with us today, michael duffy, "time" magazine, cnn's gloria borger, nbc's kelly o'donnell and "the washington post's" david ignatius. first up, with two months before voting starts, where's the excitement over the guy who looks like the nominee. see if you detect resignation on the conservative side. >> the conventional wisdom is that romney has the lead and he's the presumptive nominee. >> i would be very, very surprised right now, almost if romney didn't get the nomination. am i being naive here or foolish? >> i think if you had to bet the house on that, you'd win big. chris: this week's associated press poll has romney at 30% but herman cain and rick perry have 39%. it looks like they don't have a thrill up their leg about this guy. they're not excited about this guy, nobody is on the right. but he looks like he's creeping up to inevitability. this may be the one year when likability doesn't matter. with housing starts slowing and unemployment still above 9%, consumer confidence worse than it was when reagan took on carter in 1980. with those forces in place, likability has nothing to do t

our report tonight from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> hello there. how are you? anita. >> reporter: a public display of the private side of anita perry today, exposing both her deep christian faith. >> amen. >> reporter: and deep frustration over attacks on her husband's campaign. >> we have been brutalized by our opponents in our own party. so much of that is i think they look at him because of his faith. >> reporter: at a prayer breakfast in south carolina where 60% of republican voters say they are christian, today mrs. perry wiped tears recalling her grandfather who had been a deakin and then used biblical references to declare god revealed to her that her husband of 29 years should run for president. >> he felt like he needed to see the burning bush. i said, look, let me tell you something. you may not see that burning bush, but there are people seeing that burning bush for you. >> reporter: governor perry's campaign soared at first but faded after poor debate performances. >> i think the debates have been unfair. i think he's been the recipient of arrows. >

>> kelly o'donnell in our d.c. newsroom tonight, thanks. there will be much more on herman cain and his economic plan this sunday when he sits down as david gregory's guest sunday on "meet the press." >>> we knew president george h.w. bush 41 was a clint eastwood fan. he's as well remembered for that "read my lips" quote as eastwood himself, but what we didn't know until today was the bush team, at least briefly, considered clint eastwood for v.p., before choosing dan quayle instead. this info has been found in an oral history recording of james baker. in it baker says eastwood's name was thrown out at a meeting when bush was 18 points down. eastwood was a republican mayor of carmel, california. baker says the idea as he put it was "shot down pretty quick." >>> tough economic times for city and state governments are ushering in budget cuts in places no one would have expected just a few years back. beyond laying off teachers, firefighters and other city workers, some communities really are going to extremes. our report tonight from nbc's ke

here's nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> how are you? >> reporter: a public display of the private side of anita perry today. exposing both her deep christian faith. >> like amen. >> amen. >> reporter: and deep frustration over a attacks on her husband's campaign. >> we've been brutalized by our opponents and our party, so much of that is i think they look at him because of his faith. >> reporter: at a prayer breakfast in south carolina where 60% of republican voters say they are christian, today mrs. perry wiped tears recalling her grandfather who had been a decon then used biblical references to declare god revealed to her that her husband of 29 years should run for president. >> he felt like he needed to see the burning bush. i said, look, let me tell you something, you may not see that burning bush, but there are people that have seen that burning bush for you. >> reporter: governor perry's campaign soared at first but faded after poor debate performances. >> i think the debates have been unfair. i think he's been the recipient of ar

that story tonight from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: this republican field is so unsettled and uncertain that two of the ultimate campaign advisers emerged this week. wives of the gop front runners. in iowa, anita perry, the texas first lady, launched a hard sell for her husband of 29 years. >> i think he's the only one that can go toe to toe with obama. >> reporter: in south carolina, ann romney dropped off required paperwork -- >> thrilled, mitt and i are, to be able to file these papers and make it official. >> reporter: -- and really put down her own marker. >> knowing how defensive i am about my husband i'm a she-lion. when it comes to people attacking him, you better look out. i get very upset if he's being misrepresented. >> reporter: they may start off with those photo op moments, hoping to project an image. but their real value is to counter harsh criticism like no one else can. ann, mother of 5 sons, grandmother of 16, tries to reflect a warmer, softer side of the usually all-business mitt romney. like recalling her own battle with multiple sclerosis. >> he would put

