>> i did ask david axelrod about that., you know, to see what he says, i said what will it say about him. >> and he says it will say whether he wants to double down on the return to policies of the past and, basically you are saying if he chooses someone who agrees with his policies it will show how bad a candidate he is an he said exactly. >> kelly: i'm going to get a front row seat to watch? >> real quickly, in addition to david axelrod, it is a combative interview and people will be interested and entertained by it. we also have an exclusive interview with ted cruise, if you are like me, you heard a lot about him but you haven't seen him, he's the tea party favorite who just won a big upset victory in texas in the republican primary there, our exclusive guest on set. and you'll get to see why people are so excited about him. >> kelly: all right, chris, excited about what you are doing as well, for more of his interview with david axelrod and ted cruise, tune into fox news sunday and he'll also speak exclusively as i sai

david axelrod. thank you for joining us. reports that the president was surprised by the ryan pick, why? >> well, because it's a -- you know, it's a pick that's meant to thrill the most strident voices in the republican party. but it's one that should trouble everyone else, senior students, the middle class. because of ryan's record. he's a right-wing -- he's the intellectual energy behind the republican caucus there in congress. he constructed a budget that, like romney, would lavish trillions of dollars of tax cuts most of them on the wealthy. would raise the burden on the middle class. would cut back things deeply, like student loan and research and development and things that we need to grow the economy. he's someone who's the architect of a social security privatization scheme, even george bush called it irresponsible. he believes that we should ban abortion even in cases of rape. this was a defining choice for mitt romney and it's also a clarifying choice for paul ryan. >> paul ryan, not shying away from the traditiona

and for the obama campaign, adviser david axelrod and our powerhouse roundtable. full debate and analysis of romney's choice begins now. >>> hello, again, mitt romney's surprise pick of paul ryan to be his vp shook up the summer saturday. how much? how long will it last? we'll examine mitt romney's most consequential campaign decision. but we begin on how the decision has made and how it's playing on the trial with our jon karl. jon, thanks for joining us this morning. we're learning a lot more overnight about how romney came to this decision and how she shrouded in pretty extraordinary secrecy. >> no doubt. and you know n the end, he exte several candidates. he only met one-on-one with paul ryan to discuss the job. that happened at beth myers' dining room table about a week ago. romney made the offer. of course, ryan accepted. culminating friday with the press tracking paul ryan's every move and the other candidates' every move. what ryan did, he went out his back door and snuck through a wooden ravine. at the other end of the woods he was met by a car, drove to

you and i, we all know david axelrod. we're good friends with david. you see him on tv.'ve never seen him look the way he looks on tv like his eyes wide open. seems very upset and very and tated. have you noticed that over the past four or five days. >> i think they're a little bit worried they're going to be buried under an avalanche of super pac spending and if they don't have this thing in hand by the conventions they may be in some trouble. >> it's true the obama campaign and seemingly most notably campaign manager david axelrod should be feeling a little worried. it's not in the bag about the outcome in november. but i spent a little time this morning with the nbc news battleground map and right now, 237 of the 270 electoral votes needed are leaning democratic. and that means that out of the ten battleground swing states, all the president needs in his column is florida, with 29 electoral votes and a small state like new hampshire to put him at the 270 that they would need to stay in the white house. and with the selection of paul ryan, also known as mr. cut medicar

get america back on track is this person i've chosen to be my running mate. >> joining me now is david axelroddviser to the obama campaign. david, thanks for joining us. >> sure, candy. good to be with you. >> i know you were with the president yesterday. and on the big day for the republican ticket. there have also been some sort of famous public scenes, exchanges between the president and congressman ryan over health care. the president went to a republican retreat once and was challenged by congressman ryan. what does the president think of him? >> oh, i think he thinks he's a perfectly genial and bright guy. he just thinks his theory is wrong. i mean, congressman ryan is a right-wing ideologue, and that's reflected in the positions that he's taken, you know, the budget that he constructed for the house republicans that would include trillions of dollars of new tax cuts skewed to the wealthy so that we're giving a millionaire $250,000 tax cuts while we're cutting college-age -- college aid for kids and research and development and a whole range of things that we need to grow. he disagrees w

