in one corner, the michael steele of monday. the one casting himself and his party as the noble defenders of medicare. and the other -- the michael steele of today. the other taking on the, quote, already bankrupt program we can't afford. >> our seniors have really come under fire in the last few weeks as more and more proposals look to be cutting benefits out of medicare program. this single payer program known as medicare is a very good example of what we should not have happen with all of our health care. we want to make sure that we are not cutting the medicare program. government cannot run a health care system. they've already shown that. >> why fight the democrats when you can adopt the democrat's position for a day and then fight yourself? i'm all for people evolving their positions over time but over time i'm thinking more than 24 hours. michael steele isn't the only republican who suddenly seems to be representing more 0 sides of the debate over health care reform. what you're going to see next is really heartbreaking.

bret: that sounded like michael steele there. is all about the money, honey. >> that's t that kind of comment, you know, michael steele is exactly what he was doing wrong before. he was being too much a t.v. commentator and not doing the work. they have taken some authority away from him in terms of financial issues at the r.n.c. and he is apparently ok with it. erthey're on a good roll. >> that's right, his problem is he was stealing our thunder and now he is doing a good job staying off the talk shows. he will be judged not just on money but the elections. the big elections the governors races in virginia and new jersey and the republicans are ahead now, so he is expected to bring in two victories and that's going to be a high bar for him. bret: it took three months and 40 freedom of information act requests, but the administration released the air force i flyover pictures of manhattan back in april. they look a lot like the one that they released back then. 900 pages came out. it ended up costing $350,000. what about this, cha

sean: michael steele, thank you for being with us. coming up, more on the allegations that the president's top adviser is cashing in on the health-care debate. oliver north is here. if you're taking 8 extra-strength tylenol... a day on the days that you have arthritis pain, you could end up taking 4 times the number... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills. just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthritis pain all day. sean: last night, we reported on a brewing scandal. new reports are coming out that the health care debate is making democrats very rich. akpd is a firm with close * to david axelrod. they have received more than $12 million to produce ads touting the health care plan. david axelrod joined the obama campaign after working for that firm. he is still owed $2 million. another from cashing in on the debate is known as gmmb. it employs several obama strategists. we have a columnist and kimberly guilfoyle to discuss this. good evening. first of all, david axelrod's family is ben

plus, michael steele and much more. "hannity" starts now. americans have united against government-run health care. democrats are scrambling for a second plan. declaring all out war in the senate. harry reid might soon decide to split the health care bill into two parts. one would contain less controversial measures like regulations on insurance companies. this bill would receive at least the 60 votes needed to pass it. the second half of the bill would contain the reckless budget details of the plan and the government auction. with virtually no republican support, democrats might use reconciliation to pass it. they would need only 51 votes to push this through. when asked about the possibility of these measures, a spokesman said, "we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary." democrats are willing to turn their backs on the american people who put them in office. are they really that stupid? joining me is the chairman of the republican national committee. michael steele is back. welcome back to the p

michael steele -- >> i tell them to put on my neighbors'. neil: all right, michael steele, rnc chairman, good to see you. >> good to see you. neil: another fox news alert. protesting. i want you to think about this number that was just out moments ago. it is a big one. $1.27 trillion. that is trillion with a t, and that is going higher. this is where the deficit is going, and we still have some months ago. one cannot help but feel this is why tax hikes are not that far off, and why a lot more people are not going to be able to escape it. one man is angry about this big government kool-aid. arizona as it is actually getting smaller. arizona is cutting taxes -- arizona's is actually getting smaller. welcome, governor. thanks for coming. >> hello there. i am glad to be with you. neil: why these tax cuts? why now? many argue that your state is not in a position to do that. why? >> it will be for a much better economy to help businesses to grow in arizona and create jobs, and in the end of it all, of course, it will reward those businesses that h

. >>> coming up, rnc chairman michael steele. he just can't seem to make up his mind when it comes to medicare. first he's for it, then he's against it, and, folks this is all in one day. you know where it's going. "psycho talk" next on "the ed show." yself as a ringtone ♪ ♪ who knew the store would go and check my credit score ♪ ♪ now all they let me have is this dinosaur ♪ ♪ hello hello hello can anybody hear me? ♪ ♪ i know i know i know i shoulda gone to ♪ ♪ free credit report dot com! ♪ that's where i shoulda gone! coulda got my knowledge on! ♪ ♪ vo: free credit score and report with enrollment in triple advantage. that can take so much out of you. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to gt out of bed. then...well... i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq®. (announcer) pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by

