, to work for us is a real commitment, a proven commitment and we know the face of south carolina, would forever be changed. then this spring, the national labor relations board reared its head, suing boeing and what will surely be remembered as one of the most fundamentally un-american decisions ever handed down by the federal government. in south carolina would not stand for it. from every corner of our state,

and south carolinians refused to allow this aid of food to reach ft. sumter. on april 12th at 4:30 a.m. they begin bombing ft. sumter for 33 hours until the surrender. here's a perspective from the fort, itself, by a with t"harpe weekly." they had sketch artists, the precursors of photojournalists on site. they draw the sketch. send it to the headquarters. they were cutting from the sketch. lincoln calls for 75,000 troops for 90 days. northerners and southerners both thought the war would last no more than three months. both sides thought the war would end quickly. southerners felt because of their long tradition of martial ideas of fighting which was one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the south. duels were common. southerners thought it would take ten northerners to defeat one southerner. northerners felt because of their manpower, their industrial base they would just destroy the south in three months. very few people thought the war would last more than six months. lincoln, the desire for revenge and the unity among most northerners is such l

. >> and many south carolinians, especially citizens of color, were born at home and lack birth certificates, and so to obtain those birth certificates is a very costly endeavor and also an administrative nightmare. >> reporter: south carolina is one of several states, mostly in the south, that because of a history of discrimination is required by the voting rights act of 1965 to get clearances from the stice department whenever changes are make to voting laws. dr. brenda williams has registered hundreds to vote. she says the new legislation is reminiscent of the jim crow laws that legalized discrimination against african americans even at polling places until they were abolished by the voting rights act. >> there was a poll tax back during those days, and african americans had to pay a tax. african americans were penalized when they went to even register to vote at the courthouse. they were given literacy tests and h to ess how ma marbles were in a jar and different things in order to deter and disenfranchise as many people as possible. >> reporter: does this remind you of that? >> yes, thi

both inside and out of the boeing plant and what those jobs will do for the next generation of south carolinians. it was the greatest economic development success the palmetto state has celebrated in almost two decades in the people of our state wrapped her arms around the newest member of the south carolina family. part of the reason our enthusiasm is that boeing knew no bounds. we've seen how they operated in washington state. they took care of those who took care of them. while they were creating a thousand jobs here, here expanded 2001 washington state. not a single boeing worker was hurt by their decisions. in fact, just the opposite. a commitment from boeing to estate to a community, to work for us is a real commitment, a proven commitment and we know the face of south carolina, would forever be changed. then this spring, the national labor relations board reared its head, suing boeing and what will surely be remembered as one of the most fundamentally un-american decisions ever handed down by the federal government. in south carolina would not stand for it. from every corner of our state,

and the south carolinians with all due respect were nut jobs from day one. and in july 1776 -- the same month as the declaration, a south caroli south carolinian named thomas lynch, great last name, thomas lynch sa t

south carolinians will anoint the eventual nominee in every election since 1908, the candidate who wins hear gone on to win the republican nomination. on that list, only bob dole did not then go on to win the presidency. mitt romney hopes to continue the palmetto tradition. a new nbc/marist poll out a couple of seconds ago, as a matter of fact, shui shows rom holding a ten-point lead over gingrich in the state of south carolina. romney, 34%. gingrich, 24%, ron paul and rick santorum bunched up behind them. following romney's shaking showing at the fox news debate on monday, and gingrich's perceived strong performance, that poll shows romney dropping 6 points here and gingrich jumping four points, that's predebate versus post debate. tonight, they face off here in charleston in what could be a game changer for the primary. we're also expecting to hear from gingrich's second wife in a network television interview that could shape the opinion of some south carolina voters here. we'll get to all that with mr. heilemann in a moment. first, let's get to the news live at 5:30 a.m. this thursda

south carolina talked about succession as it did 40 years prior to the time it finally did it, south carolinians became very agitated if somebody from georgia or mississippi set foot in south carolina to try to promote secession. this is our business. they could regard fellow successioners as agitators. there is no coordinators. there is this meeting in january 1861 when several southern senators meet -- i mentioned this in my talk for those of you who were awake, about -- it's time for us to success. but no unanimity were charged with doing. for instance the delegation from florida, which is only three people, was specifically instructed by its convention not to enter into any new confederation. the delegation for south carolina led primarily by the fire eaters, they believe their mandate was simply to go and to talk and then to come back and report to the south carolina convention on what had been discussed and then perhaps debate some more to see what should we do. no one's going there except, perhaps, a few georgians led by alexander h. stevens committed to the idea of we cannot wait around.