kelly o'donnell covering for us tonight. kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this is a political moment gone viral. clips from governor perry's speech are getting noticed because the governor appeared very loose, animated, in ways we don't often see. so here's a glimpse of that. >> and this is such a cool state. i mean, come on. live free or die? i mean, you know? you got to love that, right? gold is good. if you've got any in the backyard. because, you know. if they print any more money over there in washington, the gold's going to be good. that, 20% flat tax, put it on there, take your deductions off, send it in. >> reporter: i spoke to senior perry aides to get their take and they said the governor was just being relaxed, engaging, having fun with an audience of about 400 conservatives. perry's camp also claims that condensed clips have been "manipulated by left-wing organizations." and brian, this may be one of those instances where the candidate plays to the crowd inside the room. this happened about 9:00 at night. but later when the tape is seen far and

kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington. >>> we have a health story in the news tonight. an update on the outbreak of the deadly bacteria linked to cantaloupe. two more people have died bringing the death toll to 23 now making this officially the worst case of food-borne illness in 25 years in this country. 116 people in 25 states have gotten sick. health officials say it can take months for symptoms to appear. they say people could have been eating the bad products as far back as july and not know it. >>> up next on "nightly news" tonight, an iconic american brand fighting to stay alive as the focus of the nation changes. >>> and later a commoner who's now a queen after a royal wedding in a place none of us really ever get to see. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills fo

tonight, nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on the man of the moment. >> reporter: with his folksy, never been a politician appeal, herman cain has caught fire. >> a lot of people are taking a second look and they are saying, maybe this long shot is not such a long shot. >> reporter: at 65, cain sells his self-made success and personal story. son of a chauffeur and a maid, colon cancer survivor. >> i had a 30% chance of survival. >> reporter: cain climbed the corporate ladder at burger king and then became ceo of the godfather's pizza chain. >> i have actually made hambu hamburgers and pizza and had to sell them and hire crew members. >> reporter: one simple catch phrase -- >> which is 9, 9, 9. >> reporter: repeated countless times helped him get noticed. >> my top priority is 9, 9, 9. [ applause ] >> jobs, jobs, jobs. >> reporter: cain wants to set a 9% tax rate for individuals, corporations and a new national sales tax. critics say taxing everyday purchases would unfairly burden modest income families. cain counters that it would lower your overall tax bill. >> the 9, 9, 9 plan replaces

kelly o'donnell, washington. >> a military investigation has found no major mistakes were made in the august operation in afghanistan that ended with a chinook twin rotor helicopter being shot down killing 30 americans including 22 navy seals. no disciplinary action is being taken against anyone involved. one military official called it a standard mission during which a bad guy got off a lucky shot hitting the tail rotor with an rpg. today's report won't be enough for some who thought the chinook full of american personnel needed more force protection around it and was exposed and open to enemy fire. >>> there is more fallout from the government's stunning claim yesterday that iran was behind a terrorist plot to kill the saudi ambassador in washington. iran pushed back claiming america fabricated the entire plot to distract attention from its own problems including the protests on wall street now and around this country which iran said could bring down capitalism. the biggest terrorism case since the 9/11 attacks came to an abrupt end when the so-called underwear bomber who tried to b

tonight, nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on the man of the moment. >> reporter: with his folksy, never been a politician appeal, herman cain has caught fire. >> a lot of people are taking a second look and they are saying, maybe this long shot is not such a long shot. >> reporter: at 65, cain sells his self-made success and personal story. son of a chauffeur and a maid, colon cancer survivor. 're going to tax those evil we're going to tax those evil rich people more and more and more and more and more and more! >> reporter: critics claim he's running a vanity campaign, spending more time on his book tour than the trail. many say cain is not a serious contender. >> it requires an army of troops out there across the country and i don't think there is any evidence that herman cain has any of those yet. >> reporter: from pizza executive to top tier candidate. for now, cain's stock is on the rise. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington.ll >> a military investigation has found no major mistakes were made in the august operation in afghanistan that ended with a chinook twin rotor helicopter be

