the answer is arlen specter. e than ten years as the owner of joan specter's desserts where her specialty was the candy apple walnut pie. we'll be right back. you're watching "the daily rundown only on msnbc. right. but... home security systems can be really expensive. so to save money, we actually just adopted a rescue panther. i think i'm goin-... shhh! we find that we don't need to sleep that much. there's an easier way to save. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. ♪ geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. ♪ ♪ ♪ that should do it. enjoy your new shower. [ door opens, closes ] until the end of the quarter to think about your money... ♪ ...that right now, you want to know where you are, and where you'd like to be. we know you'd like to see the same information your advisor does so you can get a deeper understanding of what's going on with your portfolio. we know all this because we asked you, and what we heard helped us create pnc wealth insight, a smarter way to w

supporting arlen specter, supporting arlen specter over pat toomey that was a torturous route. >> just about as torturous six years later blaming me for obama care. >> it wouldn't really be a republican debate if newt gingrich didn't take his customary shot at the media. >> since birth control is the latest hot topic which candidate believes in birth control and if not, why? >> as you can see, it's a -- it's a very popular question you have. >> it's a very popular question in the audience as we can see. we're not going to spend a ton of time on this. >> may i make a point? >> sure. >> these guys are going to give you feedback here. >> i see that. >> i think they're making it clear. >> look, i want to make two quick points, john. the first, there is a legitimate question about the power of the government to impose on religion activities which any religion opposes. that's legitimate. >> sure is. >> i just want to point out, you did not once in the 2008 campaign, not once did anybody in the elite media ask why barack obama voted in favor of legalizing infante side. let's be clear here. if

he says "arlen specter chairman of the judiciary committee we had a conversation. said will you support the president's nominees? he said i'll support the president's nominees. you say it never happened. what do you make of hearing this? >> well, it may be politically expedient for him to make that response. but i can't read his mind. you can draw inferences as well as i can. what i can tell you are the facts. >> do you have a candidate in this presidential election? are you supporting president obama? are you looking at these republicans? >> i am not impressed with any of the republican candidates. i think president obama is in the driver's seat at the moment. but a campaign is a long process. and what i intend to do is to follow it closely. and when the time comes to cast a ballot, they call it a secret ballot. >> the former pennsylvania senator arlen specter. they do indeed call it a secret ballot. sir appreciate your time today. >> nice talking to you. >>> coming up, the truth about rick santorum's debate performance and how it might impact the gop race. >>> an

why i supported arlen specter, number one, becaus because-- because, because arlen specter done i supported no child left behind, i supported it. it was the principa principal-- principles priority of president bush. when you are part of the team sometime us take one for the team for the leader and i made a mistake. you know, politics is a team sport, folks. >> jon: boo, boo, i boo your uncomfortably frank assessment of the inner workings of our legislature. boo. santorum, are you in a debate this is no place for reasoned arguing. (laughter) show them how it's done, boys. >> we have to have individuals that will stand up for religious conscious and i did and i will again as president. >> i believe this is the most dangerous president on national security grounds in american history. >> and just as arizona is finding out, you can stop illegal immigration. it's time we finally did it. >> not once did anybody in the elite media ask why barack obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide. so let's be clear here. >> jon: i'm sorry, i think you may have president obama confused with king herod.

and then went into a long explanation of why he voted for arlen specter, why he supported arlen specter, why he backed arlen specter, because specter was going to be a reliable vote for supreme court justice nominees, et cetera. and i can tell you that it's not really a way to win the hearts of undecided conservative republican voters, to associate yourself with arlen specter. it's just not. because not only is is he pro-choice, he's pro-gun control, he's all the things that the last surviving liberal from pennsylvania in the republican party is going to be. so i thought it was very shrewd tactics on the part of mitt romney, there's no doubt about it. >> john heilemann, it did seem to throw santorum off. he could never have been expecting -- he would never sit in that chair and think, at some point tonight, i am going to be blamed for obama care. by mitt romney. and you know, romney's thread there wasn't that easy to follow, but it was much easier to follow than what santorum's answer became. >> yeah. yes, sorry, i thought you were about to play tape there, lawrence. >> don't do that. >

