senator lemieux is in figuring out who he wants to endorse in the governor's race, charlie crist or marco rubio. the interesting thing issing if charlie crist decides to make an independent bid, senator lemieux is going to have a hard time justifying endorsing them and they expect he will stick with the party winner who might be marco rubio. >> let's explain quickly, george lemieux was charlie crist's chief of staff when charlie was governor and then he appointed lemieux to be u.s. senator and everybody in florida politics knew that lemieux was a place holder for charlie crist but now things have taken an interesting turn. >> as you point out, lemieux and crist are long-time friends. crist is sort of a meant tore to him. for lemieux not to back him is sort of a personal slight. if lemieux wants a long-term future in the republican party in florida, what he has to back marco rubio.

. >>> when we come back, charles crist may go independent in a battle with marco rubio.nt worried? >> lindsay lohan out of cash and wracking up $600,000 in credit card debt. why dave ramsey is not surprised. [ man ] ladies and gentlemen, the 57th prident of the united states. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ bell rings ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nati's fastest 3g network. this mother's day, get 50% off all messaging phones after mail-in rebate, like the pantech reveal, only from at&t. >> neil: in florida it's looking more likely charles crist is about to dump the grand olde party. >> i'm listening to people and advice because that's the smart thing to do. i want to do what's right for the people first and i'm looking at this through that lens. >> crist signaling he may go independent in this fight with marco rubio. it comes as a survey finds independents outnumber democrats an republicans in nine states. thanks in part to the tea party movement. florida not one of them yet. but does this spell trouble for the g.o.p.? with us, senator jim demint, an early rubio backer. if this comes to pass

marco rubio signed the papers that officially make him a candidate. still no word on whether charlie crist will stay in the primary or run as an ind pend. rubio stepped into this controversy we're talking about arizona's immigration law. >> the law has a potential unintended consequences. it's one of the reasons why i think immigration needs to be a federal issue, not a state one.

and marco rubio is somebody who can win a primary. as we sit here tonight, the question on the education bill, there was an awful lot of editorial on the education bill in florida, it was too much of a concentration-- absolutely no consultation with school boards or any local. and it was concentrating all the power... whether that was the decision that grove charlie crist-- because even though people who agreeed with his veto questioned his motives, whether in fact he did it. so i think that there's one question, we've seen an enormous change in the political landscape. ... it might make the republican primary in florida-- or any other state-- a referendum on who is closer to obama or who most stridently opposes barack obama, personally and his program-- the person who seems as the most intent and committed in opposition to the president will probably wen. >> lehrer: and in this case, it's rubio. >> it is rubio. it's interesting -- the party is in one of two states. it's either streaking converts, that is, welcoming in dissident democ

marco rubio got some pretty substantial endorsement. >> if the primary will help -- were held today, there is no question among anyone that marco rubio the conservative challenger, will win, and that is just stunning, because only months ago, it was inevitable that charlie crist, the governor, would win that primary, and right now, there is little chance that he could. he is trying to figure out right now whether or not he could win and whether or not it would cost him or the republicans that seat if he challenged. he wants to know if he runs as a third-party candidate he could get enough support to make it worthwhile. her otherwise, there is just a good chance that he would drop out of the primary and drop out of the race. >> all right, thanks again. >>> goldman sachs executives will be testifying in washington. a civil fraud lawsuit is launched against them for deliberately misleading investors. their ceo will be discussing their role in the subprime mortgage crisis and is likely to be asked about other issues, as well. >>> the lehman brothers bankruptcy trial is set to start tomor

i recommended to him, that he talk with marco rubio. marco did running for speaker of the house in florida. developed a program for 100 ideas for florida's future. they went around the state holding idea-raisers. we're faced with an enormous crisis of government. in that, government's the fourth bubble after information, technology, housing and wall street. government is too expensive, too bureaucratic, unions have too much power. we need every possible solution to get back to a balanced budget. i think if they would >> sean: you're not there yet. you don't think the republicans are there in terms of winning back the house and winning back the senate? >> i think they are poised to be there. i think charlie cook put it well the other day the analyst who writes for national journal. there are between 25 and 35 seats today, enormous improvement puts them almost in charge. they need a couple of breaks between now and the end of the campaign. simple example i'm coloring as an idea at american solutions. one of the things in the health bill i

