year-old guy out there campaigning for mitt romney. >> massachusetts governor bill weld sat down with george romneyt's loss to head kennedy. >> but the thing i remember most is what mitt romney was doing. >> he was turning sideways in his chair looking at his father with an expression that i can only describe as hero worship. >> my purpose in making this trip is not to impose my views on anyone else. >> george romney was what they used to call a moderate republican. i don't believe the animal exists anymore. by that, politically, it meant that they had somewhat conservative fiscal policies, but they were socially liberal. >> but george romney's political career imploded in 1967 during his run for the white house as a moderate republican. that's when he told a tv interviewer that his early support of the vietnam war was because he was "brainwashed by u.s. military and diplomats during a trip to vietnam." >> well, you know, when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the generals? >> when you go over to vietnam, not only the generals but by the dipl

year-old guy out there campaigning for mitt romney. >> massachusetts governor bill weld sat down with george romneyon shortly after mitt's loss to ted kennedy. >> but the thing i remember most is what mitt romney was doing. he was turn sideways in his chair looking at his father with an expression that i can only describe as hero worship. >> my purpose in making this trip is not to impose my views on anyone else. >> george romney was what they used to call a moderate republican. i don't believe the animal exists anymore. by that, politically, it meant that they had somewhat conservative fiscal policies, but they were socially liberal. >> but george romney's political career imploded in 1967 during his run for the white house as a moderate republican. that's when he told a tv interviewer that his early support of the vietnam war was because he was "brainwashed by u.s. military and diplomats during a trip to vietnam." >> well, you know, when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the generals? >> when you go over to vietnam, not only the generals bu

year-old guy out there campaigning for mitt romney. >> massachusetts governor bill weld sat down with george romneyis son shortly after mitt's loss to head kennedy. >> but the thing i remember most is what mitt romney was doing. >> he was turning sideways in his chair looking at his father with an expression that i can only describe as hero worship. >> my purpose in making this trip is not to impose my views on anyone else. >> george romney was what they used to call a moderate republican. i don't believe the animal exists anymore. by that, politically, it meant that they had somewhat conservative fiscal policies, but they were socially liberal. >> but george romney's political career imploded in 1967 during his run for the white house as a moderate republican. that's when he told a tv interviewer that his early support of the vietnam war was because he was "brainwashed by u.s. military and diplomats during a trip to vietnam." >> well, you know, when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the generals? >> when you go over to vietnam, not only the

mitt was the fourth and last child for george and lenore romney. some recall him as the favorite. orge wrote to the family in september 1956. mitt is growing like a weed. is full of ideas and energy as ever. tom mccaffrey grew up with romney. >> mitt as a child was extremely energetic. the kind of kid that could never sit down. his mind was going 100 miles an hour. >> george was much the same way. you know, he's got that energy. >> phillip maxwell lived down the street from the romneys in a wealthy detroit suburb. >> george would go out on the golf course. he had fluorescent golf balls, and he would hit the ball and he would run after the ball jogging, hit the ball again, and that was his exercise. >> young mitt not only had his father's energy -- >> there seems to be a special bond between george and mitt. >> michael kranish and scott helman co-wrote the book "the real romney." >> mitt absolutely idolized his father in a way you can see drawn out in the way he's run his life. following the same foot steps of the career. >> george romney was the ceo who saved american motors by bet

george romney had been a hawk. turned against the war and said so. >> well, you know when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the generals? >> when you distinguish over to vietnam. not only by the generals but also by the diplomatic corps over there. >> months after his now infamous brainwashing comment, his campaign collapsed. >> go, mitt, go. >> an early political lesson, mitt romney would never forget. >> his sister jane said this deeply affected mitt and he's more careful in what he says, more scripted in what he says because he saw how just one phrase could torpedo a presidential campaign. >> thank you, governor romney. >> thank you very much. >> if george's failure turned romney into the cautious candidate he is today, he won't admit it. >> some people say you've learned from or overlearned his mistakes. >> i tell the truth too, and he used to say, one of his favorite sayings was that being right too early is devastating in politics. but still, it's being

his brother's victory. >> my son's position is the same as jack kennedy's position. >> even romney's father, georgeray. >> i think it's absolutely wrong to keep hammering on the religious issue. >> mr. romney -- >> then in october, a critical debate. >> senator kennedy and his family have a multiple real estate empire across this country -- >> romney accused the kennedy family of financially benefiting from real estate deals. >> senator, 15 seconds. >> mr. romney, the kennedys are not in public service to make money. we have paid too high a price in our commitment to the public service -- >> ted kennedy began pulling away and mitt romney lost. >> he was back at work the next day. the election was tuesday night. wednesday morning, he was back at his desk. >> we kind of expected it. it was -- it's interesting. ann was more upset by it than i. but losing put me back into business and i was more successful than i had been before. >> but not long after, something that would make political defeat seem trivial. >> i think my diagnosis was probably the roughest thing we had to go through as a couple. great