why i supported arlen specter, number one, because -- because arlen specter was a senator who's goingudiciary committee at the time when the most important issue that was coming up in the next session of congress was two to three supreme court nominees that were going to be available and one or maybe two or maybe even all three were going to be out of the conservative bloc. and arlen specter, as chairman of the judiciary committee, we had a conversation. we asked me to support him. i said will you support the president's nominees? we had a majority in the senate. he said i will as chairman. every nominee arlen specter supported from the time he took on judge fork and saved justice thomas, every nominee he supported passed. why? it gave republicans and democrats someone to vote for. he wouldn't have been able to give moderate republicans and conservative democrats the leeway to then support that nominee, which is exactly what arlen specter did. he defended roberts, defended alito. we have a 5-4 majority on the court that struck dounl that case that you just talked about and is there as

if you had not supported him, if we said no to arlen specter we would not have obamacare. so don't look at me. take a look in the mirror. >> stephen: yeah, rick. if you didn't endorse this clown in 2004 who cast the deciding vote on obamacare five years later, we wouldn't have obama's disastrous government mandated health care that mitt romney designed. (laughter) so look in the mirror, buddy! you're not going to like what you see. but what really-- (applause) what really sealed mitt's victory was his answer to john king's final question. >> what the biggest misconception about you in the public debate right now. we are geeing have to add dramatic fundamental change in washington d.c. we're going have to create more jobs v less debt and shrink the size of government. the only person -- >> are there misconception, the question is a misconception. >> you get to ask the questions you want, i get to give the answers i want. >> fair enough. >> stephen: yes, wait with way to go, mitt. boom boom. you can give whatever answers you want who cares what the question was. (laughter) i

he supported arlen specter's efforts. there was also 1996, where he supported arlen specter, by the way, when he was running for president. arlen specter, the only pro- choice candidate we saw in that race. there were other conservatives running like bob dole. he supported the pro-choice candidate, arlen specter. this taking one for the team, that is business as usual in washington. we have to have principled conservative leadership, and i have demonstrated that through my life and as governor. i listened to frank beckman a moment ago, and he was right on -- this president says he wants to transform america. i do not want to transform america, i want to return to america the principles that made us great over the years. again, thinking about frank, he quoted the declaration of independence. those first words, carefully selected by the founders, changed the world. they said that the creator had endowed us with our rights. not the governor, not the state. and among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. those wo

if we said no to arlen specter, we would not have obamacare. don't look at me. take a look in the mirror. >> he is out there on television ads unfortunately attacking me i'm the great earmarker, when he not only asked for earmarks for the salt lake olympic s in order of tens of millions of dollars, sought those earmarks and used them, governor of massachusetts, 3 or $400 million. i would be something i would be foolish if i didn't get federal dollars. >> this is a very sober period. i believe this is the most dangerous president on national security ground in american history. [applause] >> i think sort of the like the, conservatives use argument about guns all the time. guns don't kill. criminals kill. in a way morality of society we have to deal with. the pill is there and contributes maybe, but the pills can't be blamed for the i'm more ralty of our society. bill: and it went from there. who shined and who was left behind? mike emanuel leads our coverage. romney and santorum sitting next to each other at times. they could be sitting in each other laps as they

the other aspect is that he did endorse arlen specter. arlen specter is a moderate pennsylvania republican who switched parties when he ran for reelection in 2010, went from being a republican to a democrat because, in my polls and others, it was clear he was not going to win the republican primary against the ultimate u.s. senate victor in pennsylvania, pat toomey. so they might make something of that endorsement, but i don't think that has, you know, legs, so to speak. i think it will be largely the government spending largess, the pork, the earmarks. think they'll go down that road and see what they can locate. >> professor terry madonna at franklin & marshall college in pennsylvania. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >>> the trivia question, what was the 48th state? it is arizona. today arizona celebrating its 100th anniversary on this date, february 14, 1912. arizona shed its five-decade status as a u.s. territory. it became the last state in the contiguous united states, and jan brewer, who is the governor of arizon