. >>> the irs is now looking into the tax records of florida senate hopeful marco rubio to see whetherate used a republican party credit card for personal expenses. how damaging will that federal inquiry be? other republicans in florida may also be involved. at least in the investigation. politico joins us now. josh, let's talk about this. the whole focus on florida, now we've got marco rubio is going to have to defend himself in the irs case which could also as they look at party spending indicate that charlie crist could be involved as well. we don't know yet where it's going. what is the impact so far on the race? >> it affects both florida republicans. charlie crist hand picked chairman jim greer is the one at the head of the investigation. that he overpent hundr marco rubio has been portrayed as the consummate outsider, candidate, golden boy. we've already heard the revelations he's spent money on his own personal gain and used a state party credit card for personal expenses. this looks like with the irs investigating and possibly having him in the cross hairs this could certainly

let's talk about the developing news regarding marco rubio.is happening there with this preliminary investigation with the irs. >> florida and florida senate race has been one of the most interesting races to cover. in the last couple of weeks most of the focus has squared on charlie crist, whether he will make an independent enrun for the senate, might drop out of the race entirely. the new story is there's a federal inquiry into marco rubio. more important the tate republican party and how it spent and used credit cards. marco rubio and his campaign say there's nothing wrong, all the expenses were done for the party, but it's turned into a headache for him at a time when charlie crist has been getting most of the attention in this race. it does raise the question that rubio could potentially be vulnerable in a general election. he certainly is the star among conservatives. but if crist makes that independent bid, you have rubio and the democrat kendrick meek, it's anyone's games. >> "the miami herald," sentinel reporting rubio serving as hou

there is no path to winning the republican nomination without marco rubio imploding. and it seems as if this guy is made of teflon. that they've tried, crist has spent a month beating him up. he got some bad press, rubio did. it's not really sticking. you don't see that much movement here a little bit. so we may go independent. now the down side for crist of going independent, is that there's, you don't have a base if you run as an independent. a republican or a democrat has a base. if he runs as an independent, you can make a case that kendrick meek is the favorite to win this seat. if it ends up being that crist because the democratic base in many ways is much stronger, if you have one moderate republican running against, if you're getting to run against two republicans. >> i think you have a point there. let me -- >> can i just real quickly one thing. another problem for charlie crist, charlie crist, i think in his heart of hearts still thinks he can be elected as president. running as an independent kiboshes those dreams. >> i disagree with you, chris. if crist got

the latest, republican marco rubio's campaign for a florida senate seat is picking up steam with the in a statement yesterday, former vice president dick cheney said he's backing rubio because he stands up to, quote, the obama agenda that threatens our freedom. cheney also launched a withering attack at rubio's primary opponent charlie crist saying crist cannot be trusted to stay a republican. then he urged crist to stay in the republican primary or drop out ail together. >> mark leibovich, my home state, once again, a red hot mess. that's what florida does. you were down there for a good while, including my hometown, my beloved pensacola, and you studied this race and it's getting more fascinating, isn't it? >> it's utterly fascinating but it's getting fascinating at the time rubio has passed this inevitably threshold, you had romney, cantor, cheney coming out for him. i haven't talked to a political observer in florida in the last two months who think crist can win this thing. i think obviously the intrigue is behind the scene, where thissist investigation is going to go on -- >> a

he's involve in a very heated primary with a very good man in marco rubio. and, you know, you jump on one side or the other occasionally in these races, that's obviously what has happened. it's stepped up the rhetoric a little bit. >> what do you expect the governor to do? do you think you'll run as an independent? >> i don't know. it's an interesting question. i have not talked to governor crist in a month. the last time i talked to him, i brought the issue up. he told me then that he intended to pursue the republican primary. >> doesn't look like it now does it? >> a lot of conversation about it, certainly. >> senator menendez, i want to play for you -- the president was out in california helping raise money for senator boxer's campaign this year. and he said something that caught my ear. i want to play it for you. >> these mid year races are the ones where historically it's always been hardest to get folks activated. particularly the party in power. you remember, in 2008, that was fun, right? >> this sound to me about a president worried that his base isn

i don't think it's kenneth meek or marco rubio. i think it's charlie crist. >> and rubio has, by becoming a champion of the right, put himself out as a very, very conservative candidate, and that's why he's held at cpac and that's why he's a tea party candidate. >> and they don't win in florida usually. >> but florida is a massive state with tons of media markets. and it is -- you know, they went for obama last time. so in general elections, you don't know. and primaries, very conservative. i don't -- listen. if anybody tells you they know who's going to win that race, if charlie jumps in as an independent, they're whistling in the dark. which is why charlie, willie, should consider politically running as an independent. >> sounds like he's going to. mike, i want to ask you about goldman sachs. they've chosen an interesting attorney to help them navigate these latest fraud charges. tell us about it. >> spotted at the capitol was the president's former counsel, gregory craig turns out is on the goldman money train. >> i'd like to be

