iowa matters, this is the first in the nation. and we are going to make sure we continue to make our case in iowa and then in south carolina this week and new hampshire and we'll be all over the nation. but in particular right now, we'll focus on iowa and south carolina and new hampshire and then the next frenitates. we are commit i am committed to making barack obama a one-term president. the united states can't afford a second president. >> you have made a big step to that today. stay with us, when we come back more congresswoman michelle bachmann the winner of the iowa straw poll here in ames, iowa. ♪ >> you have just sent a message to barack obama you will be a one-term president. thank you everyone. we love you. god bless you. "god bless america" and now it is on to all 50 states. god bless youy, everyone. >> mikel-> one of the things you clearly have with an advantage over bark obama you thanked the people for this great victory and then take it to all 50 states and not the pen. >> mike, you are intelligent and now you told

in touch with them. after a story that he was pitching iowa, he has kept in touch with -- ditching iowa, he has kept in touch with iowa. if he can take out governor perry, he will do it in iowa if he has to. >> what is different about the romney campaign from what you saw four years ago? >> i think it is totally tactical. his campaign in 2007-2008 was cover the waterfront. attend every single republican event. get your name known. take a position on every issue. get in front of every group. he over saturated the market with himself. he was leading in the polls in june, and then when people started looking for an alternative, that is when fred thompson became a curiosity and uckabee became the winner of the caucus. he has been chastened by that. now he is disciplined about focusing on jobs and the economy, talking about president obama and casting himself as a national candidate. >> laura sodano of cbs news tries to do a short interest -- of cbs newsell tried to do a short interview with can and he said he will not do any. >> here is what he does. he follows where president obama is going to be in the country

iowa matters, this is the first in the nation. wa matters and we are going to make sure we continue to make our case in iowa and then in south carolina this week and new hampshire and we'll be all over the nation. but in particular right now, we'll focus on iowa and south carolina and new hampshire and then the next frenitates. we are commit i am committed to making barack obama a one-term president. the united states can't afford a second president. >> you have made a big step to that today. stay with us, when we come back more congresswoman michelle bachmann the winner of the iowa straw poll here in ames, iowa. ♪ let me entertain you ♪ let me make you smile ♪ let me do a few tricks ♪ some old and then some new tricks ♪ ♪ i'm very versatile ♪ so let me entertain you ♪ and we'll have a real good time ♪ [ male announcer ] with beats audio and flash, you can experience richer music and download movies straight to the new hp touchpad with webos. in one place. ♪ the front-row tickets you never bought. the lucrative investment you never

iowa television. nick's first call was to an nbc affiliate in des moines, iowa, who-tv. a guy who picked up the phone in the newsdesk if anyone there happened to notice the colbert super pac ad running on our affiliate or any other iowa station. the guy at the newsdesk said, immediately, quote, yeah, it ran during our 5:00 newscast yesterday. now, this does not mean stephen colbert is to be trusted. it means that we here at "the last word" have now proven that stephen colbert has told the truth exactly once in his life. well, two if you count his testimony to congress which, as viewers of this show already know, i was really impressed with. but because colbert told the truth about his super pac wasting its dirty filthy super pac money by putting a silly ad on iowa tv, colbert has earned the privilege of us, once again, showing a colbert super pac ad. it is, like the first one, an ad for rick perry. or against rick perry -- or against super pacs, or against political tv ads in general. or maybe even against iowa. and america. it's an ad like you've never seen before. unles

he will be in iowa tomorrow. from newark, new jersey, on the democratic line. you for waiting. caller: good afternoon. great coverage of the straw poll. a does want to say something about what michele bachmann said in her speech. she said she was going to go vote right then and to follow her. she lives in minnesota and never was a resident of iowa. that is all i have to say. host: next from connecticut on the republican line. caller: think it recovering this alive. the caller who called a few minutes ago and made a comment about ron paul saying he is for small government but in this case is introducing government into the bedroom by talking about abortion, abortions do not happen in the bedroom and he did not say anything about who or what might happen in the bedroom. after the child is conceived, the constitution protects all life and he was talking about the protection of life, not the bedroom, and i felt that was a cheap shot. i feel ron paul is the candidate giving us the facts and not just the rhetoric. host: from minneapolis. what did you hear and see toda