really roy i have to -- bruce called just before the break about george romney's quote.ake and everybody else'ses i want to get the quote exact. here is what he said. george romney mitt's father asked -- his buy august fer asked him for one year of tax returns. and george romney said no release of that document while it might serve a political purpose would not prove very much. one year he said could be a fluke, perhaps done just for show. i just wanted to get that quote out there exactly. go ahead, roy. >> caller: one year could be gussied up by mitt romney. >> bill: yeah. >> caller: it took the guy nine months to do his taxes, and he thinks he is going to run the world's most complicated economy. >> bill: good point. >> caller: and what eric from atlanta said a while ago this is killing me. the press never breaks it down. what charitable contributions? when you are giving it to your church, you are giving it to yourself. >> bill: that is an interesting comment. i hadn't thought about that until eric made the point and roy you are reinforcing it. mark in montgomery illi

been to a lot of conventions -- >> this is my 12th in a row. >> stephanie: when you talked about george romneyo the right. >> he can't. this is the thing that is coming to mind for me. nixon ran an entire campaign. he had run and lost for president. so he had a long policy record, but the new nixon -- it's like the new coke -- they brought roger ails, the new nixon took no positions. the biggest issue was the war in vietnam, and he ran as the guy who would end the war in vietnam, and when asked why, he only said i have a plan, and i have to keep it secret and that won. and that is the plan that mitt romney is following. i can't tell it to you, trust me. >> and nixon's plan was to expand the war. >> that's exactly right. so five years from now we will be in two other countries. this is what mitt romney thinks can work, and what is scary is it has worked in the past. if you are content free then people say, well i like the guy, he seems affable that's what they are banking on. >> stephanie: can we talk -- can we top the chair bit? we have to do something with that, don't we. >> the president was

(laughter) george romney was on welfare. so according to mitt romney's own logic, mitt romney could not win the vote of his dad. (laughter) who would be one of the 47% of unconvincables. and the hits keep coming. romney continues in the video suggest the palestinians don't want peace and all we can do in the middle east is kick the can down the road and hope for the best and that, while his dad was born in mexico he, unfortunately, doesn't get the full benefit of that. >> i'd have a better shot of winning this. my dad was not born in mexico. he was living in there for a number of years. i say that jokingly. (audience reacts). >> jon: you can't do that. you can't make the joke and then immediately double down on the seriousness of the premise. "hey, jimmy's mom, what a whore. i'm kidding. but seriously, she earns her living having sex with people." (applause) that's not a way-- by the end of this tape, the only person who whose support mitt romney might be able to count on holding is his own wife. >> we use anne sparingly righ

george romney. >> i've been poor. i've worked from the time i was 12. my parents were driven out of old mexico when i was only 5. my people were revolutionary refugees. they had to be fed by the united states government and housed by the united states government. i know what poverty is. i've been up through it. >> jennifer: george romney, a republican through and through who was not, like his son trapped in the bubble of wealth and privilege and who freely admits his family was helped by the u.s. government's social programs in their time of need. now many modern-day republicans are running away from romney's statement today. people like connecticut republican senate candidate linda mcmahon who said today "i disagree with governor romney's insinuation that 47% of americans believe they're victims who must depend on the government for their care." mcmahon may not want to suffer the political backlash. but she like many other republicans and fox news commentators, she has used the 47% line before. here she is earlier in this very campaign. >> i would like

reagan speechwriter peggy noonan says, it's time to admit the romney campaign is an incompetent one. it's time for an intervention. george w. bush ad guru republican mark mckinnon writes at the daily beast, quote, how can anyone support a candidate with this kind of vision of the country? i honestly don't know what romney can do to win support from the voters he needs to gain to win a majority. "the new york times" saying today that mitt romney staffers now can no longer hide their annoyance, describing a romney aide cursing loudly at a press event in california. "the times" says mr. romney's grim-faced aides are wondering in low volume, out of the way conversations whether victory is still possible. one person described as a flustered adviser telling "the times" today, quote, that the campaign was turning into is a vulgar, unprintable phrase, which -- a vulgar and unprintable -- i'm guessing that either starts with the word "cluster" or with the word "pig." i'm not going to guess which one. and "the huffington post" sums it up by saying, there is a feeling almost that this thing is in free fall. free fall. free fall usu