so the image out there with the average south carolinian, now the average south carolinian makes $30,000itt romney said he made an inconsequential amount giving speeches. $400,000. that's not resonating with those folks. he's a richie rich guy. >> he acted like that was not a large sum of money. and it was more than ten times what the average south carolinian makes annually. >> absolutely. >> he acted like it was nothing. let me ask you, chris, when you look at this whole issue with the tax returns and full disclosure, romney said today his financial report is much more telling than his tax returns. last night gingrich at last night's debate said romney shouldn't be holding back handing over his returns. and then willard comes back today telling mr. gingrich to release his ethics report. i mean, these guys are just going at it like -- >> someone said today the brand fight the republican party does not want to have is you release your tax returns. no you release your ethics report. what i think it's about -- >> i think it's wonderful. >> well, sure, from the perspective of the democrats.

and i think that's a decision south carolinians face very seriously, because the more they learn histhey realize, for example, he's pro-gun control. >> if you don't win, given you set that parameter, do you drop out? >> i don't know. i don't want to prejudge anything. >> is it that crucial? >> first of all, i think i'm going to win. the events in the first day here have been remarkable. >> politicians play hypotheticals. >> i am not answering hypotheticals. you can ask 23 ways. i am not answering. my goal is to win on the 21st. if we win on the 21st, we go to florida. it is a brand new game. at that point romney has to confront that when you get outside of, remember, new hampshire is his third best state after utah and massachusetts. so if he only gets 37% in his third best state and he can't win here, then i think you're in a very different nomination process. so this is going to be armagedd armageddon. they will come in here with everything they've got, every surrogate, every ad, every negative attack. at the same time, we're going to be basically drawing sharp contrast between a g

and i think -- and that's a decision south carolinians, i think, are going to face very seriously. because the more they learn his record, the more they realize, for example, he's pro-gun control. >> if you don't win, given you've set that parameter, do you drop out? >> i don't know. i don't want to pre-judge anything. >> if it's that crucial? >> first of all, i think i'm going to win. i think the events we've had so far in our very first day here have been remarkable. >> but i don't know that a politician likes to play hypotheticals -- >> so i'm not going to play hypotheticals. you can ask 23 different ways, i'm not answering. my goal is to win on the 21st. and i think if we win on the 21st, we go to florida, it is a brand-new game. and at that point, romney's got to confront that when you get outside of -- remember, new hampshire is his third best state after utah and massachusetts. so if he only gets 37% in his third best state, and he can't win here, then i think you're in a very different nomination process. this is going to be armageddon. they will come in here with everythin

but you cannot force virginians to invade and march on south carolinians. as much as north carolinians with south carolinians, they still say they won't march. that's classic material. it's classic material to include in the essay. the other thing i want you to remember, what about those what is that green, teal, whatever color that is. all right, those are slave states that stay in the union. missouri, kentucky, maryland, delaware. slave states that stay in the union. okay. everybody has kind of in the back of their heads, all right, the slave states go to the confederacy. no, you have those border states lincoln has to deal with. his whole presidency, he has to worry about more states going into the confederacy. any position he takes against slavery, he has to worry about losing those slave states and potentially more. all right. so this is going to be a constant thing he's going to have to think about. the other thing i want you thinking about, okay, look at these areas for secession and against secession. look at mississippi. there are pockets in missis