>> i think what michael steel is kind of selling tickets back in chicago. he is poking and provoking the democrats on that very sensitive point right now of their own fractiousne fractiousness. they don't have the votes in the senate for the public option. in the house, they have a loose coalition with those blue dogs that gives them enough votes for a public option. but they couldn't have a vote right now or they would have had it. the fact that they have not got more than one out of one bill out of several committees right now is what's put democrats on the defense right now in defending the plan while republicans can just easily say, hey this is crazy. let's stick with the status quo. >> clarence page of the "chicago tribune." thanks as always. >> stay tuned. >> now with us to dig into the poll numbers we mentioned, melissa harris lacewell, african-american studies at princeton university. professor, good evening. >> nice to be here. >> republicans are crowing about the president's loss of support about how he's handling health care. it's down 11%. the p

this is not something that's being led by michael steele or john boehner.this is something anybody who's been watching politic s even a little bit in recent decades could see what was happening. massive bill. 18% of the u.s. economy, something that affects people so profoundly and their families, again, being rammed through without any discussion. people are angry and to say that this is partisan and all michael steele has to do is snap his fingers is unrealistic. >> please, for one night, drop the talking points, okay? >> these aren't talking points, roland. we're talking about the american people. >> sarah palin contributes to this nonsense by giving a lie. not a distortion, a flat-out lie. you have people who are listening to this stuff on ra o radio, on television. come out of a politician's mouth, they say that person has to know. when john boehner writes it is going to fund abortions and it is a lie, that is a ridiculous charge on his part. what you have here, you have individuals going to these town hall meetings behaving like spoiled brats. this is

. >>> a mind like a michael steel trap. on this day in 1883, indonesia bloating up a 200 mega ton volcanic explosion four times boom of the worst nuclear weapon but did you know you also get hotel price assurance? it's a one-two punch of savings -- pow! pow! lower hotel booking fees mean you get a lower total price. plus, if another orbitz customer then books the same hotel for less, we send you a check for the difference, automatically. i've still got room for the internet. with my new netbook from at&t. with its built-in 3g network, it's fast and small, so it goes places other laptops can't. anything before takeoff mr. kurtis? prime rib, medium rare. i'm bill kurtis, and i've got plenty of room for the internet. and the nation's fastest 3g network. (announcer) sign up today and get a netbook for $199.99 after mail-in rebate. with built-in access to the nation's fastest 3g network. only from at&t. ♪ bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies...

>> i absolutely think what michael steele is doing is in excusable.ke very seriously what you have hearing in the month of august. seniors are forified. they're scared to death they're going to be euthanized. we need to make sure they understand what is in this bill and that this bill will make them better off and what michael steele did is inexcusable as far as i'm concerned. >> are you trying defend the -- >> not particularly? this is what opposition parties tend to do during debates like this, it's not much different than what we heard in terms of a tax against the bush social security reform plan four years ago, or the attacks we saw against the clinton health care plan back in the early '90s. but i suggest, rather than going it alone that going to the extremes of both parties. if you look at how far he has moved the debate, there's bipartisan consensus on a lot of people to move their insurance when they switch jobs, on getting coverage for preexisting conditions. he signed a reform package and people threw rose petals at his feet. it's a victory

rnc chairman michael steele is with us. and john mccain faced a huge crowd at a town hall, and he said our nation is in the middle of a peaceful revolt. what does that mean? we will ask the senator. he is going on the record. and lots and lots of your money, over 1000 people just got stimulus checks, but there is a problem. they were not supposed to. and it gets worse. guess who these people are? and guess where they are? that is next. and the town halls are not stopping. >> have you ever or any of your family members lived under socialized medicine, as i call it? i have, and i have relatives living under it, and trust me. it is not working. >> i have a really simple question that i think everyone can agree on. why do we not take the $23 trillion -- >> that is not right. that is not appropriate. >> you invited us here to speak. >> are you willing to take the plan? you did not answer it. will you? >> the answer is yes. >> ok. >> if it had not been for the veritable uprising of people all across this country about these propo