look at marco rubio's website, it has dick cheney smack in the middle. here's cheney's statement on rubio. here he is knocking troll-like, charlie crist, the other guy. he doesn't say anything positive about rubio. charlie crist has shown time and again he cannot be trusted in washington to take on the obama agenda. because on issue after issue, he actually supports the agenda. i like this phrase, cannot be trusted to even remain a republican. i strongly urge him to stay in the republican primary or drop out of the race. the only winners from an independent bid would be barack obama and harry reid. and here's charlie crist responding to the news. let's listen. >> are you upset that you didn't get dick cheney's endorsement? >> no. do i look upset? >> do you think it helps in your campaign not, that rubio has that endorsement? >> you know, just another washington politician telling florida what to do. i don't think floridians appreciate it. it doesn't matter. >> jon holman, he's not even worth stopping for, governor crist just keeps walking. i do find that

marco rubio signed the papers that officially make him a candidate. r charlie crist will stay in the primary or run as an ind pend. rubio stepped into this controversy we're talking about arizona's immigration law. >> the law has a potential unintended consequences. it's one of the reasons why i think immigration needs to be a federal issue, not a state one. >> hmm. >> the face of the new republican party possibly. somebody like marco rubio who is both young, who is conservative, who has hispanic roots being able to talk openly and freely about what he disagrees with on an immigration approach. and actually can offer a more comprehensive vision for what the republican approach on immigration ought to look like. >> it's interesting because to me it's interesting the distortions and flip-flops occurring now because that same rubio took a harsher and tougher stance. but now that it looks like he needs to move to the middle because the primary is almost over it's interesting how he's moving to the middle where voters are. >> this is why i think immigration

including a former house speaker out of north florida, but they're also opening an inquiry into marco rubio, the former house speaker and now u.s. senate candidate in the republican column against governor charlie crist. and they basically want to know whether or not he used or personally benefited from this credit card usage? and he's not the only one in the cross hairs. >> okay. >> there are others, too. and that's where it stands. we're talking about millions of dollars here. >> well, let me go right down to beth, in terms of the impact statement here. politically, does this in any way, shake rubio's position as the clear front-runner in that primary fight? >> i think it shakes a little bit, but to his credit, he's really established himself. he's so far ahead of the governor right now. and the governor's credibility with voters is really strained at this point. they don't necessarily trust him the way they used to and so when he attacks rubio on his credit card spending, these voters that i've talked to don't look at it the same way. >> are they going to blame -- will the conservative v

all things are possible in politics. >> reporter: governor romney endorsing marco rubio for the senate seat. and speculation that governor may run as indpindependent grew after quinnipiac poll that showed rub leading after the primary race 56% to 33%. yet, if crist drops out of the primary and opts to run as independent in the general election, according to the poll, charlie crist wins, polling 32% to rubio's 30% and democratic congressman kendrick meek 24%. former senator connie mack erue resigning last week after vetoing a bill that would have tied teacher pay to student test scores and it was popular amongst the florida republican, conser conservative bloc. now he is looking nar and charlie crist has 11 days to decide whether he will, in fact, run as independent. april 30 is the deadline to register as independent on the general election ballot. otherwise, he needs to stay in the republican primary which is august 24. >> bret: remember, charlie crist sadie fintive on this set with chris wallace on "fox news sunday" he would not run as inpend d independeni. president obama is stumpin

marco rubio has really gained a lot of steam.t are republicaning telling, asking, pushing crist to do? >> very simply, get out, endorse marco rubio, and please end this embarrassment for us. you know? i was talking to a lot of republicans today, candy, it is hard to find one of them who says, oh, yeah, yeah have him run as an independent. we think that would be very good for the party. in fact, our political editor obtained a memo that was written by a top staffer at the senate campaign committee to republican strategists. and it said that crist needs to do the right thing and that he has zero chance of winning the primary. so if you happen to have any contact with crist, tell him to get out because he's not returning senator john cornyn's calls, the man who runs the campaign committee. >> which we're not surprised by. >> no. why should he? right. >> what happened here to crist? >> well, there's the micro and there's the macro. let's talk about the micro, which is the campaign itself. first thing that went wrong for him is that $

