anthony. >> mason: jan crawford, thanks, jan. paul ryan has represented wisconsin in the u.s. house of representatives for 14 years. his district lies in the southeastern part of the state and includes his home town of janesville, where chip reid joins us tonight outside the ryan family home. >> reporter: janesville is an industrial town of about 64,000 people. paul ryan lives in this historic home in the well-to-do neighborhood where he grew up. >> my family's been in this town for five generations. >> reporter: just two months ago, paul ryan brought mitt romney to janesville, where ryan went to high school and still attends this catholic church. his family's construction business is more than a century old. when ryan was 16, his father died of a heart attack at 55. george steil was a law partner with ryan's dad. >> i could see a little more seriousness come about him, and he still was the friendly, affable type of guy, but i think he became a little more serious. >> reporter: after college, ryan worked briefly for the family business but was drawn to politics. he ran for con

we will talk to bill whitaker, jan crawford and john dickerson about that. tampa has one of the highest homeless rates in the nation. we will show you what the city is doing to help them build a new life. and their name translates to: man of the forest. john blackstone on the fast disappearing orangutan. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> cowan: good evening, i am lee cowan. tropical storm isaac tonight is battering the florida keys, it is primed to power up to a dangerous category ii hurricane and forecast a hit to florida's panhandle all the way to louisiana, including the new orleans, some time on wednesday. that would be the seventh anniversary of hurricane katrina. right now, isaac stretches more than 200 miles from its center, with top sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. today president obama alerted fema to get ready to help states in the path of that storm and louisiana has already declared a state of emergency. we begin our coverage tonight with manuel bojorquez in key west, manuel, good evening to you

jan crawford has latest. and a winning guitarist captures a world championship with no strings attached. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> mason: good evening. i'm anthony mason. he was a combat naval aviator, space pioneer and the first man to set foot on the moon. today neil armstrong died from complications following heart bypass surgery. he was 82 years old. in a statement, his family called him a reluctant american hero. armstrong long shunned the spotlight, even though he played a leading role in one of the greatest moments in american history. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> a brilliant surface and the sunlight. it's an interesting place to be. i recommend it. >> mason: when neil armstrong set foot on the moon on july 20, 1969 he fulfilled the goal that had been set by president john kennedy just eight years earlier. it was a long, long way from his birth place near tiny wapakoneta, ohio, in 1930. armstrong's fascination with airplanes began

the obama campaign, jeff, is ready. >> glor: jan crawford, thank you. from north carolina the republican candidates moved on to wisconsin. one of the 11 states cbc news calls a battle ground. obama won wisconsin in 2008. with ryan on the ticket they hope to take wisconsin's electoral votes. chip reid is there this evening. >> reporter: paul ryan comes home to waukesha wisconsin for a welcome home rally. the ryan campaign hopes this time they'll do better in november. bill campbell is head usher at the catholic church. >> anyone that knows him or talks to him comments on how nice a guy he is. >> reporter: that is a refrain in janesville where ryan has lived. today they taped over the old ryan for congress sign with something new. >> i think he will be the spark plug for the republican party. >> reporter: campbell went to the same high school as ryan and their fathers were law partners. >> this is the patio that ryan laid when he was 16 years of age. >> reporter: when ryan was 16 his father died of a heart attack. tony, a friend, saw how that affected rya

jan crawford on what romney said gets the obama campaign or to work with. >>> ron do want to talk medicare but it was his answer about his taxes that got the attention >>> given the challenge america faces 23 million out of work, tehran about to become nuclear, one of six americans in poverty the fascination with taxes i have paid i find to be small minded compared to broad issues we face. i did go back and found the last 10 years and never paid less than 13% >>> more remark more fodder for the democrats who is setting him that he's just releasing the last two years of tax returns the obama campaign had this remark " substantial reason to doubt his client we say prove that " romney says is not releasing any more returns because democrats will never be satisfied jan crawford cbs news >>> a break for bicyclist watch out if your a pedestrian state lawmakers reject a proposal to ban bicyclist from using cellphones while the ride it was attached to a lot to increase fines of and drivers who violate the hands free lot fines can be as much as $90. northern california drivers are getting parking t