i would argue in 1968, 44 years ago, george romney had an easier path to the presidency through his mormonismhan mitt romney faces. the republican party today versus 1968, about half is evangelical christians and a lot have very hostile views towards mormonism. they believe it's inxatable with their view of what christianity is. a long of evangelical christians have that view, and we have the spectacle in the republican primaries of mitt romney even when he was clear he was the nominee, even when his opposition was reduced to rick santorum, he's losing among evangelical christians in mississippi, alabama, southern states or even northern states with significant populations. they were resisting him even past the point. it's still an issue, because look at the clip at the beginning. who is that behind him on the stage? pat robertson. you're trotting out pat robertson in september in a general election? you're still worried about the evangelical christian base, and you want to be seen with him. he has a huge liability with anybody but the evangelical christians as well. >> mike huckabee went out

same time, cuts programs that the average and poor americans depend on. >> back in 1962, when george romney was running for governor of michigan, i saw a very telling interview with a younger romney in 1962, she was saying that her husband had trouble connecting with regular people, so, there you go, it's very familiar. >> ann romney came out this week trying to quiet some of these republican critics. >> stop it. this is hard. you want to try it? get in the ring. this is hard. it is time for all americans to realize how significant this election is and how lucky we are to have someone with mitt's qualifications and experience and know-how. >> do you think that the campaign has exceeded in quieting the critics? >> i don't. i think the romney campaign still believes they're going to have to win. i have to say, the republicans that feel angst feel less today than four years ago this week, they don't view this campaign as much as a calamity as they viewed the campaign that i was a part of the mccain/palin campaign. george w. bush got 42% of the hispanic vote. romney is polling in the 20s. the s

and george bush did not simply go to the republican national convention in tampa. the romneynot want him to go, did not want voters and in a weird way this is george bush saying, fine, you don't want me there, i'm going to show up in the caymans five days before the election. >> well, bush's revenge. thanks for your time this evening. >>> early voting kicked off in iowa today but many are being suppressed. the fight continues, next. when you take a closer look... ...at the best schools in the world... ...you see they all have something very interesting in common. they have teachers... ...with a deeper knowledge of their subjects. as a result, their students achieve at a higher level. let's develop more stars in education. let's invest in our teachers... ...so they can inspire our students. let's solve this. >>> finally tonight, it's on. this was the scene as early voting got under way. hundreds and thousands showed up. lines stretched down the street before polls even opened. iowa is the first swing state to hold early voting. by the end of the weekend, 30 states will be choo

his dad george romney tried to fulfill the white horse prophecy himself running for president in one thousand nine hundred sixty eight according to the salt lake tribune george was asked about that prophecy and he quote was quoted as saying i've always felt that they meant that sometimes the question of whether we're going to proceed on the basis of the constitution would arise at this point government leaders who are mormons would be involved in answering that question. george didn't win the presidency but his son mitt grew up and at least in his mind evidents gand amount for mitt in his own mind that he had been selected by divinity for a special purpose he was popular in school he succeeded in business here and a whole lot of money as a basically anything he touched whatever he wanted he just got just imagine if you're someone who is heard this prophecy and who was raised throughout your childhood and your entire adult life to believe that you're special and your life is being divinely guided and who has had everything work out wonderfully in his life then you might start to belie

george romney had been a hawk.l, you know when i came back from vietnam, i just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get. >> by the generals? >> when you distinguish over to vietnam. not only by the generals but also by the diplomatic corps over there. >> months after his now infamous brainwashing comment, his campaign collapsed. >> go, mitt, go. >> an early political lesson, mitt romney would never forget. >> his sister jane said this deeply affected mitt and he's more careful in what he says, more scripted in what he says because he saw how just one phrase could torpedo a presidential campaign. >> thank you, governor romney. >> thank you very much. >> if george's failure turned romney into the cautious candidate he is today, he won't admit it. >> some people say you've learned from or overlearned his mistakes. >> i tell the truth too, and he used to say, one of his favorite sayings was that being right too early is devastating in politics. but still, it's being right. and you tell people what you believ

