and nbc's tom brokaw. >>> and later, politics, satire, and lots of laughs. i go one-on-one with stephen colbert. in character -- >> i don't really watch the news so much. i come in around 6:30 and i just say the opposite of whatever rachel maddow says the night before. and comedy just helps an idea go down. that's all. and it just makes you listen for a minute. >>> from nbc news in washington, "meet the press" with david gregory. >>> good sunday morning. it is a critical time in the race for the white house now. over the next eight days, think about it, we'll see the final two debates as polls show mitt romney now improving his standing in key battleground states of florida, virginia, and ohio. look at those polls. meanwhile, this weekend, people are still debating who won the vice presidential face-off as "saturday night live" had some fun with the vice president's over the top performance. >> congressman ryan, we begin with your opening statement. >> thank you. first of all, i want to thank center college for hosting us this evening. >> oh, boy. here we go

tom brokaw, as always, thank you for joining us today. >> my pleasure. >> the clinton factor. the former president's role on the trail mean for president obama's re-election hopes? send me your thoughts on facebook and twitte twitter @mitchellreports. this is "andrea mitchell reports" live at hofstra university only on msnbc. new trident layers juicy berry + tangy tangerine is a thrilling, dual-flavored ride to mouth fun-town. but it's not like everyone is going to break into a karaoke jam session. ♪ this will literally probably never happen. [ male announcer ] it's time for medicare open enrollment. are you ready? time to compare plans and see what's new. you don't have to make changes, but it's good to look. maybe you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ medicare open enrollment. now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare. ♪ yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. ok. [ voice

tom brokaw, stay with us, if you can. david, can you stay?. >>> up next, it's his fault, huh? we're going to bring in congressman chris van hole ton get h chris van hollen to get his reaction to last night. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. hey. hey eddie. i brought your stuff. you don't have to do this. yes i do. i want you to keep this. it'd be weird. take care. you too. [ sighs ] so how did it go? he's upset. [ male announcer ] spend less time at gas stations with best in class fuel economy. it's our most innovative altima ever. ♪ wow! it's even bigger than i thought. welcome to progressive. do you guys insure airstreams? yep. everything from travel trailers to mega motor homes. and when your rv is covered, so is your pet. perfect. who wants a picture with flo? i do! i do! do you mind? got to make sure this is -- oh. uh... okay. everybody say "awkward." protecting your family fun. now, that's progressive. call or click today. >>> joe and i are from similar towns. he's from scranton, pennsylvania. i'm from janesville, wisco

brokaw had a great idea in that. megyn: we are told they are very focused in winning back the women in this election, the obama campaign. women care in the top tier about the deficit. they care about the deficit significantly more than they care about issues like abortion and that is something that team obama needs to focus on tomorrow night according to the pundits. thank you. the new twist in the drama about a 14-year-old girl attacked by the taliban on her way home from school. she was gunned down because she fought for the right to go to school. we'll have a live report on what is a global effort to save her life and track down the men who tried to take it. we saw new signs over the weekend that the obama campaign is planning a new attack on governor romney's honesty during the debate tomorrow. wait until you see who is here on that. will come together. delicious and wholesome. some combinations were just meant to be. tomato soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. then you may be looking for help in

brokaw. i'll take it. tom, welcome. >> well, the is that i've been mocked as much as you have. i was listening to you talk about hunting yesterday, and there's something else we have in common. >> well, great. >> we have a lot going on to get started today. i was a moderator four years ago. >> let me take you back to 2008. what's it like to do it? >> well, the closest equivalent i guess is that you're in a referee and umpire in a very hotly contested game. nobody is cheering for you. they're cheering for the two candidates and the people asking the questions. the candidates have elaborate rules about how long the question should be, how they'll respond within a given time to the first question, and then how much time they have to respond tobreah the rules. so the first that will happen tonight is candy crowley will begin to lose control of what's going on on the stage. the stakes are so high they will seize the ground for their own benefit and uses. i do think in the final analysis, however,