jan crawford in north carolina with the romney campaign. thanks so much. joining us to talk about mitt romney's pick, are deputy campaign manager for the obama campaign, stephanie cutter and eric fehrnstrom, senior adviser to mitt romney. eric, let's started with you. describe for us how and when mitt romney offered the vp spot to paul ryan and what he said when he accepted. >> well, he called him on august 1, but on that day, the governor had just returned from his overseas trip. he had made his decision that he wanted paul ryan to join him on the ticket. he reached out to him, set up a meeting, and the meeting took place on august 5. that was last sunday. they met at the private home of beck myers, who is a top aide, and handled the vice presidential selection process. and it was in a private meeting in beth's dining room where governor romney offered paul ryan a spot on the ticket and he accepted. >> eric, there were, obviously, a number of politicians under consideration-- rob portman, tim pawlenty. what was about paul ryan that made him the choice for

crowley of "time" magazine, bloomberg white house correspondent julianna goldman, and our own jan crawford and nancy cordes. we'll close with a rare interview with sandra day o'connor. long retired from the supreme court but still making a difference because this is "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: and good morning again. well, it's coming down to 11 states that are now basically ground zero for the candidates-- florida, north carolina, virginia, pennsylvania, new hampshire, wisconsin, ohio, iowa, colorado, nevada and new mexico. the nation is so polarized now, that the undecided votes in these states represent about 5%, and that is consistent with the rest of the country. 39 states lean so heavily to one candidate or another, both candidates are focusing their efforts now on those 11 states. so to give us an update on what's going on out there in some of these key battle grounds we're joined by two republicans, virginia governor bob mcdonnell. he's in richmond. and florida congressman mario diaz

we'll have reports from jan crawford, chip reid and nancy cordes. london passes the olympic torch to rio. but now that city's accused of kicking people out of their homes to make way for the athletes. seth doane is in rio. and mark strassmann reports america's coastline is being invaded. what did you think the first time you saw one? >> my god, what a big old shrimp. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> schieffer: good evening, scott is off tonight, i'm bob schieffer. mitt romney picked his running mate on saturday and we may look back and say "that was the day when the general election really began." in choosing young wisconsin congressman paul ryan romney has picked a budget expert whose plan to put the nation on a sound financial footing includes deep cuts in social programs and a reform of medicare and that transforms the race. it's no longer just a campaign about negative t.v. ads. it becomes a debate over two very different visions for the future we talks about it when romney and ryan sat down with u

reports from jan crawford and nancy cordes. there's an epidemic of murder in chicago, and a federal agent tells armen keteyian you of you can trace it to mexico. >> the most powerful drug lord in the world is operating out of this city. >> pelley: and one year after the east coast earthquake, sharyl attkisson is with an artist doing the work of the lord. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. we're learning tonight that before last month's theater massacre in colorado, officials at the university of colorado invalidated the access key of james holmes so he could no longer enter the buildings of the medical school campus. that was part of what prosecutors revealed in a court hearing today that was attended by holmes. the prosecutors are asking the judge in the case for holmes' records and e-mails from his time as a student at the university where he was studying for a ph.d. in neuroscience. they're hoping to establish a motive in the shooting that killed 12 and woun

jan crawford is on the campaign trail. no relief in sight. the drought may last into winter, and now it's affecting the electric supply for millions. jim axelrod reports. in south africa, a standoff turned into a slaughter. when police opened fire on striking mine workers. and for 20 years, his full-time job has been giving sick children a reason to smile. it makes me feel good, and i i can help. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> schieffer: good evening. scott's off tonight. >> schieffer: good evening. scott's off tonight. i'm bob schieffer. well, mitt romney managed to shift the focus in the campaign back to taxes today, his own, and in doing so, he managed to rekindle the debate over whether the rich should pay more taxes, as the obama campaign advocates. it all started at an airport stop in south carolina, where aides set up a white board between two flags so he could talk about the fine points of health care, but somehow it all got off track. jan crawford has that. >> reporter: romney has bee