. >> nbc's correspondent kelly o'donnell joins us with more. why the push now? >> republicans say that this is one of their promises in their pledge to america, which was their list of to dos, if they were to retake power in the house. they have done that. so this is kind of finding its time to bring this piece, which would undo some in the president's law. it was in the exact issue that derailed it when it was being passed in the first place. so it is one of the social issues being revisited when there's a break in the other action. house republicans can pass this. they have enough votes. it can't go anywhere in the senate. what you heard from gwen moore is some of the democratic opposition. they make the basic argument that federal money, even if it's two or three steps removed, should not be used to pay for abortions. the laws prevent federal money from paying for abortion. this is another way to get at the issue. it's had some support from catholic lobbying groups that wanted catholic hospitals to refuse abortion services. lots of details in the bill that wo

kelly o'donnell is joining us. good afternoon to you. first is the jobs bill as it is now constructed is it officially dead in. >> even the white house will acknowledge it is going nowhere that the death nail was put in it last night when the senate had most democrats but all and couldn't get tot the next phase. there is a plan b. the way the president laid it out with many parts to it, a total price tag in the $450 billion range. now the democrats in the senate will try to break out certain pieces one policy at a time. and republicans will get bind that as well by breaking it down and debating specific parts there can be areas like the payroll tax and perhaps changes in regulation or taxes or there would be common ground in changing taxes not raising them but changing the formula. now it is many plans not just one. >> what about the infrastructure component? >> there are republicans who can get behind that as well. but how do you pay for these things? when it was in a giant package, the president put forth an idea about raising taxes to

kelly o'donnell joins us live from washington.ll part of an investigation of the government funding of solyndra. the question might be here will they actually be able to get the e-mails? >> there is always tension between capitol hill and the white house when investigations are involved. with the house being run by republicans now, they are in charge of oversight. there is attention there. committees involved sent letters to secretary to the department of energy, asking for more. saying they are not satisfied with the amount of documentation turned over so far. they want to get to the bottom of who knew what when. the classic washington question about the loan program that gave a half billion of taxpayer money to the solyndra company and went bankruptcy. there is a lot of discomfort and certainly about who is responsible and what we have seen just this week is that the head of the loan program working for the department of energy, jonathan silver resigned. the president has full confidence, but this is not over. it's a back and fo

kelly o'donnell?less scale this follows but come follow me on twitter @kellyo. she had a fake twitter account that somebody was using. >> flattery, they say. >> that's it for this edition of "the daily rundown." tomorrow, we will be debuting new poll numbers from florida and south carolina, two critical primary states coming up next, chris jansen and company and at 1:00, jon huntsman, the man who has become a new hampshire resident. temperatures very warm back in atlanta. 97 in phoenix. ♪ ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. new splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweetener with b vitamins, the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart new ways to sweeten. same great taste. new splenda® essentials™. ♪ let's go ♪ ♪ cruise like a norwegian ♪ the two trains and a bus rider. the "i'

we want to go live to capitol hill where kelly o'donnell has been looking into this. what does this bill propose? >> the big background is that house republicans have promised their colleagues and members and voters that they would do whatever they could to make sure there were no attempts to use federal money in any way connected with abortion. that's the background. it's a campaign promise, if you will. this specific bill would make it illegal for women who would receive a subsidy under the obama health care law to pay for insurance. that that insurance could not be able to cover abortion. you have to connect some dots here. it would be federal money given to you to buy insurance. but that insurance policy could not cover abortion. that's the outline of it. there are certainly enough votes among house republicans to pass it, but it's more of one of those political statement votes important to their voters and important to keeping that promise they made. but as you know, this wouldn't go anywhere in the senate. it's not the hot-button issue of jobs. but we have seen

