i will dabble in history and tell you about john kerry. as an example of somebody who's career in foreign policy is illustrative of a lot of what goes on in congress. what about it? is congress a positive influence on foreign policy? before answering that question we have to keep in mind that any influence congress has to rise to the constitution as the senator said, a political observer put it very well, quote, the making of a sound u.s. foreign policy depends on a vigorous legal deliberative and often combative process involving the executive and legislative branches. the founding fathers gave each brand exclusive and overlapping powers in overlapping policy. each one's comparative advantage as constitutional scholars put it to struggle for the privilege of directing foreign policy. let's be clear. for most of the nation's history and certainly in the modern era it hasn't been much of a struggle. the president has been the driver of foreign policy and has the vision and sets the agenda and the tone and appoints people to implement his vi

i was the chief of staff for john kerry from 2000 to 2008. he had been on the committee since 1984 and his father had been a diplomat on the foreign service. he served in vietnam but later became a critic of the war. in 1962 he asked how you ask a man to ask a man to become the last person to die for re mistake. foreign policy has always been his great passion. it is different to be the chairman of a committee and not one of the members. as a member, he had a few staffers who were responsible for covering the issues for them. you cannot be an expert on every issue. invariably, the focus on this -- personal experience can help a member find their issue. in the early 1990's he focused on the recognition and the transition and modernization issues related to vietnam, because he had previously chaired the pow investigation, and otherwise help the member find their issue. he was the senior democratic member on the asian subcommittee on the cambodian genocide tribunal. and the opportunity to lead on an important issue may help a leader emerge. in 1

. >>> it was a label john kerry couldn't overcome.idential candidates are trying to make the term flipflopper synonymous with mitt romney. but do they make great presidents. we have a historian here. allen, nice to see you. >> good to see you again. >> lets get to the flipflopping, whether abraham union, fdr out of foreign conflict. it may be bad politics, but does it make them bad presidential material. >> the label is certainly pejorative. but being flexible as a president absolutely essential to success. before his death he became the world's greatest advocate of peace. you have to have practical idealism he said. by that i mean, you do have to have a core. you have to have a certain core of values and if you don't have that, you're not going to be a great leader. but you also have to be able to adapt to changing circumstances. >> allen, let's go over the romney flipflops, whether abortion, gay rights, gun control, immigration. this has been an issue for him over two presidential campaigns. but will it be as bad for him as we saw w

john kerry overdoing howard dean thinking he would be a tougher candidate against president bush. >> and i think some of the volatility in the primary is contributing to something we're not seeing, which is when the field will clear out. >> nobody is dropping out. >> nobody's quitting even though we know they cannot compete. there's only three or four of them on the stage who will have the financial resources to actually compete. gwen: but if you're rick santorum, a couple of weeks ago, you were sitting in the men's room talking to herman cain and were complaining that no one invited you to debate. now cain is getting his moment. why drop out if you're rick santorum? >> i think that's what's driving this phenomena in this cycle. bachmann had her moment, perry had a moment. now cain has a moment. if you're rick santorum, you think, hey, i'm next. >> or jon huntsman. everybody can look and say there may be a path for me if things break the right way. gwen: i have to ask, where is michele bachmann now. she was a big deal a minute ago. >> she was and she is now, in our post-abc poll, she

just ask john kerry. >> conservatives are trying to the fellow republicans from selling on mitt romney. will have to explain how to explain his changing positions. shaping up race is thathe new allegations herman cain is facing. >> thank you for being here with us. to start with herman cain. story crossing today from some accusations about some advancesiate sexual that he might have made. allegation that were settlements when he was head of the national restaurant association with two women who had alleged some sort sexual impropriety, in a purpleperhaps gestures. that hisomething will have to answer for .nd has not yet this is something that was 1990's. history in the >> this was when he was head of the national restaurant association. this decision will not comment on it. >> i guess this is the sort of stuff that comes out when you're a front-runner. is a front-runner at least in outlatest poll that came in iowa.him on top right. he has been leading now for .hree weeks the interesting thing is not just on a national level, but now you see in the state of iowa, the all-important first