he's in iowa soon.s delivering a message saying i'm trying, i'm trying, i'm trying and i need help from congress to create jobs and he's the candidate that promised to change washington and getting it to work he's telling people that one of the problems is this -- >> but what i want everybody to understand here, the problem is that we don't have answers. the problem is that folks are playing political games. >> i don't think there's any question, jess, that there are political games on both sides. the president means there are republicans getting in the way. i just have this question and maybe it's a lousy theory, but how hard is it, how steep is the hill for a guy whose message was elect me and i'll fix washington to be out in the country saying send me back to washington and i'll fix washington? >> reporter: i think it's incredibly steep not just because washington is so gridlocked but also because the economic picture is so grim and people do tend to vote with their pocketbooks. but it's not in the v

i'm hoping we'll be able to do the same thing here in iowa and put the six electoral votes in the republican nominee's back pocket. >> matt strong, chairman of the iowa republican party, we'll see you a lot over the next 48 hours. it will be an interesting -- can't wait to get to ames. >>> up next, high anxiety, serious business on wall street and main street. another terrible day for the dow. is there any way to stop the slide? we'll get a check on the markets before the opening bell. >>> first, today's trivia question, which, if you to were listening carefully to a previous interview, you know the answer. since 1979, how many times has the winner of the ames straw poll gone on to win the republican nomination for president? tweet me. first correct answer will get a follow-up thursday from me. . >>> designer molita healy made her first cartoon character when she was 12. then she did the same with hand painted martini glasses. her love my martini collection took off, so she licensed the brand for everything in pajamas to jewelry to towels. for more, watch "your business" sunday mornings at 7

that they've got there in iowa. es say is as we've seen in recent history, the winner of the straw poll may or may not necessarily be the nominee of the party. the straw poll is, as har s already been indicated. that's one advantage tim pawlenty has. it's all about getting your vote to that poll today, and getting that vote counted. the other dynamic that's going to be interesting here, as you just reported was, you know, this is open up to everybody. democrats, independents -- not just republicans. so there's a lot of interplay here of interests, if you will, of the citizens in iowa. as long as you're a citizen of iowa and you come to this poll, you can vote. and that's going to have a very interesting impact, i think beyond the organizational structure that the state party in the campaigns put in place. you know, third wheel there, that you don't know how it's going to roll. >> but michael, doesn't that concern you. and is there any studies? any analysis that shows democrats go out there and vote for the wildest an

debate in ames' iowa, could be a game changer. the latest fox news poll shows mitt romney up nationwide over perry at 13%. sarah palin is third with 8%. michele bachmann at 7% comes in fourth. romney is expected to take a pounding for the rivals for remaining silent in the recent debt debate, now that the nation's credit rating has been downgraded and world markets are in turmoil. he is already bracing for the attacks. >> i believe i'm the best equipped to be able to provide to this nation the leadership that is necessary to get our economy back on track. >> reporter: michele bachmann hopes to dominate the debate in part to mute if not silence what is a relentless stream of criticism from the main stream media. it's critical for tim pawlenty who is well-liked but not considered charismatic. >> shovel ready was not as shovel ready as we expected. >> reporter: pawlenty's latest video suggests that president obama is failing on the economy because he lacked experience before taking office, which is pawlenty's criticism of bachmann as

a strong organization in iowa is what they told me today. ong organization they did better than in 2007. >> what's his next schedule? >> the next schedule is campaigning for more in iowa and focusing on the national. rand paul will be campaigning with his dad. >> anthony terrell, andrew rafferty, get a little bit of rest tonight. but that's it, just a little bit. >>> trivia time, since 1848, how many times has the state of iowa voted for the loser in the presidential race? well, the answer is 11. the state of iowa is batting nearly .750 in the presidential elections. of the 40 elections since iowa became a state, they have voted for the winner 29 times. it is a swing state, folks. we'll be right back on this special edition of "the daily rundown" live from ames, iowa. [ female announcer ] this is not a prescription. this is kate. [ kate ] can't believe i have high blood pressure. what's that thing? another medication. ♪ i really should have taken my shoes off before i got weighed. [ female announcer ] you've got a lot on your mind. that's why

iowa has been very good to the next guest in 2008. former alaska governor mike huckabee won the iowa caucuses. now he is playing a very different role in this year's iowa straw poll. that of entertainer, not candidate. he also, of course, hosts a weekend show on this network. governor huckabee joins us live from little rock. >> good to be with you, bret. i look forward to get back to iowa and i understand it's nice weather so we have a lot to look toward to and politics with the straw poll. >> bret: governor, it's great already. you can feel the excitement here. listen, you not running this year. but there is a new fox news poll out, just today. 3% of respondents to our fox news poll volunteered your name as their choice for president. more support than tim pawlenty, rick santorum and jon huntsman. the question is are you coming back to get back in? >> well, the question is what is wrong with the rest of 297% that did not name -- rest of the 97% that did not name nein the poll? that's what hurts my feeling. at 3% i'd hardly call it a s