. >> schieffer: nancy cordes and jan crawford are on the campaign trail. a new crash test reveals some luxury cars may not be as safe as we thought. seth doane reports. and barry petersen is in beijing where the hunt for jobs is now a prime time spectacle. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> schieffer: good evening, scott is off tonight, i'm bob schieffer. well, we may be headed for the worst summer ever for wildfires, and there is a huge new fire burning tonight east of seattle. about 40,000 fires so far this year have burned up more than 6 million acres. that's a million more than average. there are more than 60 large firf control tonight. the fire east of slate swept across a 26,000 acre patch in a matter of hours. ben tracy is there tonight. ben? >> reporter: as you can see, the smoke is darkening the hillsides in western washington state and the wind isn't helping firefighters. they've been trying to battle the blaze for a day and a half now and they're doing all they can just to keep up. overnight the fire

. >> o'donnell: reports from wyatt andrew, jan crawford and nancy cordes on missouri's todd akin and the political fallout. changing course. for the first time augusta national admits women, two of them, including condoleezza rice. armen keteyian is covering. the battle against a wildfire threatening thousands of home in northern california. and bill whitaker remembers phyllis diller. her life... >> i'm in such bad shape i wear prescription underwear. >> o'donnell:... and her laugh. >> (cackles) captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> o'donnell: good evening, scott's on assignment, i'm norah o'donnell. until today, few people outside of missouri had ever heard of todd akin, the republican candidate for senate there. but akin's remarks about rape have put him and the abortion issue in the national spotlight. reblicans and democrats alike-- including mitt romney and president obama-- have condemned his comments. and members of akin's own party are pressuring him to drop out as they battle to win back control of the senate. wyatt andrews begins o

. >> pelley: reports from jan crawford, anthony mason, and bob schieffer. and "on the road" with steve hartman. a silent soldier hears the call of duty. >> 660 years later. captioning sponsored by cbs >> this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, the storm cleared over the gulf coast today and the full impact of hurricane katrina is now becoming clear. the first hurricane to hit the u.s. this season left at least five people dead. more than 20 inches of rain combined with the storm surge left whole neighborhoods underwater in louisiana. the power is still out for more than half a million homes and businesses and the damage could top $2 billion. our mark strassmann has been talking with some of the people who have lost nearly everything. >> reporter: for the first time today we were able to look from the air at the abandoned neighborhoods in plaquemines parish, swamped by five feet of isaac's storm surge. crews have begun cutting as many as 10 holes in its levees east and west banks to drain the water and in brathwaite, 19 mil

jan crawford is in lakeland, florida, where romney is holding his first post convention rally. jan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, norah and charlie and good morning in the west. last night was critical for mitt romney. he really had a chance to show millions of americans who he was, what he stood for, how he would lead. and it also was an opportunity for him to try to convince voters he should be president. >> now is the moment when we can stand up and say i'm an american. i make my destiny. we deserve better. my children deserve better. my family deserves better. my country deserves better. >> reporter: it was the speech of his life. the most important moment in his quest for the white house. it was a call for change, but also the story of romney's life. and his wife, ann, mother of five. >> i had to travel a lot for my job then, and i would call and try to offer support. but every mom knows, that doesn't help get the homework done. or get the kids out the door to school. >> reporter: romney talked of his parents and their values and lessons he said he had learned. >

and our own jan crawford who covers the romney campaign and nancy cordes who is now covering the obama campaign. welcome to all of you. i just noticed in the "washington post" this morning, dan ball said the best that you can say about how mitt romney fared in july is that he survived, but when you look at these economic numbers, i think you might say the same thing about barack obama. julianna, where is this race now? what does the white house think about it? where do they go from here? >> i think you look at the state of the race and the state of the economy, and you talk about the jobs report on friday and it is a mixed bag. the unemployment rate kicked up 1%, but also the markets read it positively because there were more jobs created last month than expected. so for the president right now, the challenge is things just can't get worse. the public's opinion on the economy has remained pretty much consistent, and so what the white house, what the obama campaign is looking at right now is for voters to head into this election saying, "look the economy is not where i want it to be, bu

