fox's doug luzader has the latest. reporter: the old battle lines may emerge next week when congress returns, but a deadline could lead to answers. >> the mood on capitol hill is one of shock right now. reporter: shock because with little fanfare the once heralded congressional super committee collapsed in failure this week unable to come up with a plan to even make baby steps in reining in debt growth. so now december 31st payroll taxes automatically go up, unemployment benefits are curtailed, medicare doctor reimbursements go down and that's just the start, but after pardoning turkeys and generally getting steeped in the holiday spirit, is there a chance for washington to rethink all this? they're going to get stopped at the supermarket and stopped at the gas station and people will recognize them and put it a bug in their ear about doing something. i think that they may well return to washington with the notion they've got to do something in december that the typical voter realizes is progress in some way. >> you kn

doug luzader with more. >> reporter: a new poll out shows newt gingrich has a double digit lead in iowa. that is a meet oric rise, but he is also feeling heat. >> join me in giving a nice sunshine state welcome to newt gingrich. >> reporter: he campaigned in florida. but his numbers in iowa are turning heads. a new poll there shows him running away with likely republican caucus goers. >> we certainly got the feeling going around the state that there was a very significant consolidation towards my campaign. >> reporter: gingrich is opening new campaign offices, staff members who abandoned him a few months ago are returning. but with the support comes scrutiny about divorces, personal spending habits and outside work, including a contract worth at least $1.6 million, paid to his consulting firm by freddie mac, the same agency he and other republicans have railed against for fueling the housing bubble. >> i didn't try to represent any position i didn't believe in before hand, and that's a big difference from being a lobbyist and consultant. >> reporter: he is riding high now, but other pol

doug luzader has more from capital hill. >> reporter: two big things are driving the day on wall street today. consumer spending at home and european debt concerns. what makes it unusual, there is good news on both fronts. this may be music to retailers' ears, cyber monday. for online sellers, their version of black friday, the post combination of door buster bargains that seems to have exceeded expectations this year. >> for the most part people are in a better position than three, four years ago. they are a little comfortable shopping. >> reporter: that translated into big sales through the extended holiday weekend. a record number of shoppers spent an average of $400 apiece. that is up $35 over last year according to the national retail federation. this is what wall street wants to hear and consumer sentiment may be turning around. there is other good news driving overseas markets even higher through the night including word that the imf may rise to the rescue in italy helping to prop upper rope. those same investors are hoping for more positive news from the u.s. this week. >> the e

as doug luzader reports now president obama is in europe working on fixing the global economy. >> reporter: as president obama spends the morning rubbing elbows with world leaders in europe, the goal is to prevent another global financial melt down. >> the most important aspect of our task over the next two days is to resolve the financial crisis here in europe. >> reporter: and that crisis in turn could upend u.s. markets still appearing to be on a shaky path toward recovery. it's not enough to have an impact on the job shortage. today's unemployment numbers may not change the fundamental debate in washington, who is to blame? >> if you look at what's happened since this president took office you've seen unemployment go up by 17%. 2million more unemployed americans today than when he took office. >> reporter: despite massive government spending and stimulus projects, the unemployment rate thus far has defied the rosier prodictions from the white house economic team. and monthly jobs growth would have to be in the neighborhood of 200000 to really have much of an impact at the unemployment

. >> doug luzader reports his evolving responses to old sexual harassment charges are creating big questions about his candidacy. >> herman cain calls this a witch hunt his campaign's response to its first real crisis is creating problems of its own. herman cain is being followed just about everywhere now for his campaign it is for all the wrong reasons. >>> mr. cain,. >>> he finally spoke bluntly last night about his time heading up the national restaurant association when two women are supposed to have accused him of sexual harassment. >> i was standing close to her i made a gesture you are the same height as my wife and brought my hand, didn't touch her, up to my chin and said you are the same height as my wife because my wife comes up to my chin my wife of 43 years. >> earlier in the day cane said he wasn't aware of payment made to the women to set it will cases out of court late in the day he acknowledged it in at least one instance. >> we ended upsetling for what would have been a termination settlement, quite frankly. >> what would that be about. >> maybe 3 months salary or something