i'm joined by correspondent kelly o'donnell. kell, good morning. what are we expecting tomorrow? >> we know the senate won't work as fast as the netflix lady at the speed of light there, but what they want to do is give the opportunity to bring the president's jobs bill to the floor for debate, but it's not one the president wanted to outline himself in the big address to congress. democrats in the senate have been very reluctant, a number of them to go forward with it and they've done their own retooling and theya added the millionaire surtax and that's 5.6% on top of earnings above $1 million and that will be able to do what at least democrats think can be a more sellable way to pay for the president's jobs plan, bringing in enough revenue to cover the cost of the program. the problem is how do you get even a few republicans to go along and that's where democrats will have a roadblock. there was a friction between senate democrats and the white house over how to pay for this plan to begin with. >> last week there was a big to-do over trying to get a vote on the original plan. t

nbc's kelly o'donnell live on capitol hill. where does it go from here? >> well, the political reality, chris, is it probably doesn't go anywhere because although it passed in the house with all republicans supporting it. actually 11 went along with it as well. the bulk of the democrats were in strong opposition. but the practice is they woemgt take this up. they say if it ever were to reach his desk he would veto it. it amounted to an important political statement for conservatives who believe that the new health care law when it is fully in place would leave open a door to the potential for federal money being given to individuals to then buy health insurance. if you trace the line, that could mean federal tax dollars could be used to pay for abortion services. they want to clees that gap, although there's ott parts of the federal law that says you can't use tax money for abortion. they felt the expectative order, kind of a side letter when the bill was originally signed, isn't strong enough. it was extremely emotional testimony. speeches being gimp bot

. >> nbc's kelly o'donnell joins us now from capitol hill. well, first of all, according to the senate democrats today, the president is not going to get the plan that he initially submitted in terms of paying for it. they've come up with their own version, according to harry reid, and i guess, chuck schumer. >> reporter: well, we've been listening to the president, andrea, for almost a month, talking about his plan, selling it hard, insisting, demanding that congress pass his bill. the trouble is, democrats here do not like the bill in its entirety. we know republicans have a lot they don't like about it. so one of the big ideas that came out today is majority leader harry reid, who controls the calendar, what gets on the floor, what comes up for a vote says that there needs to be a different way to pay for the programs in the president's bill, the idea he has for stimulating the economy, creating jobs. the president's idea was higher taxes on a broader ranger of earners, and democrats in the senate say they cannot get enough votes to suppor

. >> nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell joins us now. so, kelly, when can we expect a vote? >> reporter: well, senate aides are telling us, chris that we should see this happen at about 6:15 tonight, and there may be a lot of drama around it, but it appears democrats don't have the votes, but they've got to take this important step to get to that next phase that senator chuck schumer was just talking about. but interestingly, chris, house republicans are saying that that is the idea that they were putting forward just weeks ago, meaning taking the president's jobs bill, breaking it into pieces, and voting on each of those various things that they might find agreement on, instead of doing a big, sweeping package. so, today, house republican aides are saying that senate democrats are just pretending to be fighting republican intransigents, when they say they've been wanting to break it into parts all along. so, both sides are trying to get the upper hand on this. jobs will be the big discussion, but how they get anything done is really the