taking place at the naught cuss museum in norfolk, virginia, and cbs news political correspondent jan crawford good morning, jan. >> reporter: good morning, anthony. this is an event that no one here yesterday would have expected. romney is kicking off a four-state bus tour here in virginia, but no one expected him to upvail his vice presidential pick. the campaign has confirmed it will be paul ryan. we've got prepared remarks he will be delivering later on this morning. but this is a pick that is a bold, spies pick. this is mitt romney really swinging for the fences here. but it was not a wild swing because paul ryan is someone who conservatives love. many in the conservative base had expect-- hoped mitt romney would select paul ryan, had encouraged him to do so. this is someone who will energize the conservative base and really energize this presidential race. it will completely change the tone of this campaign. paul ryan talks openly about a choice between two countries, and right now, we're waiting for them to come out to begin speaking, and this crowd will certainly be enthuse afghanistan

we have reports tonight from jan crawford and nancy cordes. first, jan, covering the romney campaign. >> reporter: norah, romney and the republicans have out-raised the president and his team for three straight months. their cash advantage could lead to shifts in campaign tactics on both sides. romney spent the day in texas raising money, assembling a warchest that could far outpace the president's. it was another big month for romney and the republicans who over the past three months have pulled in $284.2 million. significantly more than the $206 million raised by president obama and the democrats. and romney's not burning through money like the president's team which spent $109.7 million last month, $34.7 million more than they raised. that means romney and the republicans will have more to spend in the fall. they now have $186 million in cash on hand compared to $124 million for the president's team. factor in the outside groups and republican sources predict by labor day they could have a 2- to-1 spending advantage. in houston for a fund-ra

jan crawford has more on that now. jan? >> reporter: bob, governor romney is trying to use this welfare issue to paint the president as out of touch. >> with a very careful executive action he removed the requirement of work from welfare. >> reporter: it's a message romney is also taking to the airwaves in a new television ad in key swing states. >> under obama's plan you would haven't to work and would not have to train for a job, they just send you your welfare check. >> reporter: here's the issue: the 1996 law requires that a certain percentage of state welfare recipients be engaged in work or specific work activities such as education or job training. without consulting congress, the administration last month said it could wave that requirement in the law if states can show they have their own programs to effectively increase employment. romney insists that change will ultimately expand welfare, an explosive charge intended to resonate with independent and middle-class voters who may decide the election in swing states

cbs news political correspondent jan crawford was there. in norfolk, paul ryan stemmed off the retired battle ship u.s.s. wisconsin and on to the national stage. it was a bold choice for mitt romney. >> a lot of people in the other party who might disagree with paul ryan. i don't know of anyone who doesn't respect his character and judgment. > as chairman of the house budget committee the seventh time congressman is a measure of fiscal responsibility. >> we are on an unsustainable path that is robbing america of our freedom and security. >> romney and ryan spent the rest of the day in the state of virginia, ryan fired up the crowd in ashland and later here in the nas set with all of the enthusiasm on the right the day wasn't quite perfect. >> join me in welcoming the next president of the united states, paul ryan. >> romney had a little trouble introducing his running mate. it was the same mistake that senator barack obama made four years ago, when he introduced his running mate joe biden. >> the next president -- the next vice president. >

jan crawford is traveling with rhe romney campaign in the eattleground state of ohio. ound what are you picking up on this? >> reporter: well, bob, the people at these rallies that we're talking to are fired up, even the ones who don't know paul ryan say they like what bu wey've been hearing. but the question, bob, is what will those independent voters nomi? >> we've taken the next step to gstoring america's promise with paul ryan as our nominee for elpe president! >> reporter: the gallup poll taken sunday showed romney's pick helped in the conservative orse with 36% of republicans more likely to vote for him. that's six points higher than when john mccain picked sarah 08lin in 2008. >> thank you so much. omereporter: but some inside the g.o.p. establishment tell cbs news there are fears ryan will ea more harm than good with independent voters. >> we're going to help small ng toess people. >> reporter: romney has staked tak campaign on the economy, the thees voters say they care about most. is art getting more attention now ree ryan's proposals to cut the budget and re