>> you mean john kerry?> i think that's a little unfair to john kerry. >> comparing him to mitt romney? >> yeah. >> i don't think so. >> but in a sense is that they always do this in the republican side, we don't usually do this. john kerry was the kind of anointed person. and he didn't get anointed. and then he finally did. he earned that -- actually, he earned that. he fought back from a really difficult time. >> well, mitt romney could possibly earn it, as well. >> mitt romney could more than possibly earn it. i'd still bet mitt romney would take the nomination. but this is a real problem for these guys to be in this -- >> let's move on from the republicans. >> we're only a couple of months from the first primary. >> it's amazing. but john kerry didn't surge until the last week or so. >> that's right. the last week. >> let's go to the general election. we want to go to a swing state. in '04 it was ohio, ohio, ohio. the president, the national polls creeping up to 46% in gall gallup, but look at the swing

when democrats were not enthusiastic about john kerry. rt candidate but they were also passionate about beating george w. bush. the question this time is can republicans stomach romney like democrats did kerry because they want to beat the white house so badly. romney folks have to hope so. >> of course, you know what happened in 2004. >> it was close, though. >> okay. wb ho, ohio, ohio, ohio. >> but for ohio. >> up next, what leverage does the u.s. have against iran? >>> plus, blackberries may have copa. >>> but first lady gaga getting her marilyn momenter is nating president clinton on the west coast last night as the secretary of state and chelsea looked on. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ inner voice ] establish connection. give me voice control. applications up. check my email and text messages. hands in position. airbags. ten of 'em. perfect. add blind spot monitor. 43 mpg, nice. dependability. yeah. activate dog. a bigger dog. [ male announcer ] introducing the reinvented 2012 toyota camry. it's ready. are you? ♪ come soups that you'll love getting to know

huge warning sign for him, the only way he wins this election is a model of the primaries where john kerry was the candidate people thought was more electable and howard dean was the heart candidate. mitt romney is the head candidate in the 2012 republican field. we don't really know if the heart candidate changed. it was michele bachmann, then rick perry, now herman cain. maybe it will stay herman cain, go back to rick perry, we don't know. what we know, mitt romney is never going to be the heart candidate. if electability as polls suggest is not top of mind concern for republicans in iowa and new hampshire choosing the nominee, it is a hard hurdle for mitt romney to clear. he's not going to be the guy they love. he has to be the guy they like and like a lot more than president obama. >> chuck todd, what are the warning signs for the president here in head to head say with mitt romney? >> i tell you this, when you look at the new hampshire numbers, we have seen anecdotally, new hampshire, a state that voted for john kerry and barack obama, 2004 and 2008, a state democrats thought was turn

that's what i think raised a lot of red flags to people. >> herman cain compared to john kerry.his is a serious set of mistakes by mr. cain. it could cause lasting dining in iowa where more than half of gop caucus goers are accept described evangelical conservatives who allow no wiggle room on abortion. >> harris: while that was a topic for herman cain, there was another one for michelle back hahn having to answer questions that maybe she put all her eggs in the iowa basket and maybe having a problem in new hampshire? >> she makes no bones with that. it has caused big upheaval in the granite state. her campaign in new hampshire has basically been stripped to the bone so that she can beef up in iowa. she has had five staffers contracted on an as needed basis in the granite stood. today her campaign manager said he and three others have stepped down. earlier today when the story broke, bachman denied all the reports and caused them irresponsible. that prompted the campaign manager to publicly confirm it. bachman lost her top strategist and pollster is now part-time. she's no longe

as you remember president obama was criticized for those military efforts, senator john kerry sayinghis is one more validation that those nato led military efforts were in fact worth it. but the white house not chiming in just yet because the bar much higher. they want to make sure they have 100% confirmation before they come out and speak about this. >> of course we have the white house briefing coming up. you'll be watching all of that. kristen welker, getting reaction, no doubt positive at the moment based on the reports. waiting for the confirmation for us. >>> republican presidential candidates are weighing in as kristen was indicating as well as other elected officials. these on the reports that gadhafi has been killed. here's some of them. former massachusetts governor mitt romney saying it's about time gadhafi, a terrible tie rant, that killed his own people and murdered americans and others in the tragedy in lockerbie, the world is a better place with gadhafi gone. there's texas governor rick perry released a statement, the death of moammar gadhafi is good news for the peopl

as you know, senator it john kerry served in vietnam and later became a critic. in 1972, he testified before the foreign relations committee where he asks, how you ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake? and i have seen the senator dive into a number of issues. but foreign policy was his great passion. at the risk of stating the obvious, it is very very different to be the chairman and not just one of its members. as a member of the committee, senator john kerry had one, two, two and have staffers responsible for covering issues. and you cannot be an expert on every issue. there is not enough time in the day. so you distinguish yourself up by focusing on a niche or two. this goes to what senator john sununu was talking about. personal experience can help a person find his or her issue. in the 1990's, senator kerry focused heavily on the recognition, transition, modernization issues related to vietnam because he had served there. and because he had previously shared the p.o.w. investigation in the senate. subcommittee work can help a member find their issue