tom brokaw, stay with us, if you can. david, can you stay?. >>> up next, it's his fault, huh? we're going to bring in congressman chris van hole ton get h chris van hollen to get his reaction to last night. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. hey. hey eddie. i brought your stuff. you don't have to do this. yes i do. i want you to keep this. it'd be weird. take care. you too. [ sighs ] so how did it go? he's upset. [ male announcer ] spend less time at gas stations with best in class fuel economy. it's our most innovative altima ever. ♪ >>> joe and i are from similar towns. he's from scranton, pennsylvania. i'm from janesville, wisconsin. do you know what the unemployment rate is in scranton? >> i sure do. >> it's 10%. do you know what it was the day you guys came in? 8%. that's the way it's going. >> that's not the way it's going. it's going down. >> a two-minute answer. >> all right. is you know what? >> i think that is a sign of exasperation that's an attempt to belittle ryan but actually shows a little bit more -- i think to

and tonight tom brokaw reports on voters in the battleground state of colorado, of course, playing host for tonight's debate. >> reporter: in the presidential battle for colorado, the old western town of golden in jefferson county is one of the epicenters. it's a large middle class community just west of denver doing a little better than the rest of the state economically, and there are a lot of undecided voters here. >> hello, golden! >> reporter: between them, the two candidates have been in colorado more than two dozen times. >> i think the state is desperate for something to be accomplished. they are extremely worried about this economy. 60% of them are concerned about the direction of the country. >> reporter: you hear that on golden's main street filled with local merchants such as nancy taylor mason, registered independent, still undecided. not far away former ranch kid kelly condon jackson, an optometrist, bought this building for her office. amy rule, a lawyer, leans republican, but she's still not sure. john ellis is in big agriculture, the national western stock show. we gath

and nbc news special correspondent tom brokaw, who by the way moderated the town hall style presidential debate between john mccain and barack obama in 2008. so we'll have some perspective of what to expect from that point of view. welcome to all of you. governor mcdonnell, the framing of this is that things are moving in romney's directions. if you look at the polling in the battleground states, there has been a movement toward him after that first debate. what makes you think that is sustainable? >> because it was based on i think a sharp contrast between the vision of mitt romney and the record of barack obama. it's the first time that 60 million americans live got to see the two, and another 60 million or so through social media got to see him. i think it's a sustainable trend. and in virginia, i think that it's all about jobs and energy and the economy and debt. that's what the independent voters, that last 7% or 8% of swing voters are going to vote on, and i think mitt romney did a great job to show why his ideas over the next four years will beat barack obama's last four years. >>

you're down to one lane by montague expressway but that clears up at brokaw. that's good news for me because i thought i would possibly be late. we wouldn't want that because then you wouldn't have me talking. >>> 4:32. we begin with decision 2012. president obama hits the campaign trail in ohio today after wrapping up his business right here in the bay area. >> indeed it was a profitable business. the president raising roughly $4 million in less than 12 horizon and that is on the conservative side. mr. obama receiving the standing o last night. he spoke for a total of 25 minutes telling supporters the future of the nation is at stake. >> i'm not fighting for red values or white values or black values or latino values, gay or straight values, i'm fighting for american values. they belong to all of us. san francisco, we are not as divided as our politics would suggest. we've got more -- >> an energized president highlighting accomplishments his administration has made over the last three years and he criticized romney claiming, no, the facts do not hold up. >>

brokaw. for nine at the e-mailed his assistant.i tried really hard and i pushed and pushed, but i don't quite. and the final weeks, he submitted his blurb that has changed this book. i have some bad news. there is more security around tom brokaw and admiral mullen. [laughter] sewer with the next greatest generation? as the lead author of this project, i would say we are prepared for greatness. we served in unique ways. with blood and lost classmates and ship me and subordinates and seniors on the battlefield or you see that in this book. but when you deploy for your country in that way, it changes the way you want to serve at home. so how did the world war ii generation to? they made the ultimate sacrifice. they came home and with the engine of progress for this nation for the latter part of a century. we, the 2.5 million veterans who are coming home in the years to come are prepared for good things, for great things, to lead our country in uniform and now, and you'll see four of those crazed tories and the latter part of our book.