and once drawn attention to it you get her being responsible calling for civility and same for michael steelethe republican party, for whom hoag gannism has started a whole new round of who me. after shutting down town hall meetings started to make news last week mr. steele try to publicly disown those tactics telling "the washington times," quote, i had nothing to do with that. i did not encourage that. that's not something deliberately coordinated by me or by any one state party, except republican parties were promoting the disruptions of congressional town halls. the national republican party even gave them a brand name, recess rouse things. even today the republican party is still sending out press releases gleefully bragging about and promoting democratic members of congress having their attempts to talk about health care with their constituents drowned out by angry mobs, but if you ask the head of the republican party about that, his answer is who, me? it's an awkward political move courting the extremist fringe but not wanting to be seen as part of the extremist fringe. but i do have a

the only national elected republican figure in the country, the head of the republican party, michael steele, gave an interview to national public radio in which he really struck out swinging. appearing utterly confused and tied up in knots over the most basic issues of health care. what his position is. what he has said in the past and what he's now trying to unsay. you have to hear this. here he is speaking with npr host steve inskeep. this is just a portrait of bewilderment. >> with a couple of paragraphs of writing we need to protect medicare you write you oppose president obama's "plan for a government run health care system." you're a veteran public policy official. you're aware medicare is a government run health care. >> look how it's run. that's my point. take medicare and make it writ-large across the country. because, how many times have we been to the -- to the precipice of bankruptcy for a government-run health care program. >> it sounds like you don't like medicare. >> wait a minute! exactly. no. medicare is what it is. it's not going anywhere. so let's focus on fixing it so we

the next time you hear republican party chairman michael steele say something like this -- >> anyoneout there that says the republican party or state parties or republican activists are out there doing that are flat-out lying. they are wrong. >> flat-out lying, they are wrong. actually, they are not wrong. the willie horton ad making republican pr activist xi is the same buy thhas the obama/hitler website. we have been tracking the false flagging really for the entire month of august now. mainly because this sort of thing still isn't being widely reported which amazes me. this is a perfect system for the republican party. it is a constant feedback. the republican party activists stir up fear and anger on the internet. fearful, angry people go to town hall events and then republican party officials say they are just responding to that anger and have no idea where it came from. perfect cycle. rile them up with made-up stuff and then sympathize with them that are so riled. joining us now is senator bernie sanders, independent of vermont and a member of the senate health education labor

michael steele says that the jenna -- the democrats' plan will shortchange senior citizens.unveiled a senior's bill of rights. james rosen is keeping an eye on it. we remember the contract with america 15 years ago today. is this new bill of rights and attempt to create something that is quite to resonate with the american people the same way? >> certainly the republican party and its chairman would hope that it does prove as resonant as the contract with america. there are very valid reasons for both parties to be targeting senior citizens with their messages about health care reform. situs -- senior citizens, more reliably than any other demographic do go out and vote. a lot of the outrage, whether real or feigned, as some democrats insisted it was, was identifiably coming from senior citizens. this so-called bill of rights for seniors and health care debate would identify about half a dozen points of interest to senior citizens, including the financing of health care reform should not be at their expense. jon: i think one of the central tenets in this document that chairm

. >>> a mind like a michael steel trap. day in 1883, indonesia bloating up a 200 mega ton volcanic explosion four times boom of the worst nuclear weapon ever detonated. the amount of ash spun into the air, temperatures dropped by 1.2 degrees. the eruption so changed the landscape when they made a movie about it in 1969, it was called crackatoea. let's play "oddball." >> ain't making that up either. we begin in china, for two years, this woman lived the life of a buddhist nun, making keeping her day job, kung fu master, a bit difficult. her hair gives her special powers. like the ability to cut paper in half. but in order to be officially recognized by fellow nuns, she needs to shave her head, forbidding her three-foot braid good-bye, she decides one last trick. to pull eight cars with her hair. attached with connecting rope and she managed to yank all of them about 100 feet. the ceremony to shave her head -- i don't know if they just didn't wait for it to pull off. and no barbers injured duringed procedure jshs to london, t

michael steele. bill: who is in charge? who? >> something is having -- >> birthing process.is is a birthing process. after we got clobbered in november, the republican party needs to rebirth. and you know what? like my wife reminded me many times, the mother of four boys, birth is painful. it's painful. bill: if you rebirth the republican party, you're going to have to produce a birth certificate. and i don't think they can. >> i think the republican party. >> long form. >> the republican party, considering what george bush left, which was a bit of a disaster, i think the republican party is doing pretty well right now against obama with huge majorities in the senate now. bill: gentlemen, thanks very much. go ahead, chris, wrap it up. >> well, i think that the birth issue is a side issue but it's something that is symbolic. i like full disclosure from our president. i don't care if is he a republican or a democrat. bill: thanks very much. directly ahead juan and mary katharine whether president obama will break his pledge to working americans. culture warrior also take us to