. >> pelley: jan crawford has been covering the romney campaign through the primaries to this pivotal moment. and she is down on the convention floor as well. jan. >> reporter: well, scott, this was a different mitt romney tonight and a different speech than what we've seen him give on the campaign trail and in a sense his ability to connect with the people. on the campaign trail he talks in a clinical way at a time. tonight we heard mitt romney say you deserve that. we deserve that. we deserve better. that is going to be a theme that you're going to see in this campaign going forward. a lot of talk, also, about how we need to believe in america, that america can-- if we're together, if we're united, if we're the united states of america. he's heading out tomorrow on the campaign trail, his plane says in big, bold letters, scott, "believe in america." >> pelley: thank you, jan. our cbs news poll this week shows that governor romney and president obama are essentially tied in their quest for the white house. with 68 days left before election day. more than a century ago, a future repub

jan crawford is in arlington, virginia, this morning and joins us with the latest. good morning, jan. >>> good morning gayle and charlie. we're right across the river from d.c. but we may as well be a world away. think about this. in 2008, the president carried washington, d.c. by 86 points. here in virginia, he carried approximate by six points. our new poll out today shows romney cutting into that margin. as part of this effort, this key effort to win over independence of middle class voters in these key swing states, romney has a new line of attack. he's hitting the president hard for a change he made in the welfare reform law. >> if i'm president, i'll put work back in welfare. >> campaigning tuesday in the president's home state of illinois, romney went on the attack about a presidential directive that eased traditional work requirements in the 1996 welfare reform act. >> the white house says the order gives states flexibility in how they provide welfare to low-income residents. but romney and leading republicans said the move was a back-doorway of cutting key r

jan crawford is there. jan, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, gayle. good morning, jeff. good morning to everyone in the west. we're getting ready to get started here in a few moments. and when you see these two guys together, paul ryan and mitt romney, it's clear why the campaign is bringing them become out together. there's more of an energy, more engagement from romney when paul ryan is around. now over the weekend, though, ryan was out on his own. he went down to florida and was talking about what some think is his biggest liability, medicare. campaigning in florida paul ryan brought along his mother. >> this is my mom, betty. >> reporter: 78-year-old betty douglas, a florida resident and medicare recipient, and made the point he wasn't ending medicare. >> when i think about medicare, it's not just a program. it's not just a bunch of numbers. it's what my mom relies on. it's what my grandma had. >> reporter: ryan emphasized the romney plan coverage wouldn't change for his mother or anyone else over 55. the obama campaign immediately attacked saying

jan crawford is in washington. >> good morning, gayle and anthony. remember we thought anything that takes away from the economy will be good for the obama reelection team. that's because the economy is supposed to be the main issue voters care about. now the romney campaign is deciding to take the issue of medicare head on and yesterday look at this, romney pulled out a felt-tip marker and stood in front of a white board to explain why. >> which of these two do you think is better? going bankrupt or being solid? >> obviously solvent. >> fundraisers in south carolina yesterday, romney talked about medicare and giving the press koran impromptu lesson on his policies versus the president's. >> the differences could not be more stark and dramatic. as the seniors understand what the president's plan is doing to medicare, they'll find it unacceptable. >> both sides want a substantive conversation on medicare, an issue that's been called a political third rail. >> this is exactly what we want to talk about. the substantive issues that will be decided for t

. >> jan crawford is following the debate in washington. jan, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, gayle and anthony. the selection of paul ryan, who is speaking any minute now in ohio, was supposed to focus the race more on substance, remember? we talked about that. but in the last week what eave g we've gotten is just the opposite. it's joe biden who's taking it to a whole new level. >> romney said in the first 100 days he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. he's going to put you all back in chains. >> reporter: those remarks had the vice president on wednesday back on the defensive. >> i know i am sometimes criticizing for saying exactly what i mean. and it's not going to change. >> reporter: but it was no laughing matter to governor romney. appearing on "cbs this morning," he said biden's remarks were characteristic of the recent tone of the obama campaign. >> the president's campaign is all about division and attack and hatred. my campaign is about getting america back to work a