. >> senator john kerry just released a statement on the part of gadhafi. end of his reign of terror and the promise of a new libya. the united states demonstrated clear-eyed leadership, patience, and foresight, by pushing the international community into action after gadhafi promiseded a massacre. stay with us. we're going to have much more ahead on msnbc. we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may

. >> the white house talks about mitt romney the way george bush's white house talked about john kerry. perry is trickier. chris: with the independent voters say i'm back and forth on some issues. >> chris, i think, assuming the economy doesn't turn up significantly, people are going to be looking for the person who is going to be a smart, strong leader, who understands economics and can fix things. that is the sweet spot for mitt romney and it does strike me that sincere, insincere, if he gets that going, it's powerful. chris: even if you don't love him. >> you don't have to love the guy that's the c.e.o. of the country. chris: everybody thought he was tricky and ruthless enough, richard nixon, to pull us out of vietnam. >> no one loves him. >> if republicans aren't in love with mitt romney and he becomes the nominee, will they turn out? and i would argue they will it's all about how much they don't like obama. that will be the motivator. chris: going around the table starting with your thought. can he make himself, to use a phrase from the last campaign, likeable enough? >> he is so

mitt romney's become the real-life version of the cartoon that republicans created in the image of john kerry. remember that one? romney's latest 180 on legislation in ohio may have set a land speed record for policy reversals. but it's been the only latest example of romney's tendency to sell whoever he's talking to what he thinks they want to hear. romney flip-flopping has even allowed the perry and obama campaigns to find common ground -- exposing mitt. >>> also, how bad has rick perry been in the gop debates? this bad, so bad he's in single digits and he might adopt his texas strategy of avoiding debates. can you get nominated if you're scared to debate? if you duck mitt, can you beat barack? we'll ask the "hardball" strategist that one tonight. >>> plus, there's an anti-abortion vote up for debate in mississippi that would declare a fertilized human egg to be a person. opponents hope a victory for the personhood amendment in mississippi will lead to similar laws in other states. we'll hear from both sides. >>> and which candidate's staff put out this memo about the candidate, do not spea

they want to make mitt romney into the john kerry of 2004. george w.h in 2004 had a huge advantage as strong and decisive leader. when we made an argument against john kerry, that he was a flip flopper, we had a huge advantage. right now, barack obama has dropped dramatically as a leader. obama has risen on internags til but if it turns domestic -- >> he lost a lot of democrats when he came across as being too bipartisan in his approach. i believe at the end of the day, those democrats will come back and independents and more others -- >> his biggest problem isn't democrats it's independents. >> absolutely. when you talk about his leadership, not only in foreign policy, even on the economy, democrats give, the country give him 15% point advantage over the republicans on the economy. president obama, i think, overall, will win. i don't know if it will be romney, perry or cain. but he'll win the election. >> well, if he wins with a 42% job approval rating that will be the first time in the history of the country that happened. >> thank you very much inde

he can show he is for activism but he can't run the al gore-john kerry campaign because the electorate, even from those days, is much more conservative. >> woodruff: you think that's what he's doing? >> i think they overestimate two things, the degree of his political skill, that he can just win this thing out by sheer charisma. i think his staff overestimates that. and second, i think they overestimate their ability to distinguish themselves from the straight liberal. they think, oh, we've tackled medicare. we've tackled a lot of things that made the base unhappy. the country, a lot of independent voters do not see this. his approval rating among independents, even true independents, is 38%. that's a terrible problem for him. >> i disagree with david. i think this is not a liberal-conservative. i think it's basically a case of where you stand, on whose side are you. and there's no question right now, we've just seen the unveiling of the tax plans on the republican side. all of which show a tilt to basic-- basically to those already well off. and the president, only place where there's

barack obama and john kerry won with 38%. absurd to me especially given the media attention if he got us this far ahead he should invest some time and effort. >> you don't think he should count on remaining that way. >> and you don't think he should count on that remaining that? >> absolutely not. we are a long way out and iowans will make up their mind in due time. >> they have the position to say court us or else, right, jennifer? >> yeah. i think they're getting itchy to rally behind someone. there is a growing awareness that if they split amongst anybody but romney crowd they're just going to hand the nomination to romney. so they want to be excited and in love with one candidate so they can really get behind somebody and kind of put an end to this kind of question mark. they want to pick somebody. time is running out. just ten weeks away from the caucuses. >> thanks so much to both of you. now we know why they all fight to move the date up. everybody wants to be the one that has to be romanced. >>> up next, an oil well b

