i would like to thank the miller center, barbara perry, katrina, who has been just wonderful. i don't think the center could survive without her and everyone else who has made this such a, i think, at least to this point, such a successful conference. the topic on which i was asked to talk and write and half of my title is george h.w. bush, congress and domestic policy making. this work is based certainly on the miller center transcripts and fred mcclure's transcript is particularly useful. but it's also based on other primary and secondary resources, including my own interviews with members of congress, congressional staffers and other knowledgeable folks that i conducted during the bush administration. if the spirit of full disclosure i shouldei a congressional scholar, so my paper probably does have a kind of congressional skew of perspective. now, i argue here and elsewhere that presidential legislative success, while certainly in part a function of the president's and his administration's political skill is determined much more by the context in and which he prits. operat

rings. >> this year has been very intense. >> reporter: the split comes just a month after perry told barbarall was well. >> good marriage? happy marriage? >> i think it's lovely so far. >> you want to have children? >> yes, of course. i think that is one of the biggest reasons you do get married. >> reporter: a year before, brand, a former playboy, expressed his love to bill weir. >> i wanted a companion, a friend. all these girls, it's fun for awhile. but where is the journey within? it's the most more mall relationship i have ever had. >> reporter: what went wrong? brand had reportedly slowed down his partying ways. perry did not. it's said he didn't approve of her circle of friends. while perry had no comment about the split, a somber looking brand told reporters over the weekend, i'm doing good. everything is going to be better next year. according to tmz, perry wanted russell brand to handle filing the divorce papers because she didn't want to upset her parents, who are evangelical christians. >> some reports are whether and when to have family might have had something to do with this.

perry took a position on one war front. >> i would send troops back into iraq. >> the contenders face off again this week in the nation's first primary. barbara hall, abc-7 news. >> it's been exactly one year since the deadly shootings in tucson that killed six and injured 13 others. ♪ >> a ceremony remembered those killed and injuried in the shooting spree that seriously injured congresswoman gabrielle giffords. tonight giffords made a rare public appearance at a candlelight vigil a university of arizona. jared loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in the shooting. he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. >> know val to fire investigates are looking for suspects in a dozen fires. it started with a dumpster fire and then falled -- followed with grass fires. and in san francisco, firefighters made quick work of an apartment fire this morning. it happened around 11:00 at a bitting on neo and 17th 17th street. the fire was contained in 20 minutes two people were dispreetd released the scene. >> it's full steam ahead at santa clara as the city prepares for a new stadium. >> today they started selling seats for a stadium that has not b

perry and bachmann stomping in iowa. while huntsman focuses on new hampshire which votes a week after the iowa caucus. i'm barbara hall reports. >> besides the republican candidates president obama is gearing up for his campaign in iowa as well. the team organizer for america has set up shop in key cities. mr.obama won the democratic caucus over hillary clinton. >>> two women became the first couple in delaware to become a couple. lawyers christie and fennell helped draft the legislation. the ceremony was held at an episcopal church. the congregation gave the couple a standing ovation. >> you are legally joined as partners in life. >> as of today, hawaii allows civil unions for same-sex couples. if couples wanted their unions to become official as soon as possible. >> we have been together for 33 years waiting for the opportunity. and our rights and everything that goes with it. so, why wait? >> reporter: hawaii will now recognize same-sex unions from other states as well. one organizer called the new law one step forward equality. >>> coming up a little bit later, getting tougher on smoking. the bay area city th

barbara harrison. thursday, january 19, 2012. right off the top, we have breaking news on the race for the white house. nbc news confirmed texas governor rick perry plans on dropping out of the race for the republican nomination. he is expected to speak in south carolina at any moment. and he will reportedly endorse newt gingrich for president. we will take you there live as it happens. >>> as perry drops out the big question is who will his supporters turn to? the iowa republican party just released the certified results of their caucuses and there is a big switch. officials now say that rick santorum finished 34 votes ahead of mitt romney. no official winner will be declared. news4's melissa malay joins us to discuss what happened. >> reporter: official announcement expected in less than a an hour. nbc news will not declare a winner. the iowa gop is expected to say rick santorum finished ahead of romney by 34 votes. officials say they discovered errors actually a fair amount of errors, 131 to be exact, in the county of fayette right here in the northeast part of the state. now take a look at the mums up on the screen. santorum has total of 29,8

this year's candidates include mitt romney, mitt perry, mitt santorum, some real estate lady from santa barbarantury, the ohio -- no, i'm sorry, that is the iowa, the iowa caucuses. the caucusii? check on that one. any way, it is the super bowl of old midwestern people in a high school gym sitting in folding chairs. >> welcome back. java joe's. joining us former press secretary to former house speaker newt gingrich, rich galen. rich, newt last night, he didn't -- i don't know, didn't seem very sportsman like is the word i've been using. >> that was the unhappy newt. >> that was not happy. he's angry. >> the angry newt we've known for the last 25 years has not served him well. i'm hoping he gets over it overnight. >> i don't know. he really felt like a victim. he felt like he was victimized here in iowa. was newt gingrich victimized by the state of iowa? >> they did gang up on him. and the romney campaign, i think everybody will agree, did everything to support santorum short of buying actual advertising for him. >> why is that a good strategy for romney? >> because there's no path for santorum