dick cheney endorsed marco rubio but took a shot at rubio owes opponent, florida governor charlie crist crist can't be trust old take on the obama agenda. cheney's statement continues, saying crist can not be trusted even to remain a republican. that's bus, of course, there is talk charlie crist may drop out of the republican primary and run as an independent. mary, you worked closely with the former vice president for a long time, you are still close to him, why does he want to get involved in this race? >> for the same reason all good conservatives get involved in this ray rubio has become the poster child for real conservatism, the kind of conservatism when we lost it we lost control of the congress. that was a good move, good for the canned vdidate and vice president. >> it is good for them to get involved in high-profile primaries. >> mark rubio needs a lawyer, because he is go about to go to jail because irs, spent like $100,000 double-billing the republican party of florida. this had is one of like the great scandals that are going on. >> another -- demeaning the -- >> just sayin

marco rubio, who is a tea-party backed candidate, more conservative than kris.s is just getting his head handed to him and he has signed a bill very unpopular with republicans in florida. >> he voe toed a bill. >> you're right, he sovetoed a bill. now we're seeing two people on the talk shows, mitch mcconnell and john mccain, both of whom are crist backers and you can hear them beginning to back off. take a listen. >> it looks like marco rubio is running a very effective campaign and seems to have the lead. i'm going to be there behind the republican romney, whoever that is. >> he would lose all republican support if he would run as an independent. >> i hope charlie crist will remain a republican. >> it's a fascinating snapshot of the tensions within the republican party with some people who were good republicans before. >> at least in the primary process. we'll see how this plays out but charlie crist isn't the only one getting a challenge from the right. >>> still to come, making a buck. as the library of congress gets every twitter ever posted. is twitter abo

my favorite is marco rubio. >> chris: why?ght now he is surging in the polls and i think he has identified with floridians probably more than either of the two candidates. >> chris: how about in arizona where you're going to have a g.o.p. primary? the sitting senator john mccain or former congressman j.d. hayworth? >> again, that will be for arizonaens to decide. i'm a minnesotan. both of those candidates are making a strong case. as i understand j.d. hayworth is closing in on senator mccain right now. it will be up to the voters in arizona to make their choice. >> chris: you're taking a pass there, congresswoman. >> well, i know both gentleman, and they're both honorable men. >> chris: now, you keep saying that barack obama is a one-term president. this weekend, the republicans have been holding -- the southern republicans -- a leadership conference in new orleans. they also held a straw poll last night. let's put up the results of that poll. mitt romney finished first beating ron paul by one vote. sarah palin narrowly beat n

look at the latest poll, and it has marco rubio beating crist head-to-head, 56-33, keep in mind justcrist had about a 30-point advantage and crist beats democratic congressman meek in a head-to-head match-up, 48-34. rubio versus meek, also, is a republican win, and, at 42-38. but the big polls sparking all kind of political speculation is if crist decides to run for senate as an independent. there, he narrowly wins, pulling 32% of the florida vote. and rubio's 30%, and 24, clearly, there are risks to crist doing this but there are also some advantage. >> he does have high statewide name recognition, and he has -- does have republican support within the republican party and his support amongst moderate democrats, and, action monmongs independent voters. bill: the decision must be dade 11 days from now, april 30 and he said he has no intention of doing this over the weekend and acknowledges that that answer, does provide some wiggle room. martha. martha: it will be interesting to see. thank you very much. phil keating. reporting from lovely florida today. bill: shocking numbers, 22% of

catch it april 15th on the fox news channel and among his special guests rising republican star marco rubiond virginia thomas, wife of supreme court justice clarence thomas. up next, america's retail giant just giving america's 10,000 tax cuts to stimulate the economy. you heard me right. let's hope d.c. is listening.  . tax cuts from wal-mart. a stimulus plan you need to hear about, plus, a supreme court >> wal-mart out with its own aggressive stimulus plan and slashing prices on 10,000 items from food to home goods. gary b says it's like 10,000 tax cuts for consumers so d.c. take note. is this the stimulus that america needs, gary? >> absolutely, leave it to a private company to get it right. the greatest wealth creator in maybe the history of the universe cutting all of these prices. brenda, look who benefits, wal-mart the company benefits, customers obviously benefit, the community around them benefits. even the union employees at wal-mart benefit because wal-mart grows bigger and bot ton line they'll take in more revenue than with higher prices. that's the lesson that the government s