con, hearing tom brokaw try to pronounce -- [ as tom brokaw ] "lehrer." [ laughter ] "leh -- lehrer.use ] [ laughter ] >> jimmy: pro, mitt romney will answer every foreign policy question by saying what his conservative base wants to hear. con, obama will answer every foreign policy question by saying, "i killed osama bin laden, bitches," and dropping the mic. [ cheers and applause ] "what do you want me to --" >> steve: "what do you want to do?" >> jimmy: "i don't even need a rebuttal." >> steve: yeah. i'm done. >> jimmy: pro, a candidate has two minutes to answer each question, followed by a one-minute rebuttal, followed by a 30-second opportunity to respond to the rebuttal. con, followed by a one-second opportunity to roll one's eyes and make a wanking motion with one's fist. [ laughter ] you have to have rules. >> steve: that's the rule? >> jimmy: that's the rule. >> steve: wow, things have gotten looser. >> jimmy: pro, tomorrow night's debate will be held at the university of denver's ritchie center. con, when mitt romney heard "ritchie center," he thought the debate was at his

>>> but first we take you back to the days of watergate and nbc's tom brokaw, circa 1973.ur flashback is next. this is msnbc. [ scratching ] you're not using too much are you, hon? ♪ nope. [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. don't worry, there's plenty left for you dad. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a refer

tom brokaw using it when ronald reagan sweep covered most of the country physically.nt. let's listen. >> we'll call another state for ronald reagan. it's a big one. it's his home state of california. 45 electoral votes. ronald reagan picks up his home state of california. he's never lost a race there. we fill in that big chunk of the map with blue. now solid blue practically all the way from the mississippi river westward leaving only oregon and washington. >> it looks like an urban swimming pool over there. >> why did democrats get stuck with blue? blue is a pretty good color. i wouldn't want it to be the red state if you were a democrat. >> that could have been one reason why it changed. the electoral map was created at nbc in 1976 by john chancellor. they wanted to do something to liven up the coverage and make it more visual and not just about the numbers. when they picked the colors, they wanted it to go by the colors of the british parties. they went red for the democrats make i making it sim k up. when the other networks basically imitated the maps, they change

here is david brokaw and david brinkley using it in the ronald reagan sweep.ans designated color at that time was dominant. let's listen. >> we're going to call another state for ronald reagan. not surprisingly, it's a big one. california. 45 electoral votes. ronald reagan picks up his home state of california. he's never lost a race there. and we fill in that big chunk of the map once again with blue. now solid blue practically all the way from the mississippi river westerly. >> it's getting to look like a suburban swimming pool there. >> steve, i love that stuff. tell me about something i did not know until i got your book today. why did democrats get stuck with blue? blue is a pretty good color. back in the cold war i wouldn't want to be the red state if you were a democrat. >> that could have been one reason it changed. the electoral map was created at nbc in 1976 by john chancellor, an exec be tif named gordon manning. they wanted to make it more visual and make it not just about the numbers. when they picked the colors, they wanted to go by the rosettes

brzezinski, tom brokaw is here.or senator coons. >> we've been talking here about two aspects that impress us both. one was, i thought that governor romney gave maybe the beginning of a romney doctrine in the middle east when he talked about working with the new governments and trying to find ways of dealing with them that does not involve military confrontation -- >> wasn't that fascinating? he started talking about soft power. >> we've been talking about that in this country since 9/11 about how we deal with the islamic world and we've not been very effective through two administrations. the governor, at least, introduced the concept of it last night and i think that's important for whoever wins the presidency is how we approach the islamic world given all the turmoil that's going on over there now and will continue for some time. senator and i were also talking about what was left out last night, including the eurozone and the impact of an economic meltdown on our economy, senator. >> we did see some growth in go