a lot of republicans have been in iowa and remain in iowa. contest that's coming up with the republican presidential nomination. we have a lot to digest of what we just heard from the president. i want to remind you tomorrow, i'm here in iowa as well. i'll be sitting down for a one-on-one interview with the president here in iowa. that interview will air tomorrow right here in "the situation room." the president beginning to find his groove, you just heard right now. he's beginning to get a little bit into that political campaign mojo. we'll have much more from decorah, iowa, much more from this town hall meeting. q&a coming up when we come back. [ man ] behind every business is a "what if." what if we designed an electric motorcycle? what if we turned trash into surfboards? whatever your what if is, the new sprint biz 360 has custom solutions to make it happen, including mobile payment processing, instant hot spots, and 4g devices like the motorola photon. so let's all keep asking the big what ifs. sprint business specialists can help you fi

>> you might see perry make appearance in iowa in the farm of a write in candidate. the fact that he made the announcement at the time he did, i think it's raising eyebrows. i think they'll feel slighted. today is supposed to be about all things iowa and i think they might be a little miffed that rick perry made his announcement from south carolina today. it takes a little bit of the wind out of the iowa sales and the fact that he made the announcement where he did. it says something, too. south carolina is going to be very significant state for republican candidates. and that's not saying for sure that he's writing off iowa. there's a lot of time between now and january when the iowa caucuses actually happen. >> how right you are. >> kelly: and i want to get to you before we run out of time here because we know when you're talking about iowa and the fact there might be animosity there among the iowan electorate. we understand na rick perry will be in iowa tomorrow and possibly spend three days there, what's he going to do, mend fences? >> he might have to eat a lot o

she was born in iowa and was raised in iowa. i guess you can't blame her for bringing that up repeatedly to this all-iowa crowd. you have to be a sit seven iowa, resident of iowa, to vote in the straw poll today. but keith and susan, her style is so different from anyone else we have seen so far. are we seeing the differences between a lot about style at this stage of the game? not that much about substance? >> i think that's what is concerning a lot of people about her, frankly, the substance. when they see some of the substance, they are even more concerned. she's really -- she has to offer up real ideas and i mean, a great speech. she gets votes in a straw poll. but she really needs to offer up more. i think like we said earlier with perry coming in, he is overshadowing everything. when you compare that speech to perry's today, there is no contest. >> it is interesting because when -- there was all this buzz about whether or not sarah palin would get into the -- the mantra of every democratic strategist i ever had at this des

does he risk alienating folk in iowa? >> he has time to come to iowa. as a said earlier, we encourage everyone to participate in the iowa straw poll. it is great for the candidates and early test for them to test the organizational skills and see where they need to improve or do things different. there is time before the caucus and we understand if he get in he will spend time in iowa and we have encouraged him to do that. >> given what is happen negligent economy and anger that voters are feeling. do you think they will stay home instead of voting? >> guest: no. this is the line up to go in and cast their vote and i have stood in line with them . i have been pleasantly surprised at the number of people. i have them this is your first time to participate in the iowa straw poll, and gosh, i would say 35 or 40 percent this is the first time they had participated in a straw poll. i think just the opposite. i think what you are going to see is an engaged electorate that is determined to change the direction of the nation and they are going to have their voic

new hampshire tonight, iowa tomorrow. in fact, he's going to be in iowa for two days. it's interesting. in his release he emphasizes he's going to have a vigorous campaign in iowa, new hampshire, and south carolina. the romney team likes to emphasize new hampshire, downplay iowa and emphasize nevada and florida. i had a smart republican friend of mine who's sort of retired from politics these days, who said, you know, with rick perry we're going to know in two weeks. there's sharp edges about him. he's a well-defined personality. he either works or he doesn't. and it either takes off instant co-front runner with romney and we've got ourselves a march ala ford-reagan, '76, that it is a slug fest, or it burns out quickly. that there's really no in between with rick perry. >> obama-clinton. >> could be. could be. you got -- all of a sudden we got to learn the new delegate rules. the rnc changed their delegate rules. >> that's an unreported story, chuck todd. it's a different deal. >> here's what it also means -- ron paul could win today, he could finish second. by the way,