david axelrod said when you look at who akin's partner was, what was on all the anti-choice legislation it was paul ryan. when you look at the legislation that would limit a woman's right to choose, even for victims of rape and incest, that is the akin/ryan position and frankly by endorsing personhood amendments, romney has gone there, too. this is the prevailing position of the republican party. glenn thrush, the akin/ryan position. >> you get the image of akin being don quixote and ryan being sancho. this is a very significant issue in the larger sense for republicans. i think it's a little bit of a stretch to sort of say -- to tie paul ryan to akin's comments. my favorite line on this was from reince priebus who called it biologically stupid. >> well -- >> name of a very good band, i would imagine. clearly, this is -- you remember back during the contraception debate earlier this year that joe biden got in the middle of, chicago sent out, what, one to two million direct mailers to women voters, i think this is going to launch even more. this is again about the base, probably less abo

that is the rest of the poll and it is signicant. >> david axelrod, senior adviser to the obama campaignthank you for joining us this morning, david. >> all right. thank you, candy. >>> a view from the other side. we will talk to mitt romney's senior adviser, and chairman of the republican party. the shrimp, the steaks. it locks in the flavor, it seals in the juices so that when you put the fork in it, it just goes through it like butter. it's beautiful. [ laughs ] i'm proud to be a grill master. i love food. my name is charles himple. i'm a red lobster grill master and i sea food differently. my name is charles himple. by what's getting done. measure commitment the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still comm

axelrod, welcome back. >> good morning, david. good to be with you. >> thank you. let's talk about a game changing choice in paul ryan. is this everything that you and team obama wanted? >> well, look, i think it's a choice that will thrill the most strident voices in the republican party, the tea party, the social conservatives. i think it's going to be troubling to the mainstream of the american electorate. you've got him in representative ryan and congressman ryan, as you point out, the architect of a budget that would shower trillions of dollars of new tax cuts skewed to the wealthy, $250,000 for the average millionaire, while he cuts back on college aid to kids, and research, and innovation and all the things that we need to grow the economy. and on things that people rely on, nursing home care for seniors, and for the disabled and so on. so, you know, i think that it clarifies the choice for the american people. and i think it clarifies the choice in a way that is going to be helpful. >> paul ryan has been on this program five times. he's talked about these i

david axelrod. and finally, full analysis on what this all means for the remaining 86 days of the campaign. with us, editor of the national review, rich lowry. msnbc's rachel maddow. author and radio talk show host bill bennett. chief "washington post" correspondent dan balz. and nbc's political director, and chief white house correspondent, chuck todd. >>> and good morning. even though the olympics aren't even over, the presidential campaign has kicked in to a new gear. so, who is paul ryan? let's get to some of the key stats about someone you're going to learn a lot more about. he's 42 years old. fifth generation from janesville, wisconsin. a native there. seventh term in the house. he is the powerful house budget chairman. first elected to the house at the age of 28. he's catholic. married to wife janna. three children, liza, charlie and sam. we'll get more on the biography in just a moment. i want to go live to mooresville, north carolina, on the campaign trail, that's where we find nbc's peter

thank you. >> very good, david axelrod. delay and appreciate your being on. >> and less of a delay. >> it is true. >> i swear that this the chicago delay is always worse than the west bank. david axelrod in chicago. >> what is that? it is embarrassing. >> and mark halperin saying, how are you? >> he is taking 1 million photos here, and really. >> have you spread the gospel of the panoramic toto app that i shared with you. >> i have sold many apps. >> it is called dmd. >> it is called dmd and download the app, because it is amazing panoramic, and it is unbelievable. >> guys, we are still on tv. and starting tuesday, we will be in charlotte, north carolina, for the dnc and if you are in the area stop by as well to the black fin saloon to say hello. and still ahead, one of mitt romney's top fund-raiserers new york jets' owner woody johnson here. and next we will check in with bill karins as isaac leaves much of the gulf coast underwater. leave it right here for "morning joe." managing my diabetes is part of my life, between ta

david axelrod, welcome back. how are you? >> good to be with you, piers. >> what is your overview of where you are right now? as team obama? we are, what, 80 or so days away from the election. the general feeling seems to be it is game on and we know where the battleground's going to be now. is that your analysis? >> like where we are. i think the president's message is getting out there. and people understand, you know, that he's fighting for an economy which the middle class can grow and get a fair shake. and the contrasts are getting out. so i like our position but i've always anticipated a close race. we're going to have a close race. >> you're going to find yourselves in unusual territory and it looks clear mitt romney will have more money to spend. we know from the republican nominee race, when he's got lots of money, he tends to spend it very negatively. are you prepared for that? what can you do about that? >> well, i don't think that i need to be prepared for it. it's already happening. i mean, they've been spending