he cites his support for all inspector -- arlen specter and arlen specter turns right the next day and says that is not true. >> they are dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas. >> the president says that those of us who believe in $2 gas is just politics. that is baloney. it was $1.13 a gallon when i was speaker. that is a historic fact. it is $1.89 a gallon when he became president. that is a historic fact. >> actually, i checked. it was, and in some places a little less. let's say gasoline is $5 by election day. what are the president's chances of reelection? >> gasoline prices are like a big tax in that they take money out of people's pockets, particularly at the lower income levels when the they have to go to work, for example. i think we have seen enough of this for the last 20 years that people have some sense that politicians don't control this. there was a study recently that showed it to the united states actually was accountable -- made all of its own gas, all pumped in the united states, it would only reduce the price of gas internationally at about a few cents a ga

why i supported arlen specter. >> that's the only real punch that got thrown on romney care. why so little, since it was such a strength for santorum in previous debates? >> well, that's true. i think what we've done now has proven conclusively, rick santorum and mitt romney completely violated their conservative prince and on that basis do not deserve the support of any conservative voters, so, i think now we're left with what? ron paul? >> well. >> we're talking ourselves totally out of the election. >> paul: but santorum was on defense for most of the debate and he's been on debate. and romney is pounding him in the airwaves, on the-- >> totally reductive. >> much of the night explaining why he voted for things he doesn't believe in. the big thing for romney latest in nbc polls shows romney up in michigan by 2 points, within the margin of error, but he had been down in more recent polls, he so, i think right now, mitt romney has the momentum in michigan. >> paul: all right, newt gingrich by all accounts, dan, did pretty well in the debate. does he have a chance for a third

reason we have obama care is because the senator you supported over pat toomey in pennsylvania, arlen specter, the pro-choice senator of pennsylvania that you supported and endorsed in a race over pat toomey, he voted for obama care. if you had not supported him, if we had said no to arlen spec tore we would not have obama care. >> why i supported arlen specter, number one, because arlen specter was a senator who was going to be the chairman of the judiciary committee at a time when the most important issue that was coming up in the next session of congress was two to three supreme court nominees. >> supporting arlen specter over pat toomey, that was a very tore tour rouse route. >> just about as torturous as six years later. >> in 1996 -- >> let's move the conversation along. >> reporter: not a lot of love there between those two gentlemen, huh? i talked to a top santorum advisor in the spin room after the debate and he said, not my candidate's best debate. nobody else hit a home run so they were not that concerned. the romney senior advisors were ecstatic. they think he did very well. santo

and they are sitting there talking about, well, you know, all those years ago, you backed arlen spectergive me a break. mickey mouse club. am i wrong? help me here, susan. objective reporter. objectively, wasn't it really petty last night? >> you know, it was not one of those -- we've had some good debates. >> yes. >> i mean, we've had 20 debates. you would hope some of them would be good. last night was a debate of candidates who know they may not have much time left on stage. after next tuesday's primary where romney could be in real trouble if he loses michigan. santorum could be fading fast or surging. so you really find them trying to pick things to differentiate themselves from the other guy. and push it home. it was a debate that left president obama all pretty scot-free until the very end talking about foreign policy. >> if anybody only had one day to live, would they live it last night? was that anybody's idea of life on this planet? it was so -- i love politics. i love it so much, but what were they talking about? >> first of all, to say it was about republican intramurals was

that is what arlen specter said he would do and he delivered. we got 30 years of those two guys. that is greatest contribution i think one of the biggest i made was to make sure those two justices and hopefully more will be on that court. >> sean: what do you think it is the back and forth? if we go through this entire race, in iowa, new hampshire we expected that governor romney would win. he comes out with a double-digit lead and loses to gingrich an leading in florida by double digits and romney comes back. now, we have what happened last night. how do you assess this? is this romney and non-romney as some people are suggesting? >> i think people are still searching. what you saw in the florida turnout was down. nevada turnout was down. i think people were not satisfied with the choices or the tenure of the campaign. what you saw they were pretty excited about the. these are huge margins. colorado, nobody saw that coming. we did. we felt the enthusiasm out there. we had huge crowds in colorado. we felt very good that not just conservatives were lined up but folks that want to