which means they've got do pretty well in this weekend's iowa straw poll. you saw a lot of sparks between these two. who won? >> in the tough battle between bachmann and pawlenty, there is one clear winner, mitt romney. he sidestepped all of the punches tonight. he looked very presidential. romney emerged i think from what they called a mitmus protection program. he must have been hiding in the white house because he looked very prepared and he the stature of a president tonight. i think paul enltsy quiverred a bit on stage tonight. he was not as forceful as he perhaps needed to be. you know if last election was about hope and change, this election is about strength and certainty. and michele bachmann displayed a lot of that tonight. the word here on the ground, john is that michele bachmann's troops have all of the passion but she doesn't have the organization. pawlenty doesn't have the passion but has the organization. so michele bachmann fed that passion tonight. >> and we'll see how that plays out saturday straw poll. eric ericsson, great debate tonight

gop presidential contenders scramble to take the top prize in iowa. the key question, who will survive past this weekend to fight another day? >>> perry and palin. he is throwing his hat in today, while she's still on the fence. how do they fit into the picture right now, and how could they change the race? >>> back to orlando. casey anthony could be forced to return to the city where she was found not guilty of killing her daughter. plus, she's going under the jackhammer. what to expect once lady liberty undergoes her year-long renovation. >>> i'm alex witt. 8:00 a.m. on the east coast. 5:00 a.m. out west. it's a make or break day for the field of presidential hopefuls today as they face the first big test of the presidential campaign. the iowa straw poll will get underway in just a few hours, and the stakes couldn't be higher for michelle bachmann and tim pawlenty, where straw poll success is considered vital for their candidacies. they were busy working the crowds last night. >> we need to make that promise and send a message to washington d.c. so l

we're in ames, iowa, right now. i was born in waterloo, iowa. i'm heading up there to say thank you to everyone who instlled my early values in me, and that began at our church. my parents took us to church every week. we went to a lutheran church, first lutheran waterloo, and they prayed with us at night. we prayed before we had mealtime. they've really instilled wonderful values in us, and i recognize that i'm not perfect and that i need god in my life, and that's really helped me to set my course. >> god has guided your decisions in life. would god guide your decisions that you would make as president of the united states? >> well, as president of the united states, i would pray. i would pray and ask the lord for guidance. that's what presidents have done throughout history. george washington did, abraham lincoln did -- >> but you said "god called me to run for congress," god has said certain things about, you know, going to law school, about pursuing other decisions in your life. there's a difference between god as a sense of comfort and safe

yet, she is here in iowa. you know what? in the straw poll. we were in new hampshire two months ago. it wasn't that long ago for the debate. >> june. >> mark preston is there now. >> he is always late to the game. >> but someone just left the backyard barbecue party where you are. >> welcome back. as matt said earlier, he said all the political eyes were on eye waffle guess what. they're all coming here to new hampshire. rick perry was no mistake that rick perry made his second stop in his announcement tour here in this yard that i'm standing in. no miss take jon huntsman who did not go into the straw poll did four campaign stops in this state. no mistake that mitt romney who also skip the straw poll held a big night last night. so the eyes are shifting to the east coast and to new hampshire. >> i'm sorry. is it my turn? >> you had no idea what's happening out here. we're having a lot of fun. >> mark, it seems to me that perry has two missions now. he has to slow michele bachmann down in iowa. and he has to slow mitt romney

mark poll in iowa had me in 6th7th place a few weeks ago. our goal to something closer to the front. we need to show good progress and i'm confident we will as that record from minnesota continues to get out. >> chris: governor pawlenty thank you for joining us. we will see you thursday night in ames for the fox debate. >> i'm looking forward it to, thank you chris. >> chris: we are too. >> our sunday panel weigh in on the gop field and who is likely to come out on top in >> everything president obama and his appointees believe this is bureaucratic socialism where they want to micromanage the country from washington, d.c.. >> this president has destroyed the credit rating of the united states through failed economic policies and his inability to control government spending by once again raising the debt ceiling. >> the president: yes we can, thank you. if i don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition. >> chris: well, some of the republican presidential field ramping up rhetoric president obama as they

please join me in welcoming the man who put iowa's budget back in black. [cheers and applause] >> thank you very much. u are doing a great job. the chairman of the republican party of iowa. i am glad to be back. i am pleased to welcome all of you this afternoon to ames, iowa, to hilton coliseum. this is a great turnout of republicans, and it shows we are an excit party. i want to welco and command each of the candidates that are here with us today. they have poured their hearts and souls into this straw poll. we appreciate their efforts, and we appreciate them. their efforts have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated by a iowa. i hope all of these candidates have enjoyed their time in this great state, getting to know the hard working people that we have in iowa. every four years, it is often said that iowa is the envy of the country. if you were at the state fair yesterday or if you are here today and you joined this beautiful weather and people, you understand why iowa is the envy of the nation. [applause] candidates and a record number of media have flocke