the next time you hear republican party chairman michael steele say something like this -- >> and anyone out there who says that the republican party or state parties or republican activists are out there doing that are flat-out lying. they're wrong. >> flat-out lying, they're wrong. actually, they're not wrong. the willie horton ad-making republican pr activist guy is the same guy that reps the anti-health care reform obama equals hitler website. no wonder people are afraid. we have been tracking this sort of astroturfing and false flagging, really, for the entire month of august now. mainly because this sort of thing still isn't being widely reported, which amazes me. this is a perfect system for the republican party. it's a constant feedback loop. the republican party activists stir up fear and anger on the internets, fearful, angry people go to town hall events, and then republican party officials say they're just responding to that anger and they have no idea where it came from. it's a perfect cycle. rile them up with madeup stuff and then sympathize with them that are so riled. joi

. >> michael steele, the republican national chairman, says that to call this a republican cabal is baloney. let me read what "washington post" columnist steven pearlstein. "the efforts have been some misleading and disingenuous that they can always bring from a cynical ever to gain partisan political advantage. by poisoning the political well, they have given up any pretense of being a local opposition and have become political terrorists willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems." >> i think we have to be -- i think that is too broad a brush. there is an element of that. i appreciate what charles is saying. i think code pink does not have a great reputation. these people will not either, this segment of them -- swastikas burning an effigy, horns on the members' faces on big posters. those are the people taking it too far, the ones that steven pearlstein is talking about. beneath that, though, there are real concerns about what this means, and the democrats have not done a good job of making that case. the on

michael steele says that to say that this is some sort of iscabal is baloney. leme read "washington post" columnist even pearlstein. "the efforts are so cynical and disingenuous thathey are only an effort to gain partisan it an edge. they have given up any pretense of being yal opposition and have become political terrosts willing say or do anything to prevent t country from rehing a consensus on one of s most serus domestic problems." >> i think that is too broad a brush. ther is an ement of that. i appreciate what charles is saying. i think codeink does not have a great reputation. these people wilnot be there -- this segmenof them -- swastikas,urning iffigy, horn on people's faces on posters. those of the people taking it too far, the people steven pearlstein isalking about. beneath that, thgh, there are real concerns amg peoplebout what thimeans for them, and the democrats have not done a good job o tryg to make that case. only now getting their act together, and you'll see if we can sh back against this tide. -- we will see if they can push back against th

michael steele adds this. we're not encouraging people to be angry -- the national congressional committee is calling them recess roasting for the recess in august. todd akin got cheers when he described them as lynchings. >> they almost got lynched, so -- if you're not approving lynching because you don't -- what these people are really upset at some of this legislation and very good reason. >> yeah. so -- get him to clarify. there's a huge list of conservative groups actively working to bring grass roots opponents together. even providing trips, talking points, or should they be shouting points? our own rachel maddow called on them to step in. >> somewhere between extreme rhetoric and violence. you can condone the threats and then risk being seen at -- or be an adult. >> democratic senators leaving town today got marching orders of their own from the white house. they were getting instruction on handling the events. and how to handle things if they get ugly. in addition, the big union has announced it will s

michael steele says this is coming at the expense of seniors?cut over ten years to medicare. we don't want to do to anybody's premiums or the quality of health care, but we have to be able to get efficiencies. let me give acouple examples of what is contemplated in the cut. >> please. >> somebody says we want to figure out a way to not have somebody go into the hospital, so we want to pay for home care to put the senior this their home. and that's the type of thing that we can do under medicare. if we want to do it in the private insurance sector. we buy stauock in the company. we would be powerless to do that type of thing. with that type of savings, we are going to have to get -- we cannot continue on the arc up and up and up. but it's so ironic to listen to the republicans so concerned about medicare when they have been against it and cutting it every year since it was created. >> thank you for the time. enjoy the rest of your week. >> thank you. >>> still ahead here on the morning meeting, should ted kennedy resign? now, one boston guy said