let's hear what senator santorum had to say. >> i supported arlen specter, number one, because arlen an of the judiciary committee at the time when the most important issue coming up in the next session of congress was two to three supreme court nominees. >> reporter: rick santorum talking about at the time why he supported arlen speaker to happened to be representing pennsylvania quite an odd couple between rick san totorum and ar specter. arlen specter says that a conversation that rick santorum said occurred actually didn't occur. let's hear what he had to say on john king usa tone. >> did you have that conversation, did you make

reputation and a record behind it not to make deals like that. >> and nobody has a voice like arlen specterter, who famously left the republican party in 2010 because he thought it would help him get re-elected. also says he wouldn't endorse santorum today, even if he were still a republican. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. monarch of marketing analysis. with the ability to improve roi through seo all by cob. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. i'm going b-i-g. [ male announcer ] good choice business pro. good choice. go national. go like a pro. energy in america.] good choice business pro. good choice. we've got to protect the environment. the economists make some good points. we need safer energy. [announcer:] who's right? they all are. visit powerincooperation.com. so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better so now i can take the lead on a science adventure. advair is clinical

. >> arlen specter switch parties and delivered a key vote. >> if the of not supported him we would note. to do not look at me. >> ron paul joined in on the santorum bashing. >> id labels and a fake. -- it is labeled him a fake. why? >> because he is a fake. >> republicans are dissatisfied with the gop field. >> president obama will pour about his energy policy and raise campaign money in florida today. a new poll shows him leading all of the republican candidates. >> it is 48 degrees and northwest d.c. >> do you have this condition where you feel lost without a cell phone? there is a name for its purity may have a condition -- there is a name for it. he may have a condition called nomaphobia. >> we have some areas of rain. we will be dry today and tomorrow but a few sprinkles. the big headline is the warm air that is moving into town. taking a look at the conditions. a few areas of light green and blue and western maryland. if the little sprinkles could start. 51 degrees in the district. 46 degrees and culpeper. we are above our average afternoon. adobe a mild day today. we're talking

. >> reporter: romney counted by raising the support by santorum to arlen specter. >> if you had not supported him, we would in the have owe what care. don't look at me. look in the mirror. >> reporter: ron paul joined in. >> you have a new television ad that labels him a fake. why? >> because he's a fake. >> reporter: a poll shows 40% of republicans dissatisfied with the current gop field. while the gop candidates duke it out, the president will raise came pain money and promote his energy policy today in florida. a new poll shows him leading all the republican candidates. >> thanks for that report this morning. >>> in other news now, secretary of state hillary clinton is among more than 70 world leaders meeting tomorrow to consider possible military aid to people in syria. weeks of attacks have left thousands of people dead in that country. also on the ageneral dark how to alleviate deplorable conditions there. >>> among those killed by syrian military fire, veteran reporter marie colvin. she was warnd to leave syria because it was becoming more dangerous. she insists on staying to

he fights for arlen specter and specter turns rocky the next day and says, but " that's not true." >> the art dusting off their three-point plan for $2 gas. >> the president uses strong language and says that those of us who believe we can get to $2 gas is just politics. that is baloney. it was $1.13 a gallon when i was speaker. that is a historic fact. it was $1.89 a gallon when he became president. that is a historic fact. >> actually, i checked, it was, and in some places in the last. gasoline prices are skyrocketing while we sit here. save gasoline prices are $5 on election day parawhaty. what are his chances for reelection? >> gas prices are like a big tax. however, and i think we have seen enough of this for the last 20 years that people have some sense that politicians don't control this. there was a study recently that showed if the united states that actually was accountable for -- made all its own gas, all pumped in the united states, it would reduce the price of gas internationally and to us at about a few cents a gallon. produce all the gas in the world. >> i understand, b