jan crawford is in madison, wisconsin. good morning to you, jan. >> good morning gayle and charlie. in 2008, president obama won wisconsin by 14 points. now the latest poll shows that huge advantage is gone. this swing state is up for grabs. >> i'm delighted that i got paul ryan to help me get that job done. >> romney has reason to be delighted. tapping ryan as his vp moved the needle and made the badger state a battleground. >> one in three wisconsin voters are more likely to support romney since he put ryan on his ticket. >> ryan is viewed more favorably here than vice president biden who had negative ratings in all three swing states we polled. since the announcement of ryan for vp in all those states, republican enthusiasm for the election is up. >> gop voters say they're more excited about voting than they were four years ago. by wide margins over democrats. 17 points in florida, 11 in ohio and 16 in wisconsin. >> massive changes in medicare. >> but voters aren't enthused about changes to medicare. by a two to one margin, voters favor keeping medicare as it is rather than a vou

. >> jan crawford is in st. augustine, florida, where governor romney will be campaigning later this morning. goodmorning, jan. >> good morning, anthony. romney, ryan hit two swing states yesterday, wisconsin. >> this one could decide it all. it was an emotional homecoming. the wisconsin congressman wiped away tears as thousands cheered him. now the republican nominee for vice president. >> my veins run with cheese, bratwurst and a little spot of miller. >> it wasn't just in wisconsin. at every stop the romney ryan team drew crowds. >> i guess you think i made the right decision, the right choice. [ applause ] >> yeah. i know i did. >> ryan's nomination refocused the race and it brought out a new energy in romney. he took aim at president obama. >> mr. president take your campaign out of the gutter and let's talk about the real issues. >> for his part, the president welcomed ryan to the race and then returned fire. >> my opponent and congressman ryan and their allies in congress, they all believe that if we just

jan crawford, of course, was here with me on the floor for both of those speeches. what did you think about it, jan? >> i thought obviously, there were two very different messages directed at different audiences but they both hit on trust and truth. ann romney says this is a man you can trust. i know him. he will not fail. chris christie said we all know the other side has filed failed and they're lying about it. we're telling you we can make america great again. >> his name is mitt romney and you should really get to know him. >> it was a personal introduction, mitt romney, father of five and husband of 43 years. >> i read somewhere that mitt and i have a storybook marriage. well, let me tell you something. in the storybooks i read, there never were long, long rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. and those story books never seemed to have a chapter called m.s. or breast cancer. what mitt romney and i have is a real marriage. [ applause ] >> she made a direct appeal to women. >> it's the moms who have always had to work a little harder

jan crawford is in arlington, virginia, this morning and joins us with the latest. good morning to you, jan. >> reporter: well, good morning gayle and charlie and good morning to everyone in the west. we are as you can see right across the river from washington, d.c. but we may as well be a world away here in virginia. think about this. in 2008, the president carried washington, d.c., by an 86-point spread. 86 points. but here in virginia, he won the state by six points, and our new poll out has romney making inroads into that margin. now what we are seeing is part of the fight for independence, and voters in the key swing states. romney is out with a new line of attack, and he is hitting the president hard on changes to welfare reform. >> if i'm president, i'll put work back in welfare. >> reporter: campaigning tuesday in the president's home state of illinois, romney went on the attack about a recent and little noticed presidential directive that eased traditional work requirements in the 1996 welfare reform act. the white house says the order gives states flexibil

jan crawford is there. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, gayle. good morning, jeff. listen, when you see these two together, it's clear that ryan helps romney feel more at ease, more relaxed. the campaign is bringing them back together for this town hall sooner than planned. over the weekend, ryan was out on his own in florida and he was taking head-on one of the issues that people thought would be his biggest liability. his plan to reform medicare. campaigning in florida, paul ryan brought along his mother. >> this is my mom betty. >> 78-year-old betty douglas. a florida resident and medicare recipient and made the point he wasn't ending medicare. >> when i think about medicare, it's not just a program. it's not just a bunch of numbers. it's what my mom relies on. it's what my grandma had. >> ryan emphasized that under romney's plan coverage wouldn't change for his mother or anyone else over 55. the obama campaign immediately attacked, saying republicans how the plan would work. about >> you would think they would avoid talking about medicare given the fact that bot