by the time george romney died in 1995, mitt romney was already the head of bain capital. he was already a very rich man, having paved the way for that success, because people wanted to do business with the son of the former governor of michigan. because the money that he inherited, that he says we gave it all away. yeah, you did an endowment to brigham young which was probably a tax shelter to avoid the estate tax. so this idea that he inherited nothing and he built it all from scratch is annoyingly false. it's not just wrong, it's annoyingly wrong. >> he was richer than his father when his father died. his father did in fact give him a million which he didn't need so he gave away. and he was reacher than his father because his father had gotten really rich during mitt's lifetime, became the governor. got his kid this fabulous education, including harvard law school and harvard business school, which greased the skids for mitt romney to slide into bain world. where it turns out life is pretty easy, because a guy as stupid as mitt romney could rub money together at bain an

s like george romney i mean his interest was not in maximizing value for his shareholders his interest was in building a stable company that produced a good product and that was a good citizen of the community you know when when when there was a community favorite lost totally well it has been and i think i think because of this myth of shareholder value which is a whole nother conversation but if you combine that you know what you just described with the other big change that reagan made which was in eighty two when he stopped in force in the sherman antitrust act and so we had these mergers and acquisition mania you know the michael milken and all this stuff and what happened was thousands hundreds of thousands of small domestic manufacturers became thousands of large multinational companies based in the united states and at that point those multinational companies it seems to me have a whole lot less interest in being american promoting american building in america and it wouldn't be a reasonable argument to say that that was one of the largest contributing factors to how we got int

george romney was on welfare, so according to mitt romney's own logic, mitt romney could not win thead. >> we will do the arithmetic on the 47% when ezra klein joins the panel ahead on "now." [ female announcer ] born from the naturally sweet monk fruit, something this delicious could only come from nature. now from the maker of splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse. the only 100% natural, no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. the rich, sweet taste of sugar. nothing artificial. ♪ it's all that sweet ever needs to be. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. seven years after hurricane katrina the rebuilding effort continues in new orleans. >> the percentage of residential properties in the lower ninth ward rendered uninhabitable was 900. >> connects volunteers with residents who can afford the materials to rebuild but can't afford labor. >> i would like to say we're sustainable long term. i don't know that's the case. go to paying it forward.nbc news.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ that should do it. enjoy your new shower. [ door opens, closes ] >>> the conservative base of the republican par

. >> reporter: mitt romney is still on defense after those controversial statements on the attacks on the american diplomatic post. an exclusive interview with george stephanopolous, romney stood by his initial reaction to the statement by the u.s. embassy in cairo even before the attacks there and libya took place. >> i thought the statement was inappropriate and pointed that out. of course, now our attention is focused on the loss of lives and tragedy of having a remarkable ambassador and diplomatic members had their lives taken. >> reporter: before the issue came up the romney was taking heat from conservatives for not doing better in the position. while the romney-ryan ticket left tampa with no bounce, president obama had leads in every poll. roms is not leading in any of the die states. >> what do you say? >> beating an incumbent is never easy. the president exudes and air of likeability that endearing, but at the same time, i don't think he has done the job that they expected to do. as he tried to close the gap. romney is spending a lot of time to debate president obama. first time in denver. romney may be trying to manage expectations and he

. >> this i is the story of mitt romney, a human being who built that. >> george w romney was a well with think auto executive and future michigan governor, but being born his son was anything but luck. little mitt romney won the coveted position only by outcompeting thousands of less motivated sperm. and though when he was a teenager the romney family was for a time forced to take shelter in public housing, young mitt refused on prince billion to take taxpayer money for his schooling, instead convince ago local businessman to invest in his future. and then t the vietnam. romney volunteered to serve in france. a mormon missionary bravely fighting the french people's love of wine. >> it was a quagmire. sometimes at night he feels he is still there. >> back stateside, the handsome connected young man bucks the odds, feigning admission to harvard, renicing on principle to go to school with taxpayer money instead with his own hard earned stock given to him by a local businessman. her name was ann davis and the moment mitt saw her he knew he was totally going to build that. she was the id

i had a lot of respect for george romney. >> stephanie: yeah. a lot of people did.le to get into the rep -- wouldn't be able to get into the republican party right now. >> stephanie: no sir, he would not. >> caller: it rankles me when he talks about the 47% because in 1967, i didn't pay any income taxes because i was in a combat unit in vietnam. >> stephanie: uh, yeah, exactly. there was another poll out the other day we were saying, a lot of those common wisdom -- you know all veterans are going to vote republican. it is not holding true in a lot of the polls. i don't know that that's true. veterans are -- blah, blah, blah. >> it is interesting when you see -- the aarp has a very good get out the vote mechanic. and you can disenfranchise hispanics by their name. you can go through a list of possible voters and pick out the ones that are hispanic. you can even arguably think you're doing it with black voters as well. by using what you would believe are statistically more black-sounding names in washington and these kinds of things. but you would be wrong a good deal