the american public and floridians, south carolinians they don't like that.i think you saw that rebellion reflected in the vote. they are concerned, though, about the jobs and the future of the country. i was here a couple of days, i picked up the paper yesterday. gas prices up 27%. my state of florida, i still have 10% unemployment, 14% in some of my counties. who is going to make the difference in actually getting people to work and has that experience? you know shall this is no longer that. we're not electing the "american idol." we tried that. we've got it. it's failed to lead. >> are you surprised by the fact that former governor jeb bush is not endorsing anyone? he has said ellen dors whomever and support whomever is the nominee. he's not getting out in front of it at all. >> i respect jeb. you've got lots of endorsements. i think half of the congressional delegation, which is extensive have endorsed mr. romney. we've had great candidates and we had good candidates and they have good positions. but again, we aren't, again picking the most popular guy, t

plus south carolinians are quickly learning what people in iowa and new hampshire already know. >> ihat it's going to be like once we do get down to the wire. >> campaign ads, being fired around the clock. do they really work? do they change undecided voters' minds? that's ahead. an accident doesn't have to slow you down... with better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual insurance, if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy a car that's one model-year newer... with 15,000 fewer miles on it. there's no other auto insurance product like it. better car replacement, available only from liberty mutual. it's a better policy that gets you a better car. call... or visit one of our local offices today, and we'll provide the coverage you need at the right price. liberty mutual auto insurance, responsibility -- what's your policy? >>> tonight would a romney romp prove the tea party a one-hit wonder? the gop is a big fan of ronald reagan's 11th commandment. is it ready to complain about the republican candidates who are breaking it? and your moment you may have missed i

. >> apparently south carolinians would rather have the emotional satisfaction of a ?oty remark toward a president than beat obama in in the fall. with newt gingrich you throw out the baby and keep the bath water. >> oh, that's you. >> here is my question for you, anne. i think you are the newt gingrich of book authors. you go to the gut and say what conservatives are thinking. >> you can't -- >> for one thing you are completely wrong that i would even accept this incredible slander. and you would go to the next step. i am not running for president. all we should be thinking about is how do we get votes? how do we get the most independent votes. we don't get it by calling obama a colonialist. and moreover,-- and my point about throwing out the baby and keeping the bath water with newt, you get the grandstanding statement, but when it comes time to do something he has taken 1.6 million from freddy mac and he is attacking the paul ryan plan. you don't get the change policy. you get republicans looking like we make kids on welfare janitors. >> but don't you know those poi

and he tried to stand up and prevent the disfranchisement of black south carolinians. that work remains unfinished because of what is going on in south carolina under the guise of voter i.d. and it's happening in other places too. so this is robert smalls' unfinished work that all of us have a responsibility to take up and to continue and to push forward and to work with all other progressive forces. and understand what's going on here because the dismantling of the right to vote in the 1890s in south carolina and other places in the south was the precursor to the massive oppression of people across the board in every aspect of life. so we need to -- we need to take up this effort and to do what smalls did and hopefully we will be more successful than he was able to be although he gave every ounce of his energy in 1895. >> i think we have time for a few more questions. >> i think it speaks to the point that dr. dulaney made when he said when did the civil rights movement start for african-americans? it started at the very beginning. and robert smalls was part of that on

. >> i think south carolinians was the first stated to understand how liberal governor romney he was as governor of massachusetts. he lost probably 15 to 20 points over the course of the two weeks as people realized he was pro-choice, pro gun control, pro tax increase and whole range of areas that despite his advertising and pretending, it's clear he was rough to south carolinians. >> sean: he is responding to his attacks that unleashes ad with newt's involvement with fraem fannie mae and freddie mac. >> newt gingrich was cashed in. gingrich was paid $1.6 million that helped create the crisis. >> a days advertise your tan. >> he resigned from congress in disgrace and then cashed in as a d.c. snyder. if newt wins, this guy would be very sheap. >> sean: joining us is sarah palin. governor, welcome back. >> thank you so much. and fred thompson is going to endorse somebody tonight. give me a hint. that will bring be news. he brings a different demographic. >> sean: i know you haven't gotten to the point of endorsing tonight but maybe i'll go back when we started last week. if you were vo