he will have plenty of special guests including marco rubio, the rising republican star running for the senate in florida. virginia thomas, wife of supreme court justice clarence thomas and she is starting a tea party of her own. that comes up on tax day. coming up here, forget deporting illegal workers. new government plan protecting their pay. it sounds outrageous but someone says it will put more legal americans back to work. you want to hear that flip side next! ♪ at the end of the day in sitka, alaska, everyone awaits the return of the fishing boats. ♪ their safe arrival is highly anticipated, ♪ as is something else. a shipment of natural sea salt from cargill, essential for preserving the catch. we deliver the salt on precise schedules... and ship it efficiently all along the alaskan coast; saving the fishermen money, and their catch. this is how cargill works with customers. >>> this is a fox news alert. hello. i'm uma pemmaraju. nation in warning amid word the leader died. president of poland and 96 others killed in a plane crash in western russia. president obama is calling the

florida, marco rubio, republican superstar, tea party, raised 3.5 million. scott brown did well for an unknown candidate that beat a well-known democrat. ohio, portland, illinois, there are senate races where we are seeing republicans put distance between themselves and democratic opponents. host: with an independent, what happens to money raised from republicans question marks -- from republicans? guest: with arlen specter, there were calls his donors made to him as part of a conservative campaign organized by a prominent d.c. political group that reached out to reporters -- donors and said he, hey, you should request a refund from arlen specter. the trust is broken. arlen specter did volunteer, setting himself up for the situation. anyone who wants their money back, i will give it to them. he could start a campaign, and it was substantial. the amount he ended up the funding, there was no obligation to do that legal or otherwise, but you might face calls to return some of the money. so the money was a very, aggressive fundraiser, largely drawing on some of

marco rubio to the point now where john cornyn is urging charlie crist to get out of the race. we do see something of a battle for the soul of the republican party. and to get back to the caller's point, it's a good one. it's one that we hear sort of voiced from tea party activists and others around the country, which is that this is not -- that the anti-incumbent sort of tide and sentiment is not limited to opposing democrats. it's also opposing republicans. john mccain as the caller mentioned is no favorite of the tea party movement. in fact, he's largely despised by the tea party movement. and there are several republican candidates -- there are several candidates who are challenging him for the republican nomination for his re-election bid there in arizona. who are seeking to tap into this anti-incumbent energy and raising money to run against him. however, mccain it should be noted has a substantial fundraising edge against them >> host: next phone call comes from washington state. susan on the independent line. go ahead. >> caller: yes. hi. good morning. i guess what i'd

and that's how marco rubio was able to raise his money.he republican governor association is the national committee that's got the most right now. hailey bar ber runs that. so they're getting ready to win as many governorships as possible. the committees that run house and senate races are a little bit strained. they have such large playing fields that they're not sure that they themselves can fund all these things. but what i'm hearing is that republicans in d.c. whose job it is to get more people to run are talking to like the club for growth, talking to other conservative donors that can fill this gap. and saying if your candidate comes in that we'll find a way to get you funded. host: next up, donna on our line for democrats. welcome to the washington journal. caller: good morning. my gosh, it's taken me over a year to get through. host: congratulations. what's your question or comments? caller: well, i have two comments. the media on this, the media is keeping this hush hush. the democrats are trying to get a regulation bill on the ba

it shows marco rubio significantly ahead. guest: yes. the polls have really slipped. about a year ago at this time it was marker rubio down 20 or 30 points of people were telling him he was wasting time running against a sitting governor. then came the stimulus and the so-called hub -- the governor embraced the president when he came to a campaign for the stimulus. the recession has lingered on and anger against incumbents is raising and lo and behold marco rubio is propelled to the front. host: what are we looking at in a matchup with the democratic candidate. how would we see things face- off? guest: there was a new poll just this week that found basically  dead heat between those three -- the republican rubio, likely democrat kendrick meek, hersman -- and crist as an independent. host: if the runs as an independent how would it affect kendrick meek's campaign? guest: on the one hand it gets in the spotlight. right now he has been largely overshadowed by the two republicans duking it out. that is good because he needs to raise his profile. çbut as i said before, de