i do hope at some point we do see him here more in iowa. i think there's a great opportunity for any candidate to connect with the voters. it's still wide open as i've seen it at this point in the caucus process. >> when you look towards the election, the health care is a huge issue. the u.s. appeals court has just held that the rest of president obama's health care draw could stand even if the individual mandate is knocked out. we are waiting to hear more about that court ruling. what about the fact that mitt romney and president obama seem to have at least in one point been very close together in the philosophy about health care? >> that's i think you saw some of that last night where some of the candidates decided to not only drefly advocate for their positions start to draw some stark contrast. i think that's part of the process. i was pleased to see that there was strong questioning that tried to draw out the differences in the candidates. i know that's what the iowa republicans are look for as well. it's the same questions that they're

iowa straw poll. fox's steve brown is live in ames, iowa. steve, does a good performance at the debate translate into a win at the straw poll? >> reporter: into a win? >> alisyn: yes. >> reporter: don't know, but it could mean a boost, and you can see they're setting up for the straw poll already. it takes about two days to get some of these displays, if you will, for the candidates ready to go. i have yet to find a republican activist in iowa who will shoot down ryan rhodes, director of the tea party convention, that a good straw poll debate performance will lead to 500 to 1000 additional straw polls. even the governor says that's a polt and certainly michelle bachmann has vaulted upwards in terms of polling numbers by performing well at least in the eyes of republican activists at the debates so far and a state party chairman says hey, a good performance at the debate, it certainly can't hurt. >> there's no question having the debate just 48 hours before iowans go to the polls, at the straw poll. it could have a huge impact. if your candid

mark poll in iowa had me in 6th7th place a few weeks ago. our goal to something closer to the front. we need to show good progress and i'm confident we will as that record from minnesota continues to get out. >> chris: governor pawlenty thank you for joining us. we will see you thursday night in ames for the fox debate. >> i'm looking forward it to, thank you chris. >> chris: we are too. >> our sunday panel weigh in on the gop field and who is likely to come out on top in >> everything president obama and his appointees believe this is bureaucratic socialism where they want to micromanage the country from washington, d.c.. >> this president has destroyed the credit rating of the united states through failed economic policies and his inability to control government spending by once again raising the debt ceiling. >> the president: yes we can, thank you. if i don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition. >> chris: well, some of the republican presidential field ramping up rhetoric president obama as they

continues in the iowa straw poll. me of the political spotlight turned to south carolina today where texas governor rick perry announced that he is in the race. and in it to twin. >> washington wouldn't even make modest entitlement program reforms in this last state. and the president refused to lay out a plan for fear of the next election. how can the wealthiest nation in the history of civilization fail so miserably to pay its bills? how does that happen? [ applause ] >> joining me now, "washington post" white house reporter and author of "the fix" on "washington post"post.com -- on washingtonpost.com. >> it's fascinating theater. matt strong, the chairman of the iowa republican party, is up on stage starting the official program. meanwhile, many of the reporter, myself included, are on watching rick perry announce for president almost simultaneously. >> behind the curtain of journalism they started the benediction. >> yes. >> we were watching perry and stood up to bow our heads -- >> the pledge of allegiance -- >> a

>> well, i think president obama's done kel in the heartland. he won the iowa caucuses in 2008. he loves coming back to the midwest, loves coming back to iowa. tom vilsack is an iowan. it makes a lot of sense he's spending time here and i suspect we'll see a lot of them between now and election day. >> do you sense a little bit of -- a little bit of erosion of support, particularly in the -- all of this, it seems, get the placing they can't -- >> i've not seen that, any erosion of support. i think he's really making the point that he cares passionately about rural america, and rural iowa, and he's going to spend some quality time here to talk about the future of agriculture and the future of roar rural am. >> there was a sound bite yesterday that i thought was interesting about what's broken? is it politics or government? here's what he said. >> don't be confused as frustrated as you are about politics. don't buy into this notion that somehow government is what's holding us back. government is what protects. the government built the interstate highway system. the government is wh

