>> someone who is not one of those that's named, chris christie. i think he could still jump in after labor day. in fact, a lot of -- part of the reason you don't want to wait so long is you lose money. big republican donors, people who want him to have influence on the process are already committing generally by this point. they aren't this year because they're hoping chris christie will jump in. and a lot of republicans are waiting to see if he doesn't declare soon after labor day, i suspect early this fall, then that money will go to romney. i would predict he will be the nominee if chris christie doesn't jump in, and i don't think palin's running. i mean, i guess we'll see. >> do you think romney is sort of in it? to me it seems this way. romney would be the logical choice. the republicans tend to be a pretty hierarchical party. this is a party that nominated richard nixon five times. there's been a bush on for

should help them along those are great opportunity for chris christie's abilities to make some money don't you don't you find it bizarre that this guy used to lobby for edison inc and today i'm standing them eight hundred million dollars two years after he was lott it isn't well spent out of crime unless once i agree no sir it is not it is called belief in one's convictions and he believes passionately else and so do i and i have to tell you something both my sister alice and her husband sam are schoolteachers and are very active in the union but that's a new hampshire and it's a different ballgame hampshire is one of the most to see the old states in the united states check out the check out quality trust dot org you can see the stats you know or read the book the spirit level because the answer is one of the yes even the old states know it's it's because it doesn't have massive poverty and doesn't have a bunch of billionaires because david does not have the problems that we have here david i.e. our social programs and our illegal alien problem. has more than a share of illegal alie

attorney and dancers chris christie's lead. behind closed doors he says we have something to lose here. if dwek gives us more bad guys it is another victory dance. if not, they will still send him away for 30 years. it is a no lose situation. chris christie as we are all starting to see now that he is governor, he is a really strategic thinker and is all about the upside down side consequences and this is easy for him because he says this all the time, heads i win tails you lose. easier they get dwek and other bad guys or the goes way for 30 years. six months, that is the first bite. and the corruption guys, we will review it then. >> i know from reading your book, it is like me, and it is pretty fascinating. [talking over each other] >> for the first six months to a year dwek is only producing money laundering in the orthodox jewish community. he is coming up with any politicians willing to take bribes. is that correct? >> he is running in circles. when they came in they promised they knew a lot about money laundering and poli

the governor of new jersey chris christie doesn't get it. a check for $2100 to pay for a helicopter ride he should have never taken in the first place no matter what shape the state is in but he thinks nothing of squeezing the middle class wage earner of everything he can get. and this is the guy many republicans want to be the next president? stay with us. household is willio lay claim to its origin. but now is not the time for blame. now is the time for action. ♪call 1-800-steemer. somewhere in america, a city comes to life. it moves effortlessly, breathes easily. it flows with clean water. it makes its skyline greener and its population healthier. all to become the kind of city people want to live and work in. somewhere in america, we've already answered some of the nation's toughest questions. and the over sixty thousand people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens. answers. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of pro

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she's been here. >> just back to chris christie. any way that you or anybody else can convince him to run for president? >> you know, i think, my sense was from last night, he's made a commitment to the people of new jersey. and i think the people of new jersey need to ask themself the question, if they'd be better off and we'd be better off as a country having chris christie as their governor or as their president. and i think as the summer goes on, that would be a great question for people in new jersey to ask and clearly the governor has a commitment to make sure does he as good a job at being governor of new jersey as he can. >> mr. rastetter, thank you for being with us. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >>> another celebrity's emotional drama takes center stage. >> i just felt so betrayed. this is not some random guy. this was someone i was with for a few years. >> that you loved? >> i thought i did. >> paris hilton opens up about her sex tape scandal as her mom breaks down on air. that's next. >>> and are you feeling less stres