former state speaker house speaker marco rubio has opened up a 23-point lead over governor charlie cristthe republican primary. new quinnipiac university poll shows if krist ran as an independent he'd beat rubio and congressman meek. so far, charlie crist publicly discouraged talk he might take that optiooption. >>> this is a fox news alert. the justice department says tonight it is reviewing a federal judge's ruling that the national day of prayer is unconstitutional. district court judge barbara crab agreed today with the argument by the freedom from religion foundation, wisconsin-based group of atheists and agnostics. the organization claims the day violates the separation of church and state. the national day of prayer was established by congress in 1952. we'll keep an eye on the story. tea partiers who have suffered through media smackdowns are getting the last laugh. that's later in the grapevine. we will tell you why this could effect your upcoming overseas flight. and president obama tries to convince americans that the space program is not going up in smoke. rc >> bret: the sena

marco rubio is the former house speaker in florida, and the republican candidate going up against charlie crist for the gop nomination for senator. crist obviously is the republican governor of florida. and today, the former vice president dick cheney has endorsed rubio with a scathing statement about charie crist. i'm going to read a little to you right now, he says we can trust marco to stand up to the obama agenda that threatens our freedom and promotes clear conservative alternatives, but dick cheney goes on and says, quote, charlie crist has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted in washington to take on the obama agenda because on issue after issue, he actually supports that agenda. former vice president dick cheney says lately it seems charlie crist cannot even be trusted to remain a republican. i strongler urge we either stay in the republican primary or drop out of the race. two things at play here, charlie crist has been contemplating a possible independent run because the political environment has been so difficult, rubio has been leading the polls for some time and thi

front-runner marco rubio knocked endorsement of former vice president today, dick cheney's support was in the bag for some time but got rolled out now to reinforce rubio following yesterday's revelation that a preliminary federal investigation in the republican party of florida's finances will look into rubio's use of a party credit card for $100,000 in travel and personal expenses when he was speaker of the florida house. the republican party of florida plans a document dumped to the public of receipt and expenditures tomorrow. rubio aides say he will make his own documents public in weeks and they will prove no wrongdoing. governor charlie crist moderate republican soared in the polls a few months ago but for many conservatives who will decide the primary, this embrace literally and figuratively was too much. rubio has become such a rock star, charlie crist told friends and family he may skip the g.o.p. primary and run as independent. the deadline for his decision is next friday. cheney used a written endorsements of rubio to slam charlie crist saying -- >> reporter: crist donors beg

we saw it in marco rubio in florida. i think we'll see it in indiana with marlin stutsman. pat toomey in pennsylvania. there are a lot of candidates who the party overlooked because maybe they are not as well known. we're having good primaries but these are common sense conservatives. these are not right-wingers. not one is far out in any direction. but they are great solid republicans who should have a chance in the primary. >> according to the article and my own soundings your endorsement or presence in the campaigns is in great demand. i want to ask you, regarding the principles that guide your thinking in supporting these candidates, are they tea party principles? we have talked a lot about the contract from america on this program. in fact, we unveiled them with ryan hecker a week ago. they are talking about constitutional limits to government, constitutional restraints on spending, on taxing. indeed on repealing obamacare. are these the principles guiding your decisions, your journeys, your travels and your endorsements? >> they're very consistent with the criteria we

. >> greta: in florida, one of the her vose marco rubio. >> it is amazing it -- it sounds like the wheelscrist for senate campaign. >> greta: more trouble. >> one of his major backers tonight, i just this e-mail, just resigned from the campaign. it doesn't look good. there's a lot of talk that he may leave the republican party and become an independent. i don't know in that is try or not. a lot of republicans think that is a possbility. they are warning him don't do that we will run against you if you do. >> greta: interesting sort of the hero to the' tea party movement is government -- governor sarah palin. she was on the video, call me. sort of an endorsement. michelle bachmann also a hero >> terrific speaker. i don't know michelle bachmann. i've met her. i hadn't seen her speak before a crowd like that before tonight. i was impressed. i was talking to someone, who is that? it was mish shill bachmann. she good. i can see why she is literally despised by the activist left, she truly is. she is pretty effective, i thought. >> greta: this target list what is the risk to the republican part

he's trailing former house speaker marco rubio in the polls.sday the governor gave a vague answer when asked about an independent run. the latest fox news opinion dynamics poll indicates the economy may be the deciding factor. may still be the deciding factor in whether republicans regain control in congress. 49% of those surveyed say that is their number one issue, healthcare was a distant second. 38% said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supported the healthcare reform law. and 54% still oppose the new law. only 39% are in favor of it. the census bureau says some of the most conservative states in the nation have some of the lowest response rates so far to this year's head count. correspondent shannon bream reports that has republicans worried. >> reporter: from karl rove -- >> please answer the ten easy questions. >> reporter: -- to capitol hill, republicans are urging conservatives who feel increasingly out of touch with the federal government and concerned about their privacy, not to skip the 2010 census. >> i recognize the