mark poll in iowa had me in 6th7th place a few weeks ago. our goal to something closer to the front. we need to show good progress and i'm confident we will as that record from minnesota continues to get out. >> chris: governor pawlenty thank you for joining us. we will see you thursday night in ames for the fox debate. >> i'm looking forward it to, thank you chris. >> chris: we are too. >> our sunday panel weigh in on the gop field and who is likely to come out on top in the iowa straw poll? really? no. it comes with a hat. you see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,00miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for ,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow. [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t

how you can move on from an eighth place showing in iowa. straight talk 8th place showing in michigan and. >> and iowa. first of all, offering better solutions. there is no question in a three big money candidates in the race. >> laura: money is important u isn't it at this point, newt. >> maybe. mccain was consistently outspent by romney and giuliani. it didn't matter. reagan at times was outspent and it doesn't matter. ideas do matter in the end. i think we are going to offer better solutions. talk about things people ought to be talking about. an american energy plan. how you would go about dramatically reshaping the government. in ways that i think the other candidates don't talk about. we're also going to talk about issues like how you deal with alzheimer's and autism and a variety of other things that relate to brain science. how you modernize the food and drug administration. how you replace the e.p.a. with an earn environmental solutions agency. remember, people don't just want to send a message to washington. >> laura: you have been

make the announcement in iowa. do it tomorrow. ay be that his strategy is that he's not intending to really play hard in the caucuses. maybe his intent is to say i'll let iowa go and new hampshire go and i'll meet you in south carolina. but running for president is a marathon. most everybody would like to pick the mile in which they would start and make it mile, 7, 7, or ten. but you start on mile one. mile one in the presidential marathon is iowa. >> bret: but you contend he will be a force? >> absolutely. he will be a strong candidate from the moment he gets in. but he'll also walk in with a target on his back. mitt romney can't allow him to come up on his flank. then you've got tim pawlenty and bachman and cane and the others who can't allow him to just occupy the space. he's going to catch it from all sides the moment he's stepping off that announcement stage. be prepared to see some serious things starting to be hurled at him as of tomorrow. >> bret: governor huckabee, as always, thank you. >> great to be here. >> bret: i thin

the others trade behind with write-in rick perry narrowly outpolling mitt romney and while not in iowa, perry was doing his best today to crash the party. norah o'donnell is in ames, iowa, watching the rapidly shifted republican field. noragood evening. >> reporter: good evening to you. this was the second highest turnout ever for the straw poll. the results were expected, but it was governor rick perry with the, monument in sout announcemh carolina who stole the show. after longs of speculation the governor of the loan star state threw his hat into an already-crowded ring. >> the renewed nation needs a new president. ( applause ) it is time to get america working again, and that's why with the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of america, i declare to you today as a candidate for president of the united states ( applause ) >> reporter: he offered a stinging indictment of president obama's leadership on the economy. >> nearly three years president obama has been downgrading american jobs, he's been downgrading our standing in the world. he's been downgrading ou

. >> i don't know what you all would do to them in iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly in texas. >> the texas talk is stirring the presidential race but might some scare voters away? on the trail michele bachmann leads a tribute. >> before we get started, let's all say happy birthday toley to. happy birthday. >> sweet, right? except elvis was born in january. he died on this day on august 16th, 1977. >>> plus, check this out. the group swarms into a maryland convenience store and robs it in a stunning blur. it is the latest example of crime by flash mob. and we'll talk live tonight to the police chief now hoping the same tools used to organize the outrages help him round up the thiefs. >>> let's begin, though, in iowa, center stage in american politics at the moment. president obama is there and he sat down today with cnn's wolf blitzer. on the critical issue of jobs the president complained the partisan gridlock here in washington is blocking progress, but he also conceded his re-election is at risk if things don't get better soon. >> ultimately the buck stops with me. i'm going

but he is not really taking part in iowa. his big fight is in new hampshire. e is a sense his campaign needs to do something. >> it's sputtering now. iowa is not a place he can do well. he opposes the ethanol subsidiaries and he's admitted to bailing out of iowa to some degree. he needs to focus on one big place right now in new hampshire. let's hope he tries to stick it out through the new hampshire primary and see how he does. it's a small state hecht can find a connection with the voters there. but he needs the money to get there. it looks like right now with the poll numbers how does he get from here to there? >> bret: juan? >> i think his campaign is not sputtering, it's stalled. i looks to me it's done for moment. you get a lot of attention as you were saying from people who think oh, well, he is running to the middle and he is going to challenge romney there has been no evidence that money, fundraising has been sufficient to sustain any kind of effort now to make him a challenger, a international challenger to romney. the other person who is a challenger