chris christie, as you say, a kingmaker.ll accounts and i've talked to a lot of people close to giuliani and have known his thinking for a long time. he's interested. toying with the idea, would love to be president. in theory, if no one else thinks could beat president obama. and then rick perry sure sounds like a guy who is getting ready to run. rick perry and giuliani, they both have an old relationship but perry is one of the people who have endorsed giuliani back in 2008. no doubt, i'm told by other people if either of them were to become president, the other of them would serve in the cabinet of the other. giuliani is still in debt from his campaign, so he might have trouble raising money than rick perry. bottom line, they could all be useful to each other in the next election, brooke. >> okay. it could play out that way. as you mentioned none of them has a hat in the ring thus far. and who emerges is mitt romney. let's play this mitt romney movement. >> let's see if i can get my arms around everybody. come on, much cl

chris christie or paul ryan both courageous great candidates all right the fields are already different beers on ten congressmen jumped in today but already announced that you would jump in today rick perry just on national t.v. to feel good be different but i think going to be asked about plenty i mean what would your criticism your the point he was just too nice i just i just saw him doing what what i saw john edwards doing and i remember at the time thinking to myself john edwards this guy's not running for president running for vice president i think i was right i am fairly convinced poland g.'s is running for president and i don't see sharp line of attack of him being just tonight in the republican party ever since reagan and he talked about his eleventh amendment which was now strong never criticize a very good republican fellow republican i think is along the same lines he we had him into the office couple months ago and he and a reporter recently talked and a couple weeks ago wrote a lengthy piece for us he he always refused to knock an

chris christie would be a tough challenger for romney. absent christie it's hard not to see romney getting it. romney would be a credible candidate. i agree with you fareed there is a tea party issue. fundamentally there's a flip-flop issue, in a way romney as a governor has been i think a better leader than romney as a candidate. and that is his difficulty, how does he persuade people he is actually authentic when so far he's been running against his record of i think some significant accomplishments. >> i presume you hate his accomplishments. >> no. >> the health care plan? >> obviously it isn't just the tea party. conservatives are never wild about the republican candidate with the exception of ronald reagan, we've had a problem with all of them. romneycare definitely conservatives don't like. >> at the time it was seen as bob dole's health care plan, it was a newt gingrich enthusiastically supported the individual mandate. something changed where people decided if obama likes it, it must be evil. >> no, no, no, no, do not cite newt gin

you got new jersey governor chris christie is just one of several republican governors who declared war on the middle thoughts all around america as this chart shows the american people are turning against this radical right wing agenda's republican governors around the country are watching their poll numbers plummet and shouldn't governor rick snyder for example numbers have dropped twenty five points since he won election last year so these republicans. listen to their constituents and abandon their war a little they will they just ramp up their war on democracy with voter id laws to just franchise millions of voters who are urban and elderly a tough time i went with. them better right now we know that what the republicans are doing is not necessarily popular these things aren't popular attacking third rails of politics aren't popular but leaders leaders and leaders lead they don't look at work halls or take them and follow and that's what chris christie is doing he's acting like a statesman and we are in dire economic times but we need our statesman not follow and we do need that but

coming out in jersey governor chris christie has thought of a new way to fat the pockets of his former employer and it involves turning school kids into profit machines so. let's not forget that we had an apartheid regime right. i think. one well. whenever the government says they're going to keep him safe get ready because their freedom. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so. you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything you saw you don't know i'm sorry is a big issue. for a. few. blog about the big picture i'm tom arvin coming up in this half hour the roses don't smell too great for the garden state's public schools governor chris christie and his g.o.p. coro corporate boards claim to rob the system meanwhile front runner for the republican white house seat that romney is catching a lot of heat from his party for his take on global warming could it possibly be the only sane republican in the bunch just with regard to that topic and while millions of americans are seeing their paycheck