>> nbc's kelly o'donnell. great to see you this morning. thank you. >>> we're following developing news out of the white house. just minutes from now president obama will speak at the american latino heritage foundation. it honors latinos who have helped shape history. it's an effort to shore up president obama's support within the latino community. in recent months the president has seen his support dropping some 20 points since the last election. i'm joined by los angeles mayor antonio villaraigosa. sir, it's nice to see you today. the latino community has been hard hit by this recession, the unemployment within the latino community at 11%. that's two points higher than the national average. now the president's jobs bill not going to pass in one piece. do you think the president has spent enough time focusing on the help needed for the hurting latino communities? >> i do. remember, he doesn't have a vote in the congress, and you heard the vice president say how hard he's worked, and i know that as well because the mayors across the countr

. >> kelly o'donnell is nbc news capitol hill correspondent. you know, every time we've talked about something that's happened in the senate between reid and mcconnell, we say, boy, this is the new low point in the history of the united states senate. new low point, huh? >> reporter: well, this was really one of those gasp-worthy moments, because this happened into the evening last night after dinner, after most people had kind of called it a day, and there was this protracted fight. that was just a moment of it, where you had members of the senate who rarely get up and talk on the floor who were each participating in this, and it really is important because both sides say they revere the rules of the senate. why is that so important? because everybody likes to have a predictable set of rules to fight out these political battles. and what happened is, harry reid, democrat in charge of the senate, pulled a surprise move, got other democrats to vote against the call of the referee, if you will, known as the parliamentarian, to shut down republica

kelli o'donnell reports. >> reporter: rarely do two simple words cause an uproar. >> thank god. >> reporters that a snappy comeback or insult from republican senator scott brown aimed at harvard professor elizabeth warren. it all goes back to this. in 1982, brown bared it all for "koz poll tan" magazine. >> you were a cosmo guy. i'll never confess. >> reporter: a photo that won't ever go away. that nude center fold was mentioned in a question to warren. >> scott brown posed for "cosmo," how did you pay for your college education? >> i kept my clothes on. >> reporter: brown's campaign says warren's answer was offensive and an insult. on a boston radio show, the senator jabbed back. >> have you officially responded to her comment about how she didn't take her clothes off. >> thank god. >> reporter: some said brown's comment was more suited to a frat house and a dig at warren's appearance. a race, getting personal. >> i'm not sure her remark was entirely innocent. there's a towel snapping quality to scott brown's campaign. >> reporter: the upset victory to succeed ted kennedy stunned democrats

kelly o'donnell said one of nine interrupted the hearing and what we were seeing with anger there. order of business according to the "washington post" article will be assuring the government so we do not see another situation where there is a showdown over a shut down. >> they have been motivated by deadlines and we have seen that with different crisis that pops up with a deadline that takes everything to the brink or perception it's headed to the brink. that's one thing that members want to do is take that off the table. the threat of a shut down. having additional time to work it out. the super committee has a smaller deadline when i talk to members on the committee who say they believe this week is crucial to get some pieces of this plan committed to the congressional budget office. they heard that as well when he spoke to them. they need time to score it in the washington way it works. the ultimating this and christmas deadlines. this is the key time. there have been meetings behind the scenes and a few public that invite protest or scrutiny and a lot of shuffling getting some

kelly o'donnell, thank you very much. >> thank you, kelly!jamas. will, where are you? >> we have a big show ahead, including this man, alabama class of 1975, u.s. open champion, won at age 22. do my commodores have any chance, jerry? >> no, not a chance. >> you didn't have to think too hard about that one. >> no, i didn't. in fact, they don't have a chance most of the time, but -- >> you know what, jerry, maybe we won't have you on after all. we'll talk to jerry in just a minute. and i've got to tell you, i found two vanderbilt fans in the sea of crimson. is...competency. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. i'm getting an upgrade. [ male announcer ] as you wish, business pro. as you wish. go national. go like a pro. now through january earn a free day with every two rentals. find out more at nationalcar.com. ♪♪ [ female announcer ] the road is not exactly a place of intelligence. highway maintenance is under