it starts right here in iowa right now. the white house in 2012 with a new president that wakes up every day with a commitment to our values, our constitution, and our american freedom. i know you are with me. our members believe in defending freedom. thank you for all of your support. have a great straw poll. keep fighting for freedom every single day. >> please direct your attention to the stage as we prepare for minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> our american heartland, a place where life and liberty is celebrated. hard work and sacrifice is rewarded. gods the good grace is accepted as a loving gift. six generations ago, a hard- working norwegian family settled to begin a new life. their legacy continues today. michelle learned and lived the lessons of her ancestors. work hard and overcome every obstacle. her name is michele bachmann. >> it was a very simple life because we did not have a lot of money. there was a standard of living that we followed -- being honest, truthful, and doing wh

the first test of the presidential race playing out right now in iowa. this evening, the results are in. michele bachmann wins. the question, who doesn't survive afterward? and the new face in the race today. it's official. he promises to be the multimillion-dollar guy. >> the scout's survival. the 12-year-old boy scout who vanished in the wilderness found. tonight, he tell us what he did to survive. >>> to the rescue. after those devastating riots, tonight we're one-on-one with the top cop, now off to britain, police departments in new york, los angeles, we ask, is scotland yard next? >>> rise and f fl. 50 years ago today, the order to build that wall. the images then and now from berlin and that moment peter jennings, our witness to history. >> someone reached up and handed me a small piece of the wall. >>> and her simple wish. that little girl turning 9 and her simple wish. so many of you heard her story and you won't believe what's happened now. >>> good evening. as we come on the air across the west coast tonight, results are in in iowa. the republic

this is where he's going to come to his end, in iowa. did you get the change and the hope that you believed in? >> well, it turns out those republican candidates, they had a little competition, too. >> i don't think i'm stealing any spotlight. in fact, if anybody thinks that i'm stealing the spot, go, go find the other folks and say, hello. >> now, sarah palin wasn't in the big debate last night and she rolled into the state fair, nonetheless, even work a digalt the newest candidate texas governor rick perry as she nadknown, join the republican dance. >> there's a lot of contemplation that needs to go into earth shattering life saving decision for everyone. >> a packed hour tonight, including putting every debate statements to the truth test, like this one. >> that's right. i was very vocal against that tax, and i fought against that tax. >> let's begin live in iowa on the eve of a republican straw poll that has no official role in the gop nominating contest, but has a history of derailing once promising candidacies. at state fair in des

he's not competing in iowa. he's announcing today his candidacy for the presidency. how much will that overshadow the things going on in ames? >> i think it's going to overshaove overshadow it big-time. people are focused on the straw poll wondering if tim pawlenty will have a good showing. so much attention is focused on trying to find an alternative to mitt romney and for many republicans that's rick perry. and so a lot of iowans are upset about the fact that rick perry is deciding to announce today in south carolina. it really does threaten to overshadow everything happening there. >> speaking of the word overshadow, what about ron paul? he's a guy whose got a well organized and productive campaign in iowa. there are some who could suggest he could win this thing. if he does, what does that say about iowa straw poll and the relevancy here? >> the straw poll really -- there's been a lot of debate about whether it matters or not. it really is a test of organizational strength and ron paul has been down this road before. he's got a lot of money. he has a lot of activi

. >> tonight is john huntsman debut and he's not competed at all in iowa. >> you have an audience andore outside of iowa including three important primary states. >> and tim pawlenty stalled in the national polls and he has his opponents right where he wants them. >> is it frustrating that they say you are not charismatic. >> i like being the underdog in the races. >> herman cain's performance has fallen far back and hopes he will be lifted to the forefront. >> we have gone from a campaign to run . skipped over walk and we are loving it. >> it may be do or die for rick sanatorium who said he is everylooked as most consistent. newt gingrich ran into jon hunts man back stage. ron paul is trailing . regardless of the outcome they are in for the long hall. >> and the seriousness of the debate. candidates will take part in a sublime and most will visit the iowa state fair to sample the pork on the stick and my favorite is fried snikers bar. >> and someone who is not here. >> significant news. rick perry who is said to prepare a signal of getting on the race made it clear that he will forma