i think that chris christie would be a very tough challenger for romney, absent christie, i think it's hard not to see romney getting it. the thing is, romney would be a very credible candidate. i agree with you, there is a tea party issue. i think more fundamentally there's sort of a flip-flop issue that in a way romney, as a governor, has been, i think, a better leader than romney as a candidate. and that is his difficulty, is how does he persuade people he is actually authentic when so far he's been running against his record of i think some significant accomplishments. >> i presume you hate his accomplishments. >> no. obviously -- and it isn't just the tea party. conservatives are never wild about the republican candidate with the exception of ronald reagan. i think they've had a problem with all of them. >> but to be fair -- >> romney care definitely concerned me. >> at the time it was seen as bob dole's health care plan. it was newt gingrich supported, enthusiastically supported the individual mandate. something has changed. people decided if obama likes it, it must be evil. >> n

chris christie says he's not running for president. well, not yet. >> i'm 100% certain i'm not going to run. >> he's a budget-slashing reformer, a tough-talking former federal prosecutor, and a jersey boy born and bred. >> you are adorable. >> thank you. >> he's a bruce springsteen fanatic. so could chris christie secretly be born to run? >> what's your favorite song, born to run? >> no. "thunder road." >> did you see what i did there? born to run? >> yes, i saw that. i went back over it. "thunder road," piers. >> this is "piers morgan tonight." >>> >>> governor, welcome back to your old gym. >> it's great to be here. >> does this bring back warm memories? horrible memories? >> incredibly warm and happy memories for me. i mean, my -- almost all that i am was developed in this place. it really was. >> but in the gym specifically. >> oh, yeah, listen, i played sports here, and it was a great place to grow up, and we had great athletes that i played with the years that i was here. it -- you know, i watched my own son now play high school

it is what's going on in new jersey, brian, with chris christie. his wife's at the dinner.is a big deal. iowans are very serious about this. and he's very serious, at least in listening. >> all right. a lot of moving parts, and we're still a long ways away. chuck todd in washington. thanks. >>> now we turn to the economy and the thump of bad news today concerning just how bad the housing crisis is across this country. the index numbers out today show prices in 18 of the 20 cities they tracked fell in march. prices in 12 cities have hit their lowest level since the housing bubble burst. and it was supposed to get better, remember, not worse. nbc's john yang reports from one of those cities, chicago. >> the unit's leasing at 1400 per month. >> reporter: as a real estate broker aaron galvin sees lots of potential homeowners choosing to become renters instead. >> the number of people who are able to buy, qualified to buy, and really would like to buy, but the uncertainty in the market is making it just too difficult to pull the trigger. >> what color this? >> reporter: he speak

i'm jonathan karl in washington. >>> new jersey's republican governor, chris christie, will have his out a controversy how he went to his son's high school baseball game. christie flew to the game in a state helicopter. that has democrats calls christie a hypocrite because of the spending cuts he has called for. operating a helicopter costs $2,500 per hour. so far, christie is refusing calls to reimburse taxpayers. >>> a couple of posh, new york hotels at the center of two high-profile sex assault cases are promising to buy panic buttons for their maids. the wireless devices will be handed out at the hotels where dominique strauss-kahn and a prominent businessman are accused of assaulting two housekeepers. >>> it was a white-knuckle landing for a charter plane forced to make an emergency landing in los angeles last night. onboard, the entire angels baseball team. there was a problem with the plane's hydraulics. many players tweeted their thanks when they were safely on the ground. >>> the nba is losing one of its most unique and colorful characters, now that shaquille o'neal says he's

a simple i want to go to chris before the break that we just heard an interesting comment by chris christie i did go to chris please forward one of the for you why police legal because before the break there is how much more is how much is how much autonomy does the gazans have ok if israel isn't in control very little because although you are close enough that although mr katz is talking precisely there's been no exports of goals of in the month of may there is a there's a blockade there is an occupation israel controls the land the sea in the airspace in international that means there is an occupation going on and if i could just respond to one thing that mr katz said earlier that people like you and so dry good for your good those along with ashley young life christmas day council utilized here at least if you speak for those of us who are used to young katz's i don't see how you start to be using water without your we've just heard from him is a classic of the genre the idea that under is dragging its feet all right gentlemen i mean right now we'll continue this question discussion righ