another south carolinians. i don't have anything really to say to him and i'll said to be on us is a little self-conscious. it's a busy airport, lecture kinds of people another self-conscious about standing in line, waiting to greet him and his best known for his segregationist to rain. it was good enough to say that i've seen have been keep on walking. so i'm conflicted, though. i walked down the concourse about 100 yards i look back, and here since 89-year-old man at the time, he's got a suitcase -- a briefcase in one hand and a travel bag in the other in a package under one arm and he should shuffling down this busy, crowded airport. without thinking, i go back and introduce myself. i said senator thurmond, my name is joseph crespino. i'd be happy to get you to your you to your next flight. he said are sure you got enough time? i don't want to delay when your travel. as i've got plenty of time. i'd be happy to do it. we walked together for about 10 minutes and i was just trying to make conversation the strom

i was thinking, i was in the constituent and i'm not a south carolinian and i really don't have anything to save them early and to be honest i was a little self-conscious. it was a busy airport. there were a lot of different kinds of people there and i was self-conscious about standing in line waiting to greet a man with all the segregationist harangue so was good enough to say that i had seen him and keep on rocking. but i get down, i'm conflicted though. i walked down to the concourse about 100 yards and i look back and hear everybody is shaking his hand and here is this 89-year-old man at the time. he has got a suitcase, briefcase in one hand and a travel bag in the other and a package under one arm and he is just shuffling down this busy, crowded airport. without thinking i go back and introduced myself and i say senator thurmond i name is joe crespino and i would be happy to help you get to your next flight. he said are you sure you have enough time? i want to delay you. i said no sir, have plenty of time. so i picked up his bag and we walked together for about 10 minutes. i was jus

. >> it doesn't matter to the south carolinians. >> i think it does matter. for one minute he has a moment of strength on the stage that was brilliant. that is a character issue not that we go in private lives, but private lives do matter and character matters in the office and newt gingrich does not. >> you stuck with bill clinton when the character matters. >> i didn't dismiss it, i thought as a president he was -- >> you liked him. >> i really like his wife and i really like him and i was mad at him like everybody else. i didn't think he should be impeached for it >> lady. milady, that is cool. you have that on your card. >> no, i don't use that anymore. you are the one who loves it. >> sir paul. ? my lady. >> you are best with ties like that. >> iris is wrong. seriously she is -- direct as they come. when we come back. it is raining in south carolina and does that affect turn out. not as many people turn out, who does that benefit? [ male a] how do you trade? with scottrader streaming quotes, any way you want. fully customize it for your trading process -

we either convince south carolinians to vote for a conservative and unify them around me or, you knowyou see romney probably becoming the nominee. >> very quickly, what do you think of the other competitors? rick santorum, he had the santorum surge, took a bit of a hit in new hampshire, not necessarily surprisingly, is it over for him, continue to see him get track tion. >> governor perry is here, i don't know if huntsman will -- >> are you surprised governor perry is around? >> he is a smart guy, governor the texas, he has the resources, if he wants to stay, he can. the concern is how do we communicate to south carolinians they better pick one conservative, in which case would almost certainly be me, if they want to beat romney. any vote that goes to anybody else is going to be a vote that helps romney win. >> at what point does the party have to rally as you say. has it reached that point? >> the party never has to rally. >> doesn't have to collectively say we're going to have these two duke it out? >> no. >> does it help you have endless candidates carrying on? >> that's not the pa

by the end i didn't think he got there but i think he was trying. >> pat you are a native south carolinian. the difference between first and second is more than 70,000 votes right now. >> yeah. >> when you look at the votes, the exit polls, what south carolina was telling the rest of the gop what do you take away from it? >> what i took away from it looking at it is that and i went through all of the numbers and went through all of the counties. first of all, i have never seen this this across-the-board in this kind of contested race. he managed to unite the up country which is evangelical. he also just won every group. but you more importantly i think it was a statement about romney, that he really failed a test for him and raises serious questions. for the gingrichs it is a whole new moment, bret. >> pat, let me ask you this. you heard him talk about this is what the campaign comes down to. american exceptionalism versus sal olinsky. that may play to a republican place, the radicalism, that kind of thing. should he become the general election candidate. >> he can't afford to yet. you kno