iowa gop. here is how it works. the campaigns can bring supporters in as long as they live in iowa or students in the state.te. candidates have tents on the complex. there is food and partying and music. it is a party atmosphere. there is serious stuff about it as well. there is a lot at stake for the candidates. that is why i want to bring in our political reporter, peter. what is on the line? >> there are three candidates that people are keeping an eye on today. ron paul. tim pawlenty and they are looking at michele bachmann. republicans are thinking they will finish in the top three. rick santorum could play around that third or fourth spot. things might have changed after the debate last night. that is what we are looking at. pawlenty needs to finish one or two to prove that the campaign is viable. he has been out here for a year and he is still mired in single digits. >> reporter: thanks, peter. this straw poll has a history of bringing campaigns down. we may have that again. a repeat with candidates this time around. t.j., back to you. >> you can stay with cnn for the iowa straw poll results when they

let's bring in a man who knows a thing or two about iowa politics, chuck grassley is in his sixth term as united states senator from iowa. he joins us now. senator, welcome? >> i'm glad to be with you. >> you've been through a few of these. >> yeah, i think since 1979. >> bret: what do you think of this one, turnout and the overall anecdotes you're hearing? >> more people turning out. there is an undercurrent of outrage. i think because of the president's discredited economic and fiscal policies. there is a real determination to change the leadership of this country. it's not -- this was a quiet turnout, as you meet people one on one. but under there, there is a current. >> bret: do you sense that across the state? >> yes. absolutely. and particularly in the last three or four days as i interacted with so many people two days at the state fair, and almost as many people here. >> bret: there is a lot of discontent across the country for congress and getting things done and some say that's about coming together. others say it's about standing on principle. how do you respond to the criti

and while his two republican rivals are battling it out in iowa, mitt romney is campaigning in new hampshirerrett joins me by phone. do you think he's going to be propoled to pay more attention to iowa? >> reporter: today he had two evens in new hampshire. he toured a small factory in the southern part to the state and drove north with a number of voters. he took questions about governor perry. he made the point of saying he was going to continue with his current strategy. they want to campaign in every early state and later state. if you look at the campaign schedule coming up in the next week or two, they're all here in new hampshire. i'm sorry, we lost him. joining me now is mark. mark, you spent the weekend before you got back to new york traveling through iowa. you've been at all the events. let's talk about romney's strategy. is this a good strategy to hang back from iowa and really not engage or does he now to have engage rick perry head on? >> reporter: it's an interesting choice. i think it has to play out on a fast schedule. bachmann has been in iowa for two months. rick perry is g

it starts right here in iowa right now. white house in 2012 with a new president that wakes up every day with a commitment to our values, our constitution, and our american freedom. i know you are with me. our members believe in defending freedom. thank you for all of your support. have a great straw poll. keep fighting for freedom every single day. >> please direct your attention to the stage as we prepare for minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> our american heartland, a place where life and liberty is celebrated. hard work and sacrifice is rewarded. gods the good grace is accepted as a loving gift. six generations ago, a hard- working norwegian family settled to begin a new life. their legacy continues today. michelle learned and lived the lessons of her ancestors. work hard and overcome every obstacle. her name is michele bachmann. >> it was a very simple life because we did not have a lot of money. there was a standard of living that we followed -- being honest, truthful, and doing what y

tonight there is the debate in iowa that will feature all the major players andtism pawlenty. (laughter) >> stephen: then saturday, of course, is the straw poll in ames, a crucial test to see if candidates can get midwesterners to put down a food plate long enough to mark a ballot but the big news today came from the iowa state fair in des moines where in an attempt to peel to more voters ron paul had himself batter dipped and deep fat fried. that was good. more chipotle sauce. meanwhile, mitt romney was at the state fair in his every man dungarees when he was ambushed by liberal activists with a gotcha question about social security. and with his answer, romney proved he didn't just dress like the average joe, he understands the average joe. >> we have to make sure that the promises we make in social security, medicaid and medicare are promises we can keep. and there are various ways of doing that. one is we could raise taxes on people. >> corporations. >> corporations. >> corporations are people, my friend. >> stephen: yes. >> aw. >> stephen: corporations are people, my frien

people in iowa are excited. the republicans are registering voter which we heard in a report which they really need we want to put this in red. >> richard, you've been around for a little while. you've seen a little more than a few of these iowa straw polls in the past. what does your gut tell you, by the end of the next, not necessarily three or four hours, but maybe the next three or four weeks post this. as we see some of the fund-raising and how it works out? how many of these candidates on the ballot right now might be gone? >> we should start by saying that this is ridiculously an undemocratic process, right? the supreme court outlawed a poll tax here. you have to pay $30 to be able to participate. so with that premise, and even though that makes a point about people finishing in the top two, there's no great correlation between people winning the straw poll and becoming the party nominee. that all said, yes, chris, i think your point suggests the answer which is there will be people who are you now living