i said isn't i want to go to chris before the break that we just heard an interesting comment chris christie i did want to crystalise before we go to the prayer you why please leave it was before the break then how much christmas how much is how much autonomy does the gazans have ok if israel isn't in control very little because although you are close enough mr cutts is talking precisely there's been no exports you can go in the month of may there is a there's a blockade there is an occupation israel controls the land the sea in the air space it international that means that there is an occupation going on and if i could just respond to one thing that mr katz said earlier that people like you and so driving it for your good those are the ease with ashley young life chris christie counsel. i see it subtle here the easy to speak for those of us who are used to yakov katz's crane on it i don't see who's died or do you see order with that we've just heard from him is a classic of the genre the idea that under is dragging its feet all right gentlemen are you gentlemen right now holding cheney mis

yes, i still think we should run chris christie. now think the economy is -- in fact, i've retracted this to some extent like a month ago on some radio show or something. i now think the economy is such a disaster and obama has such a glass jaw that we might win with romney. >> he's on after you again tonight. the economy is one of his strong points to argue. >> no. it is. the problem with romney that a lot of people have, people like me, conservatives, is romney care. i still think he'll probably be be the nominee unless christie jumps in. christie is pretty stunning. >> what about sarah palin? is she going to run? you probably know, don't you? >> i haven't the first idea. >> do you think she should? >> i wouldn't if i were in her shoes, not for president, maybe senator or something. >> why not for president? she could probably get a big vote. >> it would be the worst job imaginable, both running and holding the office. >> really? >> yeah. >> doesn't she love it? she loves being a big star. >> she is a big star. >> but the biggest

many republicans are pushing chris christie to jump in the presidential race. . i'm brooke baldwin. "the news" is now. christie isn't the only governor mentioned in 2012 talks. hours from now, rick perry will step into the spotlight in what he says could spark rumblings of a white house run. >> i will not rest until i appeal obama care. >> so far the only woman in the gop presidential field. plus the manhunt is on for a former militia leader in montana. the. >> the deputy said he was calling when he was firing at him. >> police say he wanted to overthrow the government and even had a hit list. now after a shootout with police, there are concerns he had an elaborate escape plan all along. and it's being called facebook at the workplace. see how you could be interacting with your co-workers in the future. welcome back to you. i'm brook baldwin. let's begin. seven republicans and now the big question, after last night's debate is, are more on the way? will more republicans join the race for the white house? and here's the guy they talk about, folks. new jersey gove

ignoring the pleas of the gop, new jersey governor chris christie puts speculation to rest once and for all, he will not run for president, we'll tell you why on this "american morning." >>> and welcome to "american morning." it is wednesday, june 15th. i'm christine romans. good morning, you guys. >> good morning. >> nice to see you. >> an awful lot of news. we begin with breaking news, another deep fracture in the relationship between the united states and pakistan. pakistan's top military spy agency has arrested five informants who helped the cia locate osama bin laden. among those taken into custody a major who reportedly wrote down license plate numbers of people who visited bin laden's compound and then turned them over to american intelligence officials. res res ressa seya, what are they saying ability these arrests? >> ali, pakistani security officials confirmed to cnn that the isi, pakistan's top spy agencies have arrested several suspected informants for the cia. these are pakistani men who allegedly help the cia, fed it information before the big raid on the bin laden compoun

chris christy seemed to rule out a presidential run and telling diane sawyer. >> i don't feel ready in my heart. >> but yesterday christie had dinner with a group. >> you don't see people behind one candidate because we understand the stakes of getting the decision right. what does that moob for mitt romney and tim paw lenny. - pawlenty. >> there is a lot of oxygen sucked out and the attention is paid to sarah palin. >> mitt romney is scheduled to announce his campaign in the key state of new hampshire and right now, he's ahead in the polls by double digits. but one thing for certain, the field is far from settled. >> of all of the so-called noncandidates. who seems likely to jump in the race? >> first up, it will be michelle bachmann, she is showing signs she enter the race . republican strategist said keep an eye on chris christie, he's saying he is not running, but sometimes the wooing will make you cross the line and jump in the race. sarah palin, she's too unpredictable and no one will say for certain what she will do . she will continue teasing and maybe just keep doing that. >>