barack obama and john kerry won with 38%.d to me especially given the media attention if he got us this far ahead he should invest some time and effort. >> you don't think he should count on remaining that way. >> and you don't think he should count on that remaining that? >> absolutely not. we are a long way out and iowans will make up their mind in due time. >> they have the position to say court us or else, right, jennifer? >> yeah. i think they're getting itchy to rally behind someone. there is a growing awareness that if they split amongst anybody but romney crowd they're just going to hand the nomination to romney. so they want to be excited and in love with one candidate so they can really get behind somebody and kind of put an end to this kind of question mark. they want to pick somebody. time is running out. just ten weeks away from the caucuses. >> thanks so much to both of you. now we know why they all fight to move the date up. everybody wants to be the one that has to be romanced. >>> up next, an oil well burning

john kerry eventually became the democratic nominee. lot of people did not think he was liberal enough for the democratic party. so, you know, with all due respect, this is the primary process that happens on both sides, every republican nominee runs to the right. and every democratic nominee runs to the left in the primary field. >> it doesn't always work out that way, though. john mccain won the nomination last time, even though he wasn't as socially conservative as mike huckabee. and as you noted, john kerry was not as liberal as howard dean. so we'll see what happens when mitt romney this time. but if you run too far to either side, whether it's to the left or to the right, you run the risk of defining yourself. and we see now mitt romney, who ran in massachusetts, and now is running in the republican -- is all tied into a pretzel on all these issues, because he's gone back and forth. and then to placate whoever he is running for at that point in time. you know, he's trying to be more kfb active now. he runs the risk of not just bei

go to work to which i don't think john. kerry does this because you see it puts it out of get out of the out of this is that out of it it took it out of david all of this out of this this is what this is this is eyes and. this is not going to sign this bill does. not come. over you know i'm. not out of are going to. take up by. stating that this sampler is teach their children to hate arabs. because i have not been a bully bring to market with these hatred to the desert in the first words they see me plus well what arabs. even if it is clear that they attacked us so well and to prove it and so would bring along photos and videos saying what to show that they attacked us and came on to own land to unite in the end it's always all fall to them with iran and we had it only runs the rest. of the guys down the stairs out throwing stones still there. and you see this isn't the god of the morning sun always about the government was thirty three percent close this is because the guys how to sell stuff that goes out of their bed taxes thr

. >> one exception to the shields glandularity faces -- john kerry, i do not know if there were people going hormonal over him. but he lost. but on the republican side that is the story. romney is the man who wants to be the last man standing in he is the one i think in the end will be considered acceptable -- just conservative enough. but it is early. so, if you are energized as republicans are over obama, you don't want to settle early on conservative enough. you want somebody who is really conservative. that is why you have the rotating dates -- bachmann, perry. >> speed dating on the republican side. >> president obama appeals for public support. >> i am dealing with a majority leader who says his number one goal was to beat me. not to put americans back to work, not grow the economy, not help small businesses expand, but to defeat me. >> that is the president defending why he is appealing directly to the public to support his jobs plan. the plan is going to be paid for by increasing taxes on the wealthy. how you think the republicans would react to the idea? then i assume he thoug

john kerry in the 2004 democratic race overtook howard dean in large part, i think, because people felt in the end he would be a tougher general election candidate against president bush. >> and i think that some of the volatility in that primary is contributing to something we're not seeing, which we typically do around the third quarter fund-raising figures, and that's when the field will clear out. gwen: nobody's dropping out. >> nobody's quitting even though we know they cannot compete. there's only maybe three or four of them on the stage who will have the financial resources to actually compete. gwen: but if you're rick santorum, a couple of weeks ago, you were sitting in the men's room talking to herman cain, both complaining that no one called on you in the debates. now herman cain is getting his moment. why drop out if you're rick santorum? >> i think that's exactly what's driving the phenomena in this cycle. and that is that bachmann had her moment, perry had a moment, now cain has a moment. if you're rick santorum, think, hey, i'm next. >> or gingrich or jon huntsman. look an

just ask john kerry. who was for something before he was against something. >> reporter: conservatives are trying to keep fellow republicans from settling on romney. if he is the nominee, republicans have got to figure out a way to explain his changing positions. as one opponent said romney is a well lubricated weather vane. david kerley, abc news. >>> a california man lucky to be alive this morning after an attack by a shark possibly a great white. the man was surfing with a friend in monterey early saturday morning when the shark first took a bite out of his surfboard then bit him in the neck and arm. >> came down on the top of the wave. just saw him screaming shark, shark, shark. and at that point, i didn't know what was going on. >> he got the victim to shore where surfers used towels as tourniquets until paramedics arrived. doctors say the bites just missed his jugular vein. beaches close ford swimming for seven days. >> lucky guy. wildlife experts have killed a 16-foot burmese python in the florida