. >> july 2000, reporter brian schultz is dispatched to new providence, iowa, to cover the installationr tower. >> that looks pretty good, don't it? >> it does. >> getting the water tower was a point of pride for new providence. something they'd been trying to get done for quite a while. so it was quite a big deal. >> new providence raises enough money to purchase its very first tower. the remote town of a little more than 200 people is all abuzz. >> anyone who was at home at the time, they were going to go out and see this happen. >> as local residents gather in the streets, a 150-foot crane rises and successfully lifts the four steel legs into position. >> there were some gentlemen on top of the tank that were attaching these straps to a central point that the crane would lift up. there were a few gentlemen on the ground that were kind of directing them. and there was a gentleman on top of the crane that was waiting for all this to happen. i remember even at the time i was pretty impressed with how cautious they were being. >> we're going for liftoff. >> with two workers poised on the

brian, thanks. >>> well, thursday, ed schultz caught up with rick santorum.ed asked santorum to make his case as to why he's the conservative republican candidate with the best chance to win a nationwide general election for president. >> well, is it a congresswoman who represents a heavily republican district who has to fight every year to win that district? is it a governor from texas who, you know, governed as a reasonably conservatively in a state that's a very conservative state who never had the moderate or independents to vote to win. or is it someone who governed as a conservative with a 90% plus rating in the senate and win two tough elections in the state of pennsylvania? you know, i think that's the person who probably has the best ability track record that shows you've got what it takes to be able to get the voters in the states that are necessary to win this presidency. >> each night, veteran talk host ed schultz tackles theç issues that matter most to americans, 8:00 eastern right here on msnbc, the place for politics. >>> elsewhere, the obama

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> last night on "the ed show," ed schultz asked jonathan alter what he thinked the president accomplished in his speech. >> he put his presidency in the context of american history and that's very important not just for, you know, history folks like you and me but for the american public to see that this is part of a continuum of a philosophy of government that says, we owe each other something. we don't rise and fall alone in this country. we do it together and the republicans have had a very different view. not always not in teddy roosevelt's day. he was, after all, a republican, but in the 1920s they had a different view. in the 1950s, eisenhower and the republicans came back to the square deal new deal approach but then in the last 10, 20, 30 years since reagan, the republicans have moved back into this laissez-faire approach where they want every man and woman to be for himself or herself. >> yeah. >> and that philosophical difference is something that can penetrate our politics if we get speeches like this. >> "the ed show" right here on msnbc at 8:00 p.m. the place for politics. >>

brian is talking about dnc chairwoman debbie wasserman schultz live in our studio. rning. >> she will respond to brian's interview with mitt romney when we return live from new york. >> they agreed on newt -- ♪ ♪ mom? dad? guys? [ engine turns over ] [ engine revs ] ♪ he'll be fine. [ male announcer ] more people are leaving bmw, mercedes, and lexus for audi than ever before. take advantage of exceptional values during the season of audi event. i'm a dad, coach... and i quit smoking with chantix. knowing that i could smoke during the first week was really important to me. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke -- and personally that's what i knew i needed. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health p