joining us from washington is david axelrod. welcome back to "fox news sunday". >> guest: thank you, chris. >> chris: start with the economy. the 163,000 jobs in july but unemployment rate in 8.3 percent. more than 23 million americans are unemployed and given up looking for work or working fewer hours than they would like and more than five million out of work more than six months . given that fixing the economy was number one why does president obama deserve reelection . >> guest: in the first months of president obama taking office he lost 800,000 job the month he took office. the hole that was created is huge. in last 29 months we have had job growth. and in the last report 173 issue i private sector jobs and led by the autoindustry and manufacturing that would be in a depression but for the president's intervention something that governor romney opposed. we have a lot of work to do . two sectors that lagged was construction and education . the president urged congress since last fall to pass the bill to invigorate those sec

look, david axelrod and -- and david plouffe -- the chicago-operation campaign. they have done millions of dollars of focus groups with these people. what we did was duplicate. they know-- >>> they know how bad it is. >> this is not, as i keep saying, their worst nightmare is to have those voters saying they are disillusioned, not that he is a socialist, but to say, he promised us, we're hurting. he is not helping us. >> sean: you agree that the obama campaign knows this is how i. by the way, seeing the film, that's why there is no vacation this year. that's why there is no soaring rhetoric. we don't upon to hear rhetoric. we want to see action. >> sean: how do you explain the negativity? >> this is the danger, i think, for him, they have decided because i was involved in the campaign in 1980, trying to say the other guy is worse. that's another chapter of my life. but this is -- the negativity he's doing to divide, you see -- you will hear these people on how they feel about the division of the count tree -- it works against what he was. that's the danger for hi

senior adviser to the obama campaign david axelrod. cnn's candy crowley will be joining us. female presidential debate moderator since journalist carole simpson 20 years ago. carole will also join us. >>> and we're going to be talking to adam richman from "man versus food." he is bringing sandwiches. a love a man who brings food to the set. that is the way to my heart, people. >>> it's tuesday, august 4. and "starting point" beginning right now. >>> and welcome, welcome, welcome. our team this morning, will durst, comedian and political satirist. he didn't bring a sandwich for me. bridgitte siegel. she did not bring a sandwich either. and will cain. will cain, of all people, columnist of theblaze.com. >> of all people what? i didn't bring a sandwich? count on that same thing happening tomorrow. >> at least you're consistent. our "starting point" this morning is efforts to define paul ryan, mitt romney's new running mate, as he makes stops in the battle ground state of colorado today trying to win over voters. romney will be swinging through ohio. president obama waking up in

espouses as a sound -- i mean, he's for the trillions of dollars of tax cuts for millionaires. >> david axelroddviser to the obama campaign, thanks for joining us this morning, david. >> all right. great to be with you, candy. thank you. >>> in a moment, the view from the other side. we'll talk to romney campaign senior adviser and former republican chair ed gillespie after the break. or business - or business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. want my recipe for healthier hair color? natural instincts! formulated with aloe, vitamin and antioxidants natural instincts has a system that's a healthier way to radiant color. indulge... with natural instincts. less guilt, more gorgeous. starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. ♪ this is the sound... you feel that? no. th

but do you think that david axelrod's assessment is accurate or fair?ink he's going to help mitt romney/paul ryan even though he does bring some baggage to the table, he's very, very smart. he's actually well liked not only by republicans and conservatives but well liked by a lot of his democratic colleagues, as well. he's got very different views than they have, especially on some sensitive issues involving the budget, medicare, some of the entitlement programs. but i suspect he's not going to have the -- he's not going to make the kind of blunders that we saw for some other vice presidential candidates and i think he will bring excitement to the base, energize them. one of the big things on november 6th, ashleigh, as you well know, is going to be voter turnout. who is going to be have more enthusiastic supporters? there's always been reluth tans on the base to except mitt romney. i think this shores it up a lot and they're going to get out there, not only vote because they don't like president obama and joe biden, they're going to vote because they're