. >>> marco rubio hoping to stick it to charlie crist. giuliani thought he had secured crist's endorsement for president and rudy built the strategy around crist's endorsement and big win in florida but later that year, crist pulled the support and threw it behind mccain and giuliani's campaign flamed out in florida. onger. onger. now? you don't have enough time... and you have to push all those buttons... no buttons, someone answers every time. yeah, right... bet you a massage... yeah, ok. hi, julie... i have a question about my points. hi, what button do i press for a massage? hello? chase sapphire... you call. we answer. no waiting. just press right here... go to chase.com/sapphire. chase what matters. people have made part of their daily conversation about you? >> well, i mean, i think that when you listen to rush limbaugh or glenn beck -- >> it's beyond that. >> it's pretty apparent. but it's troublesome. >> talk about product placement. rush limbaugh responded with the dick cheney method. he put out an e-mail. quote, i think the pre

mitt romney's down there today to endorse marco rubio who polls show is likely -- the primary is a waylls show rubio likely to beat crist. charlie crist is the sitting republican governor. once a darling of the republican party. today he talked about the advice he's getting to run as an independent instead. >> i can tell you, i'm getting a lot of advice in that direction. so i'm a listener. so i'm certainly listening to it. >> listening this week. he was no, no, no, no, no way last week. that kind of talk doesn't sit well with the republican establishment here in washington. >> he would lose all republican support if he were to run as an independent. >> i hope that charlie crist will remain a republican. >> let's get to why we're even talking about this. we're talking about this because this is, as you said, a darling of the republican party. was considered a shoo-in. john mccain had endorsed charlie crist. >> a year ago. >> exactly. today the executive director of the republican senatorial campaign sent an e-mail that we obtained saying he has zero chance of winning the republican pri

marco rubio is raising money on the obama/crist stimulus hug, mostly a republican primary phenomenon.will we see republicans do this in the general. arlen specter can't show enough pictures of himself with the president. he's running an as a democrat for the very first time. number five, wall street. regardless of party candidates are running against it in droves. number four, health care. especially when an attorney general is involved these days. .four republican attorneys general are suing over health care. now democratic attorneys general are getting pressure in places like kentucky, georgia and oklahoma. here's favorite rand paul yesterday targeting kentucky's attorney general jack conway who's also running for the senate. >> it is jack conway's job and obligation to defend us against the encroachment of an overzealous and out of control big government. >> >> and here's conway's spo response to the charge. >> while it may make for good tea party politics to file lawsuits it makes for a crummy lawsuit because the legal principles are not sound. >> our number three issue popping up

. >> you guys can win it you can win in florida with marco rubio, you can win in kentucky. >> there'sn, chris. >> are you the leader? >> no, i'm not a leader. >> is sarah palin? >> i don't think there is any one leader. >> do you think she could be president by her abilities? >> sure, just look at the past history. almost anybody can become president. >> you're just not saying anything. you're not eeg saying. you're saying there's no standards? >> well -- >> it's a complicated job? >> that's right. but i would say on both republican and democratic sides, people rise to the occasion. all of a sudden they have good advisers. >> harry truman romantic here. thank you, congressman ron paul. >>> up next, congresswoman michelle bachman, another version of the dream here, trying to defend her calling of the obama administration gngster government. i guess she's elliott ness this week. >>> does governor rick perry want to run for the president of this country. i roll past the counter... and choose any car in the aisle. choosing your own car? now that's a good call. go national. go like a pro.

sounds like a lot until you consider marco rubio has raised $3.6 million in the same quarter which means the real "big number" is, and it's a big one, $2.5 million, that's how much less crist, who's been known for his money-raising prowess, things go from bad to worse for florida's governor. he's trailing rubio this quarter by $2.5 million in fund-raising. that's tonight's "big number" and tells you which way things are going in the republican party. >>> from health care reform to terrorism, climate change, republicans let loose with whoppers. we're going to get into the opposition's trouble with the truth next. >>> starting today catch all msnbc programs including "hardball" simulcast live. you can catch us in the car. you're watching "hardball" only only msnbc. like janice. uh-huh. yeah. fashion deficient. and tom... copy incapable. it's open kimono time. looking good, dan. oh, we want to make sure all our ducks in a row. yeah. volume control syndrome. but we focus on the talent and skill that each person... brings to the team. i mean, no one's really concerned about labels. not even m