brokaw. for nine months i e-mailed him and i tried really hard, and i pushed and pushed but i don't quit. and in the final weeks, he submitted his blurb. i have some bad news. there is more security around tom brokaw then admiral mullen. [laughter] so are we the next greatest generation? as the lead author of this project i would say we are prepared for greatness. we serve in unique ways. we bled and lost classmates and shipmates and subordinates and seniors on the battlefield. you will see this in this book and when you support your country in that way it changes the way you want to serve at home. so how do the world war ii generation view of? they say the ultimate sacrifice in the big came home and where the engine of progress for this nation for the latter part of the century. week, the 2.15 million veterans who are coming home in the years to come, are prepared for good things, for great things, to lead our country in uniform and out and you will see more of those great stories in the lat

did this come as a result of tom brokaw?tor say you can't ask ups. >> brian: only hope we have she will say. who is your best talk show host romney or obama. the only hope we have. let the person ask the question. it is not like you are better and you have to phrase it better. if she follows up. if you talk about taxs and benghazi and talk about this. they will skate over these issues. we have seen the town halls. our eyes are going to roll in oured has. >> steve: she does redirect and try to focus them. >> brian: no. >> steve: but the idea tom brokaw went so overboard. the big question are they screened by the people in the town hall. do we know that yet? sorry. we can't confirm that. they are reportedly precreened. to me that is the most important thing. they are likelyy voters and selected by gall up. >> brian: who have not made up their mind. >> gretchen: are those questions prescreened f. the moderator is taken out of the equation supposedly. >> brian: look at the polls is two weeks since the debate that changed everyth

we have another accident 880 northbound at brokaw center. >>> 6:19. >> the tv anchor who fights backer a viewer calls her fat. >>> lin-sanity continues! the big new business deal in the works for palo alto native and nba sensation jeremy lin. >>> a story trending online: wisconsin tv news anchor who went on air to publicly respond to the viewer who had harsh words about her weight is speaking out again. jennifer living stone delivered a strong on-air editorial yesterday on the morning newscast after a viewer e-mailed her about her weight. she called the criticism cruel and said she is much more than a number on a scale. today livingston will talk with elizabeth vargas. there's so much more not story catch that at 7:00 right after our newscast. >>> palo alto's own nba star jeremy lin in talking -- in talks to create his own line of merchandise with harvard university's alma mater to create the line with the help of nike. he graduated from harvard, however the school, lin and nike are not commenting. he became a global sensation this past season with the knicks but moved on to the rock

tom brokaw, we'll see you. maybe danville. with round one done, the political panel joins me here in denver for a look at where the race goes. soup of the day. today we need chicken noodle. . check out the facebook page for a behind the scenes look at the show from here at the debate side. a beautiful campus. thank you, university of denver. this has been terrific. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot? check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. >>> you know, last night wasn't one of the most substantive debate we've seen in recent history. it was also the most civilized. check this out. >> congratulations to you, mr. president. obama care is on my list. i use that term with all respect. >> i like it. >> good. >> governor romney and i both agree the tax rate is too high. >> the president mentioned a couple of other ideas. first, education. i agree. educati

nbc's tom brokaw. nbc news political director, chuck todd. "the daily show" co-creator lizle did lizz winstead. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] some day, your life will flash before your eyes. ♪ make it worth watching. ♪ the new 2013 lexus ls. an entirely new pursuit. >>> 26 past the hour. joe, you need to sit down. >> okay. >> all right? time now to take a look at the "morning papers." "the wall street journal," the new york stock exchange and nasdaq reopen after being shuttered for two days because of sandy's impact. even though much of the area around the financial district is without power, wall street analysts feared another day without business would have meant a damaging backup of customer stock orders, the economic toll alone from the storm is expected to reach $16 billion. >> there's a shot of louis's. >> oh, my god. >> and also some of the good news from wall street, willie. brian sullivan was kept off the premises for the past 48, 72 hours. >> a silver lining. >> there are silver linings