doug luzader with more on that.> reporter: well, texas governor rick perry acknowledged debates are not his strong point he drove that home last night. >>>i will tell you, it is three agencies of government when i get there that are gone. commerce, education, and the, what is the third one there, let ' see. >> reporter: what followed was a minute of one of the most awkward debate responses you have ever seen. >> you cannot name the third one. >> the third agency of government i would do away with education, the, um,. >> commerce. >> commerce and let's see. >> oh, my >> i can't the third one i can't sorry. oops. >> reporter: the pun dents were quick to jump on perry university of virginia's larry sabato a well respected prognosticator tweeted this, perry's forgetfulness is the most devastating moment of any primary debate. perry beat himself up afterwards >> i stepped in it man yeah, it was embarrassing. >> reporter: at the least it over shadowed the other candidates on stage and issue that dominated conversation for

as doug luzader reports, the one-time front runner is rethinking his candidacy after allegations of an affair. >> reporter: he still denies allegations of an affair, but there are questions this morning about whether his campaign can survive. the cain campaign presses on. last night an appearance in michigan at a college. but no mention of the woman who said she had a 13-year affair with cain. that he discussed in a campaign conference call with an iowa newspaper listening in. >> now we have to decide whether or not this will create too much of a cloud in some people's minds whether or not they can support us going forward. >> reporter: by about any measure, cain is in trouble. following multiple allegations of sexual harassment, his numbers have been following nationally and in early primary and caucus states. a fall almost precisely mirrored by the rise of newt gingrich, who wouldn't say much about cain. >> reporter: anything to say? >> [inaudible]. >> reporter: cain's campaign manager says there's no way cain is dropping out. many conservative commentators think the end is near. >>

doug luzader has the latest now from capitol hill. >> reporter: rick perry's campaign denies vigorously being behind any of this but herman cain's situation seems to get worse by the day. termers are getting short on the -- tempers are getting short on the cain trail. >>> his campaign manager is blaming rick perry's campaign for first leaking details of sexual harassment allegations. >> rick perry needs to apologize to herman cain and america. >> reporter: his allegation is that someone who used to work for cain joined the perry campaign, at the time the sexual harassment story first surfaced but the perry campaign says they had nothing to do with it. even mitt romney's backers could be involved something his campaign in turn denies. cain's political life just got more complicated a third woman who used to work with cain at the national restaurant association in the late 90s accused him of behaving inappropriately. much may depend whether they decide to waive con phi den i can't likety agreements with -- confidentiality agreements with two cane accusers. >> that would be unusual. >> rep

as doug luzader reports if they do not agree on a deal results could be severe. >> the idea behind the super committee was to make the tough choices congress and white house were not making themselves but it just isn't happening. this is what it has come to on capitol hill, waiting for anyone to say anything. >> can you tell us anything? >> reporter: no, they won't because there isn't a deal yet congress created the super committee, six democrats, six republicans to figure out how to make unpopular budget cuts if they don't come up with a deal to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years, automatic cuts will kick in, including a $600 billion slice from the pentagon's budget. >> democrats and republicans have all done good work but there isn't an agreement. >> reporter: even pun dents are bickers about who is to blame. >> entitlements -- >> the dead lock on the committee on the democrats? >> not blaming the dead lock on the committee. >>> both parties need to be blamed for the super committee dead lock. >> that is why the super committee members seem to be the most popular people o

in washington doug luzader fox news. >>> 9 minutes past the hour. a bill that would allow the district more freedom to spend its own money on the table. provision in the measure not sitting well with everyone we will explain. >> several varsity teens at yuan -- teams at university of maryland on the chopping block. >> u.s. military taking issue with a claim that describes what happened during the raid that killed osama bin laden. >>> the latest weather and traffic from tony and julie, that's next [ female announcer ] this is trish. trish uses aetna's personal health record to track her kids' immunizations, get lab results, see her family medical history, and when she's at the doctor's office, she uses it to remember what to ask before she leaves. it helps trish keep everyone in her clan healthy. even on the go. see for yourself, aetna.com. ♪ aetna. know more. get better. get studio quality sound for music and hd video at verizon 4g lte speed. the first smartphone with beats audio™ and beats™ headphones included. exclusively at verizon. [ zapping ] t