new jersey governor chris christie finally being urged by some republicans to run.ble over the allegation of using his son's helicopter to fly to a baseball game. do we think there's any way that republicans can persuade him to run? do you think this is kind of a blip in the road here or there's controversy at all? >> reporter: it's not a blip in the road right now for chris christie, who's trying to do a lot of controversial things in new jersey, or at least a lot of hard things. he's been pretty adamant about saying, i'm not running. there's no headline here. i'm not doing it. yet, i'm going to iowa. but he keeps his name out there. there are other races to come. he's a young man. and do i think, say, four years from now or six years from now, i guess, there might be another shot at it by someone like chris christie? sure. at that time, will we care about the helicopter? probably not. >> the intrepid candy crowley in the wind covering this all for us. we appreciate it as always. >>> monday night, mitt romney sits down with piers morgan to describe how he plans to

that is chris christie, the governor of new jersey. a lot of republicans would love to see him run for the nomination. he keeps saying forget about it, i am not doing. look at these numbers. look at that! men, 53% give him a thumb's up and approve of the job he is doing as governor. gender gap only 37% of women in new jersey approve of the guy their guy is doing as governor. fascinating this gender gap which it comes to chris christie. he is known for the tough talk. >> we have seen the interviews. interesting to see if, indeed, he changes what he has said. someone else we haven't talked a lot about but the name is coming up, john mccain. does he have another run in him? >> reporter: for the presidency, maybe not. he ran in 2000. didn't make it all the way. george w. bush did. nominee last time and didn't win the nomination. what about another bid this time around? take a listen to what he said a couple of hours ago on the morning shous. >> they are saying long history in my family but not so severe to make me want to jump in again. >>

and chris christie said the decision is clear and unchanging. activists but he told cnn's piers morgan you can count him out in 2012. >> i don't think you can look me in the eye, given everything that's going on and say piers, i'm 100% certain i'm not going to wrong. >> you're wrong. i'm 100% certain i'm not going to run. >> christie raised eyebrows when he said he has not yet seen a best option to challenge president obama. >>> the housekeeper who had a son with arnold schwarzenegger said too much fiction has been p written about her story. she wants to set the record straight. zain verjee is telling us what mildred baena is saying. >> reporter: hey, kyra. it was an exclusive interview given to "hello" magazine. let's get to what she said. she said this. i knew arnold was the father and maybe as joseph got older, and began to look like him. he, arnold, wondered but he never said anything to me. she also revealed and interview from maria shriver who is separated from the former governor basically put 0 two and two together. that's when she heard

state helicopter to fly to his son's baseball game and a political meeting, new jersey governor chris christies reimbursing taxpayers. christie will pay for the trip to the game while the republican state committee is picking up the tab for the political leg of the trip. the spokesperson says while the ride didn't cause taxpayers, the governor understands the sensitivity over the issue. >>> sky watcher in parts of the northern hemisphere got treated to a rare solar eclipse. it began over asia and ended wednesday night. beautiful there. >>> and from the sky to the sea, another rarity. look at that. a blue crustacean was found by a lobster man in canada. the likelihood of a blue lobster being born is about 1 in 4 million. chew on that. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,248 after losing 41 points yesterday. the s&p slid one point, but the nasdaq gained four. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei dropped 62 points while in hong kong, the hang seng plunged 304. as tracie potts pointed out at the top of our sh

. >> chris christie, rick pairy. >> reporter: she believes the key to winning is the economy. >> cut spending in washington, that i think requires cutting government relations. >> reporter: michele bachmann announced she is running for president. there is still other potential candidates, including sara palin and rudy giuliani. >> still early. >> plenty of time. >> thank you. >>> muni workers hoping to get a better deal got a rude awakening. an arbitrator told them the contract management offered last week is good enough. elizabeth cook has details. >> reporter: this is the same contract they agreed to but the bus drivers and train operators voted down. it went to arbitration and he says the contract stands. this is what the workers were up set about, the use of part time drivers and train operators, no more raises and tougher disciplinary procedures. they may strike over the new contract but the sense i get tonight is that they are not going strike for now but that doesn't mean some won't stage sickouts or slow down. >> we want respect for the work we do in the city and we want to b