jan crawford is in ft. lauderdale this morning. >> reporter: well, here in florida, romney really did his best to keep his focus on the struggling economy. that's a major campaign theme, an issue he pretty much stayed away from and didn't get into any detail was medicare, as he tries to figure out how he's going to talk about how his plan is different from his running mate's. campaigning in the key state of florida, aside from a brief assurance, mitt romney barely mentioned what would affect people here more than any other place in the country. >> we want to make sure that we preserve and protect medicare. >> reporter: two days after announcing his new running mate in a campaign theme of making tough choices to save america's future, it's proving to be a tricky line for romney to walk. paul ryan so far isn't trying the same balancing act. in his very first speech as the vp nominee, he said this -- >> it is our duty to save the american dream for our children and theirs. >> reporter: ryan backs that up with

>> jan crawford, thank you. reins priebus is here. >> good morning charlie. >> where is governor rom i coming into this convention. he wants to be combative, at the same time he wants to simply say i am who i am. where is he sm. >> i think we need to do two things. this is where he's at. number one, we need to prosecute the president -- >> prosecute? >> on what he promised and what he delivered. we need to tell the american people and remind the american people that this is the president that said if we pass a trillion dollar stimulus, we would have unemployment. at this point below 6%. we've been above 8% for 42 months. we haven't seen this bad of an economy since the great depression. said he would cut the deficit in half. didn't do that. going to tackle the debt. didn't do that. we need to prosecute the president who seems to be in love with the sound of his own voice. but didn't falter in his promises. the next piece is we need to tell the mitt romney story. i think that's more of what you're going to see th

jan crawford has more on the speculation. >> good morning, charlie. there are two big questions that you're hearing right now in washington. when is romney going to make this vp announcement and who will it be? ? iowa it looked and sounded like another day on the campaign trail for mitt romney. >> this economy has been tough for a long time. >> but behind the politicking, romney is weighing what some say will be his most important decision as a candidate, selecting his running mate. on wednesday, ann romney added to the buzz, tweeting mitt's choice will be announced soon. earlier in the week, vp watchers wondered if they had gotten a clue. republicans started rolling out convention speakers and several, including former secretary of state condoleeza rice were rumored to be on the short list with the prime speaking slot still open. some wondered if the announced speakers didn't make the cut. romney quickly shut down the speculation. >> the fact that someone is speaking at the convention doesn't necessarily mean they would find their slot changed from o

. >> jan crawford is in newton, massachusetts, covering mitt romney's presidential campaign. jan, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. good morning to everyone in the west. ok. he can ask for forgiveness, and people can forgive him. but that doesn't mean they have to vote for him in november. and that's what republicans are worried about, and that's why you're seeing a full court press for him to step out of this race. >> i can't defend what he said. i can't defend him. and he needs to take these next 24 hours to spend time with himself, with his family, and conclude what's right for him and his family and also for the things he believes in for the country. >> romney and other party leaders suggested akin should step aside after the missouri senate candidate said this when asked if abortion should be legal for victims of rape. >> it seems to me, first of all from what i understand from doctors, that's really rare. if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. >> reporter: the reaction from republicans was unforgiving. lead

jan crawford is traveling with the romney campaign north of columbus in ohio. jan, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, rebecca. good morning, anthony. we're here for another rally this morning leading into the convention next week as the campaign tries to get past some of the distracting headlines over comments made by that missouri senate candidate todd akin when he was talking about rape and abortion. now, the campaign wants to focus on the economy, but yesterday in michigan, romney managed to create some distractions of his own. be back home to see this wonderful state. >> for romney and his wife ann, the political rally outside detroit also was a homecoming. >> mitt and i grew up here, we fell in love here and this is a special place for us and we want to have a big w next to michigan in november. >> but the familiar surroundings may have made romney too at ease when he joked about his own birth certificate. >> i love being home in this place where ann and i were raised. where both of us were born. ann was born at henry ford hospital, i was born