>> kelly o'donnell, thank you very much. >>> texas governor rick perry joins us now. governor perry, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, matt, how are you? >> doing fine, thanks. we have a lot to talk about. back in august youÑi jumped int the race. immediately you had 38% of support from likely primary voters. today that support is at 16%, according to the latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll. what happened? >> polls are going to go up and down. it's going to be a long race so i don't worry too much about polls. i know a lot of people obsess with them and watch with them and talk about them. i'm more worried about the people out there who don't have a job in america. that's why i'm in pittsburgh today laying out a jobs plan that clearly shows within 100 days when i'm the president of the united states, without having to deal with congress, opening up the federal lands and waters, pulling back those regulations that are killing jobs, and rebuilding the epa, we can do that and get 1.2 million people working. that's what americans are concerned about.

. >> turner spoke with nbc's kelly o'donnell about the night connor died. >> what were you trying toing any resuscitative efforts? >> the fact that those in attendance observing the baby were uncomfort in a situation which it appeared as though the baby still had life, and in order to placate them i needed to prove everybody that this was a futile situation. >> looking back now with hindsight, do you believe it was wrong to cover the baby's nose and mouth? >> i certainly don't believe it was wrong. i think it was -- again, a judgement based on all of the extenuating circumstances that were extent on that snowy evening. period. >> connor's patients still believe it was a judgement dr. turner had no right to make. >> it warrant his choice to make. it was ours. we would never have allowed him to do that. >> because the mcnerney's believe connor's gasping was a second chance at life. >> it's a miracle. >> under these circumstances there are no such things as a miracle. >> prosecutors consulted medical experts who believed connor's condition was irreversible. dr. turner's lawyer says the

kelly o'donnell. thanks very much. >>> violence erupted over the weekend in cairo as forces and christians angered by a church attack on the streets of cairo. >> egyptian security is out in force and is bracing for yet more rioting in the break of the worst violence there since some eight months ago. >> reporter: it began as a peaceful demonstration. a group of christians protesting in southern egypt. then more protesters joined in. and christian muslim tensions soon snapped. battle lines quickly formed between riot police and those angry with the slow pace of change. and that turned to chaos. arm armed men described as thugs and christians and muslims fighting each other. it went to the site of the flagging revolution. at least one armored vehicle plowed into a crowd sending bodies flying. by the time the police imposed a curfew overnight, more than 20 were dead. it morphed into an explosion of anger against a military regime many egyptians say is in no hurry to give up power. i call on the egyptian

nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has the details on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. not every senate race gets this kind of national attention but consider that scott brown has often been named the most popular elected official in massachusetts, according to polls, so it was only a matter of time before that centerfold from way back when would become an issue and a punchline in 2012. well, it started, the insults have begun in massachusetts. rarely do two simple words cause such an uproar. >> thank god. >> reporter: was that just a snappy comeback or a personal insult from republican senator scott brown aimed as potential democratic challenger elizabeth warren. it all goes back to this in 1982 brown bared it all for cosmopolitan magazine. he said he needed the money for tuition. you were a cosmo guy. i'll never confess, a photo that won't ever go away. this week in a democrat's debate that nude centerfold was mentioned in a question to warren. >> to help pay for his law school education, scott brown posed for "cosmo." ho

we'll talk to governor perry in a moment, but first nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has the latest on the race and how governor perry's wife is coming to his defense. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. we've seen the revolving top spot in the republican field has been so volatile it shows us the nature of this race, and no doubt that puts a strain on all of the candidates and their families. what is striking is that governor perry's wife, anita, is talking publicly about the hurt feelings and claims even their christian faith has been a political target. >> hello there. how are you? >> reporter: campaigning in south carolina thursday, anita perry let down her guard. >> it's been a rough month. i don't have to tell you. we have been brutalized and eaten up and chewed up in the press to where, i mean -- >> reporter: it was a gathering of devout christians. she joined in prayer and explained in new detail how god spoke to her first about governor perry getting in the race. >> there was a nagging, pulling at my heart for him to run for president.