so he is trying to stay above the freeway so far and let people like david axelrod attack ryan. we'll listen to the president's words very closely. >> kelly: bottom line it appears to be the campaign that the president always wanted, right? >> reporter: the obama campaign has long said they wanted what they call a choice election. you focus on the next four years. who has got the better plan to deal with the current economic recovery that is very slow, is treading water right now. even the obama campaign admits it's not going as quickly as they wanted. they want a choice election because jobs the deficit is not so good for president. now, they have the choice with paul ryan and his budgeted. that is why you're hearing the republicans push back because they won't just sit back and take these attacks. >> kelly: first lady michelle obama campaigning for her husband speaking at a fund-raiser in los angeles this hour. yesterday she made a surprise visit to colorado to meet with the victims of deadly colorado movie massacre. she spoke to the hospital staff that treated with the wounde

joining us now from chicago is david axelrod, senior advisor to the obama campaign.lcome back to fox news sunday. let's start with the latest jobs numbers, the economy created 163,000 jobs in july. the unemployment rate rose from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent. put that in context, 23 million americans are unemployed, given up looking or working fewer than they would like and 5 million have been out of work more than six months. given that fixing the economy was job one, why does president obama deserve re-election given that record. >>guest: put it in perspective. in the six months before the president took office, we lost

david axelrod. thank you very much. >> all right, thank you. >> coming up, more of our special hour here. what drove romney's decision to pick paul ryan, and what impact will it have on this campaign? joining us, rich lowry. msnbc's rachel maddow. radio talk show host and author, bill bennett. "the washington post's" dan balz and our own chuck todd. after this break. [ donovan ] i hit a wall. and i thought "i can't do this, it's just too hard." then there was a moment. when i decided to find a way to keep going. go for olympic gold and go to college too. [ male announcer ] every day we help students earn their bachelor's or master's degree for tomorrow's careers. this is your moment. let nothing stand in your way. devry university, proud to support the education of our u.s. olympic team. dthere are projects. proud to support the education and there are game-changers. those ideas that start with us rolling up our sleeves... ...and end with a new favorite room in the house. and when we can save even m

david axelrod says, no, those cuts were not made, that is a lie. but it is the stated policy of obamacare legislation that that money will be taken out of medicare. don't be confused by the semantics here. for example, if i lowered the rate of increase of costs have i cut? semantics. pure semantics. megyn: there is no question that this money that they took out of medicare is going to cut the future payments made to doctors, that i is the plan. >> that is the plan. megyn: cut the major payments to doctors. here are the things they said. reduce the subsidies made to medicare supplement alplans. reduce the growth in provider payments. reduce how much they will pay the doctors over the years. >> if it goes up 100 billion and you say it's only going to go up 80 billion have you cut 20 billion? megyn: dr. siegel doesn't like obamacare among other reasons he says the medicare payments are going to get cut and doctors won't be able to order the same services. >> can i just deliver the clarity that i promised. it there is no question it is the declared pol

earlier, senior adviser to the obama campaign, david axelrod, says romney's medicare plan does not add> the fact of the matter is, what romney is proposing now is to roll all of that back, which would mean that medicare would reach insolvency eight years earlier and seniors would lose benefits, would lose prescription drug coverage, lose preventive care coverage. that's the romney plan right now. >> all right. >> so we should have a debate but it should be an honest debate. >> joining me now, rick tyler, former gingrich spokesperson and doug thornell. good day to both of you. thank you for joining me. this is the likeability ratings between the two candidates. president obama, 41% to 28. when we look at the rhetoric, is this the romney campaign going after that obama strength, that issue of likeability? >> it certainly could be and it suggests that romney using hate and hatred indicates that there must be some polling that they find the president more dim mis divisive. any time they talk about the character of his campaign, they are off the message. this is a campaign about two choices

. >> today david axelrod, senior adviser to the president came out and called paul ryan a right wing ideologue. it seems to me they're trying to put ryan at the top of the ticket as opposed to being number two. they wanted to find mitt romney by the ryan budget plan and romney's people are saying, no, no, mitt romney's going to have his own budget. >> what david axelrod is trying to do is motivate the left base, the democratic base. what governor romney is doing with the selection of paul ryan is signaling he, toob with thinks this will be a base election. which party could best motivate its base between now and election day from conventions to election day and on election day turn out voters. this is looking like that race more so than the mccain/obama race. some people think this could be as close as another race, bush v. gore. they believe the middle of the electorate is increasingly shrinking. >> one of the problems i think the romney campaign has in trying to destroy paul ryan is romney called himself an outsider. paul ryan is somebody who's a product of washington, i think most