. >> as chris christie, the outspoken governor of new jersey who many in the united states would like to run for president. sfwlirchlgts president obama is officially opposed to same-sex marriage as well. he says his views are evolving. more on that. >>> let's go to hong tongue, where it is already happy hour, but they've already seen what this business day is going to look like. anna joins us live from there. good to see you. >> good morning. it seems -- generally a down day on markets here today. the tokyo and hong kong stocks closing down about 1%. china's hang shy above the closing of the day. that's on the hope that china's financial tightening is nearing an end. >>> european stocks also feeling the pressure from concerns. europe's stock markets have been open for a couple of hours now. ftse and dax both in the red so far. just a few hours ago parliament begins debate on a new austerity plan, and tens of thousands of protesters are expected to hit the streets with parliament not agreeing on a term for a new bailout this week. it could send greece over the edge and to default. >>>

. >>> he's generating buzz as a possibly presidential contender, but new jersey governor chris christys coming under fire for using the helicopter to fly to his son's baseball game. then afterwards to a political meeting. the trip by christie, who has cultivated an image as a cost cutter said the flight didn't cost anything because the pilots need the flight time, anyway. >>> the doctor who treated the octomom, helped her have 14 children has been stripped of his license. it was necessary to protect the public. >>> and quite the buzz over a game in brazil. players duck for cover as they were attacked by bees. the insects were such a menace, the game had to be put off. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 12,290 after tumbling 279 points yesterday. the s&p fell 30 points. the nasdaq sank 66. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei dropped 164 points while in hong kong the hang seng lost 372. the hits just keep on coming for the nation's struggling economy. yesterday markets notched their biggest decline s

chris christie talks about landmark pension reform and whether he's changed his mind about running for president. >>> and grammy winner bruno mars rocks the plaza in the "today" summer concert series. >>> now, keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

chris christie has said forget about it.in last night, not running for the white house. he sat down with peers morgan last night. take a listen to what he said. >> i don't think any of them have yet distinguished themselves to say this is the best person, not only to take on obama, but to lead our nation in the next four years after this election. >> so the one chris christie does endorse will be important. and there may be other candidates on the stage that we did not see monday night in new hampshire. >> did he really say forget about it like that? >> no, that was just me that time. just me. >> okay. thank you. >> thank you. >>> for the latest political news, go to cnnpolitics.com. >>> pakistan has arrested several people people that helped bin laden. the arrests fuel more questions about whether pakistan is a true u.s. ally. >> if indeed they were onboard to find bin laden, you would think they would applaud them and commend them, and the fact they are arresting them adds to the big question, the most pressing question, i

. >>> ahead, he's known for cutting government spending but why is new jersey governor chris christieire for using state-owned tax-payer funded helicopter? that's next. down the hill? man: all right. we were actually thinking, maybe... we're going to hike up here, so we'll catch up with you guys. [ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can trust is always a good decision. massmutual. let our financial professionals help you reach your goals. if you're hesitant to join aarp because you think it makes you old, i have a message for you: get over it! call in. i'm standing by. ♪ get over it >>> a lot of republicans think new jersey governor chris christie is one of their party's brightest rising stars. he's making a trip to iowa next month. although he keeps insisting he is not running for president next year. but a different kind of trip landed governor christy in hot water back in his home state. democratic lawmakers are up in arms after learning christie took a state police helicopter to his son's high school baseball game. with us now