the week with a report on the political anger that is fueling the senate campaign of republican marco rubiowhose leading the more moderate governor charlie crist. coverage continues here on-line, including more about the politics of the state. it's changing economy and demographics. a profile of some tampa bay tea party members. and a round table on thursday on the future of u.s. space exploration. when president obama comes to florida to moderate and host a space summit. we'll also update our patchwork nation site. so that you can access data on foreclosures, on federal spending per capita, and much more. >> holman: that's all coming next week on the newshour and on our website, newshour.pbs.org. jeff. >> brown: and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm jeffrey brown. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. "washington week" can be seen later this evening on most pbs stations. we'll see you online, and again here monday evening. have a nice weekend. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and...

crist had fallen far behind former state house speaker marco rubio in the republican primary. the likely democratic nominee is congressman kendrick meek. british prime minister gordon brown appealed to voters today to overlook a major gaffe. yesterday, brown was overheard calling a woman "bigoted" and had to apologize. today, he addressed the issue at the start of the final prime ministerial debate before next week's elections. >> there's a lot to this job and as you saw yesterday i don't get all of it right. but i do know how to run the economy in good times and in bad. when the banks collapsed i took immediate action to stop the crisis becoming a calamity and the recession becoming a depression. >> sreenivasan: but conservative party leader david cameron attacked the ruling labor party attacked the ruling labour party for running up huge deficits. he said britain now faces a range of hard choices as a result. >> the whole reason we're having this debate about how difficult it's going to be to get taxes down, cut spending is because this prime minister and this government hav

. >> woodruff: well, marco rubio who now has the republican primary all to himself, or the republican nomination, david, is one of the few republicans in the country who is criticizing that arizona anti-immigration law. and now you see the democrats in washington coming up with an immigration reform bill, they rolled it out yesterday. what are the prospects, seriously, for immigration reform? >> i think really grim. chuck schumer has been pushing this issue. he wanted president obama to do it right away, chuk schumer, the senator from new york. he's head of the committee. and he's pushing hard. and i think he's sincere, he has been doing it for so long. nonetheless i still think the reason we're talking about it now as we mentioned last week is that latino voters are so far a little apathetic. democrats need them, especially harry reid in nevada needs them. and they are trying to get them to come out to vote by putting immigration top burner. but the prospects of it passing, a, depends on them doing the real preparatory work in the senate which has not been done. you know, think how m

republicans, including mitt romney and dick cheney this week endor endorsed the former house speaker marco rubioe battle for the senate g.o.p. primary in florida. you have endorsed governor charlie crist. are you taking back your endorsement? >> that was over a year ago and a lot has happened since then. the governor crist says he might be running as an independent. my advice is to compete as a republican. he has been a republican all of his life. and to remain within the party. i hope he will do that. >> chris: are you taking back your endorsement? >> not today. [ laughter ] >> chris: but he has to decide by next friday, right? >> i think if the governor were to decide to run as an independent, he won't have any republican support. >> chris: if he decided to run as a republican, would you still support him? >> i year ago i said i would support the governor. at the time he wanted our support to get in the race and we were not sure we'd be competitive in florida. >> chris: are you troubled by what he has done? >> i would be troubled if the governor decided to run as an independent. i think that w

crist trails conservative republican marco rubio in primary poll busy double-digit margins.derate policies and those of a tea party-backed candidate. crist is considering his options. >> i can tell you i'm getting a lot of advice in that direction. i'm a listener so i'm certainly listening to it. >> crist must make up his mind by the end of the month. if he stays in the gop primary race and loses he can't run as an independent. >>> here is a look at your weather for this tuesday. rainy from seattle to san diego. heavy snow in the sierras and cascades today. windy in the southwest. thunderstorms and severe weather in kansas, nebraska, south dakota, and colorado. heavy rain in south texas. and rain and thunderstorms in the southeast. >> 82 in miami. 65 in atlanta. 70 in new york. around 70 in kansas city, fargo, and minneapolis. 70s from boise to albuquerque. 50s along the pacific coast. and a hot 91 in phoenix. >>> we're going to convince you to get a dog yet. because we keep running all these dog stories. >> ain't going to happen. >> well, maybe after you see this one. they