former president bill clinton was on hand along with new york leaders and nbc's tomorrow brokaw. the monument honored the four freedoms speech fdr gave prior to world war ii, words that would become part of the united nation's charter. mr. clinton says those words are worth pursuing. >>> we're going to begin with a car caught on tape. the driver is nearly crushed at a philadelphia gas station when a car thief hopped inside the vehicle. the 61-year-old put up a struggle but lost his grip after being dragged several feet. the car was found a few blocks away. no arrests were made. >>> take a look at this shocking video captured on the streets of new york city last april. a taxi driver tossed a passenger out of his cab and then drove off with the car door still open after the man jumped back in. the driver apparently became upset when the allegedly drunken man vomited inside the cab. the taxi commission revoked the cabby's license. >>> now to the rockies where colorado skiers kicked off ski season there. the resort is traditionally one of the first in the nation to open their slopes.

that's why tom brokaw is who he is. and that's why his voice is so valued. i'm happy to meet you.ut i think that's what people want. >> tom, you know both colbert and stewart well. and their impact is real in terms of shaping opinion, particularly how young people view the political process. >> jon came to me when he first started. i barely knew him. he was a stand-up comic at the time, and he said do you think the country is ready? i grew up with lenny bruce. and what i always thought was they brought people into the arena. what these two do so brilliantly is that they cut through the hypocrisy and say, hey, wait a minute, on both sides. and they do play it pretty much down the middle, you know. both groups will say they are more unfair to us than the other one, but they have lifted the idea that this is the greatest arena that we have, our political arena. and young people are now engaged in it. i'm not troubled by young people saying, hey, i think that's where i get my news, because in fact they do get some news from that. you know, they roll the tapes. they point out the diffe

tom brokaw who did it four years ago, said the moderators should get combat pay. >> you may not notice, gentlemen, but we have lights, green, red. >> reporter: oh, yes, the time limits. >> i said to the commission in advance, i just can't be a potted plant like a game show host just asking one question off a card after the other. >> reporter: this year, both campaigns are already trying to gain the information on the referee. it would reduce her role to being a timekeeper. she has made it clear she is having none of it. >> what about x, y and z? >>so the most powerful candidates in the world will have to be on their toes, facing real people and a journalist for 90 minutes. andrea mitchell, washington. >>> and chuck todd with us tonight, for more on this. and chuck, the crowd, the questioners say nothing of the moderator, becomes almost the third man in this format. >> reporter: no, it does, and you have to be careful, you know, you can attack a moderator and you win points with the public. you attack a member of the public and you lose points for the public. this race is at a nice edge

thank you so much, tom brokaw. >> all right, andrea. >> thank you. indeed. you should. >> and new york city mass transit expected to start moving again in just over an hour. we'll be live in manhattan. first in staten island a dramatic scene. the nypd was called in to rescue people trapped on their rooftops by rising water. five adults and one child were saved from their home. [ male announcer ] do you have the legal protection you need? at legalzoom, we've created a better place to turn for your legal matters. maybe you want to incorporate a business you'd like to start. or protect your family with a will or living trust. legalzoom makes it easy with step-by-step help when completing your personalized document -- or you can even access an attorney to guide you along. with an "a" rating from the better business bureau legalzoom helps you get personalized and affordable legal protection. in most states, a legal plan attorney is available with every personalized document to answer any questions. get started at legalzoom.com today. and now you're protected. tha

tribute to world war ii era baseball veterans including tommy lasorda, it will be narrated by tom brokaw. nicholas kimmel will throw out the first pitch, he lost both of his legs and left arm during his second tour of duty in afghanistan. >>> doug fister grew up rooting for the giants. he grew up in merced, as for the giants pitcher, his story has been a bit dicey lately. scott reese continues our coverage. >> reporter: back on august 20th, baumgartner threw a shutout. it was all down hill from there. the earned run average up half a point from the end of the regular season. the playoffs been somewhat of a disaster. the giants believe they fixed a mechanical flaw. everyone has full confidence that he'll get it back together for game two. >> i want to go out there and try to keep us in the game and do a good job. i haven't done that yet this postseason. it will be nice to go out there and throw better for us. >> madison's a gamer. looking forward to seeing him play. looking forward to playing behind him. and we're excited. >> i feel good about madison. he's done a great job for us since h