doug luzader recap it is action. >> reporter: at this point it i whether the top candidates in the race including newt gingrich gets to stay there. >> perhaps no one's appearance was more anticipated here than newt gingrich he delivered again the type of debate performance that has driven his sudden rise in the polls at times, questioning the questions. >> i am confused exactly what we are currently debating. >> reporter: with the field still in flux the focus was foreign affairs beyond gingrich more divisions emerged on a number of fronts including afghanistan, this between romney and huntsman. >> are you suggesting we take our troops out next week. >> did you hear what i just said? draw down from 100,000 we don't need that many troops. >> reporter: all of them blasted the president over his efforts to contain iran. romney said israel would be the first country he would visit as president trying to shore up conservative support heading into the iowa caucus. ron paul, striking his familiar libertarian themes to applause. gingrich didn't endeer himself to the party's base or others on th

i'm doug luzader and we'll have the latest. >>> wisconsin avenue, on this friday morning. 2011. we're glad you're along with us this morning. good morning, i'm steve chenevey. >> i'm alison seymour. good news, it's friday. bad news, it's 35 degrees. >> it is

doug luzader with more. >> reporter: this may be the next shoe to drop as a former anonymous accuser has come forward publicly. herman cain did hit best to beat back the accusations. >> i have never acted inappropriately, with anyone, period. i don't even know who this woman is. >> reporter: that woman is sharon bialik who said she approached herman cain for a job in 1997 he groped her in a car but another woman has come forward she was one of three anonymous accusers, seen here back in 2000 when she was a spoke ins washington post and new york times say she wants to come forward with other cain accusers including bialik who already offered numerous interviews >> i know the truth he is not telling it. >> reporter: as for cain the problems keep mounting. >> he tried to put an issue to bed it didn't happen he raised more questions than answers. >> reporter: there are questions about cain's accuser it is cain campaign points out bialik has had a number of financial problems over the years suggesting a financial motive and the other woman later filed a work place complaint with the ins d

fox's doug luzader is live on capitol hill with a preview. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. economists think we're looking at something around 100,000 jobs created in the month of october. that would leave the unemployment rate pretty much stuck at 9.1%. as president obama spends the morning rubbing elbows with world leaders in europe, the goal is to prevent another global financial melt down. >> the most important aspect of our task over the next two days is to resolve the financial crisis in europe. >> reporter: and that crisis in turn could upend u.s. markets, appearing on a shaky path towards recover. it's not enough, at least so far, to have much of an impact on the nation's job shortage. today's unemployment numbers may not change the debate in washington, who is to blame? >> if you look at what's happened since this president took office, you've seen unemployment go up by 17%. 2million more unemployed americans today than when he took office. >> reporter: despite massive government spending and stimulus projects, unemploy

. >>> that was foxes doug luzader reporting. >> in the ongoing up rising in syria a stunning move by the arab league to kick syria out of the regional organization and they are threatening sanctions if they don't stop killing protestors. the un is considering a resolution condemning the killings, yesterday army defectors launched several attacks around the country including a military intelligence base in the capitol. >>> in the race for the white house newt gingrich is gaining momentum topping the latest fox news poll at 37% he is in a tie with mitt romney getting 22%. herman cain falling back, down 9 points from the 24% he had in the last survey. >>> a verdict for those arrested last spring protesting for autonomy in district of columbia including mayor vince grey, six people found guilty of blocking a city street and not leaving when ordered to. a judge fined them up to $200 at the end of a two day trial some are continuing to fight for dc state hood and angry at congress for trying to ban them there using their own money for abortions for low income women. >> they mean a lot to u

some question whether his relatively small campaign team is ready for prime time in washington doug luzader fox news. >>> some conservatives backing cain include the head of the media research center, the attack was labeled a high tech lynching and likened it to clarence thomas. he faced allegations of sexual abuse at his senate confirmation hearing, two decades ago from a long time employee. >>> rush limbaugh lashed out at media. >>> it is election day in the city of laurel maryland polls opened 7:00 a.m. this morning folks are choosing a mayor the incumbent faces two challengers. laurel residents are also electing five councilmembers one for the at large member and two each wards one and two polls are open until 8:00 p.m. tonight. >> dc councilmember calls action by congress insulting, yesterday introduced a bill requiring criminal background checks for mayoral appointees. council is already considering a bill that would require such background checks, today, they plan to introduce an emergency ruling. >>> tolls across maryland going up today what you need to know. >>> in the district tak