. >> a lot of republicans wishing chris christie was on that list of contenders for 2012. he keeps saying, no. i know you're speaking to him. you had a conversation with him yesterday. let me play a little bit of that and then i want to follow up. >> are you too abrasive? too stubborn? too tough when it comes to people questioning you? >> i'm huggable and lovable, david. i'm not abrasive at all. you know what people are tired of in politics? they're tired of blow dried, tested answers that are given by political consultants to politicians and everybody sounds the same. everybody sounds the same. i don't sound the same. you know why? because i say what i believe from my heart. if some people are offended by that, i'm sorry. >> i don't know if huggable and lovable is a campaign slogan, but did you get any sense he's leaving the door open for a run in 2012? sn sn . >> no, i don't think in 2012. leaving himself in a position to be influential in 2012 and beyond that. here's what's interesting, lester, whether he is going to endorse in this cycle. what he talked bout in that cl

governor chris christie is with us exclusively. governor, congratulations. >> thank you, matt. >> it's huge. this reform, according to your estimates and other estimates will save your state something like $130 billion over the next 30 years. you said, quote, it's an example of bipartisanship that the president and congress can only aspire to. is this something that could only happen at the state level? >> no, no, it's not. what you need to do is everybody needs to take risk, bring skin to the game. i have to tell you, i would not have been able to achieve this for new jersey without the senate president steve sweeney and the speaker of the assembly, sheila oliver. everybody came together, put aside party. >> let's look at the bigger picture. you know exactly what's going on in washington right now. specifically what can the president and members of congress learn from what you've just accomplished in new jersey? >> first, the president can show up. i mean, you can't negotiate through a secondary person. with all due respect to the

they talked about jeb bush or chris christie or paul ryan, even. that's not going to happen. and i doubt that huckabee will get back in. i think sarah palin is a gigantic tease. and i n't know a thing because nobody else knows a ing. only sarah palin knows. i think michel bachmann will get in. i think john huntsman is very likely to get in. and, charlie, to my great surprise i keep hearing that rudy giuliani is shopping far house up in new hampshe. rose: (laughs) >> because he wants to move up there. i must tl you, i didn't expect that. >> rose: yes, yes. so what about... what about governor christie? he has repeatedly said he will not run. al? >> i don't think he'll run. >> rose: you don't think he'll run? >> on the other hand, he has scheduled a trip to iowa. it seems to me he's clearly enjoying the publicity and the ability to attract enormous attention by having a flirtation. it seems to me that rick perry down in xas who's reconsidering, said he's reconsidering whether to get in the race. jim demint in south carolina, the senator who's very much a leader of the tea party

you look at the way chris christie governed new jersey. you might not like the bill he passed into law but he was out there with 30 town hall meetings with charts, explaining, "here's our situation, and here's my plan." i think that's the way you lead. i don't understand the passivity except it's become part of a pattern for the administration but at some point he has to get out and explain, a., here's our debt situation. b., here's the seriousness if we default. and no one else can do that. and hopefully he'll start to do it but he really hasn't and he hasn't taken any risks and until he takes a risk the republicans are really hesitant to take any risks. so finally, i'm not too worried about what's happening this week the walkouts. that's part of the script. but i am very pessimistico moderately pessimistic about the next couple of months. i really think they're much father away than we all assume. if you talk conventional wizz comhere, conventional wisdom on wall street, they say the effects are so catastrophic, they will never not do a

if i don't feel that way, i won't. >> do you have a chris christie out there? by that i mean, somebody nots in the field you think should be in? >> no. i think the end of the day, i don't make decisions on who should be in the field or not. having gn through that, that is a very personal decision. >> what about michele bachmann? she announces tomorrow, early part of the week. is she a viable candidate in your mind? >> listen, i think she's a person who is serious about what she believes in. i don't know her all that well. i not on i only know what i've seen on tv. i'll wait and watch her and make my judgment as to whether i think she's someone who can win. i met her a couple of times. don't know her well. she's put herself out there. let's see how she performs. >> what are you looking for? you talk about bigness of politicians in terms of loftier politics, something you'd like to see and something you're trying to bring to new jersey. who represents that? >> listen, i think what any one of them could, if they're willing to be authentic. i think what the america

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