racial intity politics all the time that some were built on these other pnciples, so even though michael steelay be a black america that's notis only job. he needs to fund raise, nds to ge people elected, needs to get the rublican message out ther so one thing at a time. >> all rht. here we go fromoose lips to a lost leader. this week, progressiveomen lost a political advocate, senator ted kennedy. in his nearly 50 yearsn the sete, 77-year-old kennedy sponsored more ldmark legislatiothan any other senator i u.s. history. laws such as the preancy discrimition act, the liy ledbetter fir pay act, the minimum wage act---2/3 of all minimum wageorkers are women--- the famil& medical leave act and volumes of althcare laws he wte placed women's rights fnt and center. kennedy's death is maj setback for demoats and others who favor health care reform, since he'd pressed for universal health ce coverage sincthe 1970's. so did women' women's -- progree womenose their bes friend in the senate, consideringhere are many progressive women in the u.s. senate? >> absolutely. and it's really a story about senato

joining me now, the chairman of the national republican committee, michael steele.d to have you on "the situation room." >> thank you, suzanne. >> health care, predominantly a b there, some cs overall. how would you grade the president? let's go first to let's say the economy overall. what do you think the president the performing, i mean, how is he performing? >> the economy overall, i think you're looking at somewhere around the c-minus area, i mean, because there's still a t lot of pieces that need to get filled in. i think the stimulus was obviously bad policy right out of the box, but, you know, again, there's not a whole lot to judge it against in such a short period of time. i think that there are many factors that went into where we are right now beyond just what the president has said he's going to do, some of the things that he's done, some of the volts that have been taken. i think right now, though, the strength we've seen in the economy is what from what the congress and what the president is not doing, is the market saying, you know, guys don't help us

michael steele sees a more sinister motive.ohn core nnen is accusing the white house of monitoring the speech and is asking president obama to cease and desist. are these protests spontaneous or organized? does it really matter? >> let's kick it off. let's start with gloria borger. >> the answer is, yes, some of them are real and some of them are manufactured. look, you have conservative groups out there, suzanne, who are against health care reform. they have learned it is very easy to organize groups via the internet and they have told people to go to places and to disrupt meetings. however, you also have some folks who really want to have a serious discussion about health care reform because they are worried about it. they are worried that they may lose their health insurance or whatever their concerns are. i think the ones we are paying attention to are the ones where you have the hecklers and the people who are disrupting any kind of real and protuductive conversation. >> david? >> i think it is a completely real distinctio

jon: michael steele, thank you.rricane season now gaining strength as we have been watching in the atlantic, hurricane bill. how prepared are we to handle a major one? can we in these lean times actually afford the cleanup costs? ?7 my name is chef michael. and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen... so she can watch me cook. you just love the aromas of beef tenderloin... and, ooh, rotisserie chicken. yes, you do. [ barks ] yeah. you're so special, you deserve a very special dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. the deliciously different way to serve up your love at mealtime. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations. (voice 2) how bad is it? (voice 1) traffic's off the chart... (voice 2) they're pinging more targets... (voice 3) isolate... prevent damage... (voice 2) got 'em. (voice 3) great exercise guys. let's run it again. what heals me? girls' night out. and for damage from acid reflux disease, my nexium. announcer: for many, one prescription nexium pi

so did michael steele. we'll get reaction from another key senator in just a moment and check the facts with sanjay gupta. but, first, candy crowley. >> reporter: his town halls have been twice as big as they were in previous years. so many hands in the air and so many cross turns. >> i need to know what you are doing to these insurance companies putting everything in their pocket and laughing at everybody else. >> we can cover people cheaper. >> making their way through the questions festering in the iowa countryside, he's really in a mine field. why does he support cuts in medicare? he doesn't. will he support a plan with a government-run insurance option? no. and about those so-called death panels, a term critics used that they say will put the government in the ut asia business. >> i don't have a problem with things like living wills, but we should not have a government program pitting him down not on program, the house bill would allow federal reimbursement to doctors that give end of life counseling t

we heard michael steele talking about it.w with the government intervening because of what they have seen with the financial markets and things like that? >> i think we are at a point. looking at history, looking at the cycles of history, i would be surprised if we don't for a few years have an era where there is more acceptance of government intervention. you know, the intervention on the last nine months you can argue over the specifics but to me it saved our bacon probably, and we go back and forth as a country from thinking, get out of our faces, let us do it ourselves, let's make a lot of money. let's spend, don't regulate and then we veer back and this is a veer back moment for better or worse. >> we are as david brooks suggests this morning, michael crowley, the children of madison. of divided government. of checks and balances and if we veer to the left and have the government more involved in our lives, chances are good in the future we'll veer to the right and keep going back and forth. there is always that pendulum

republican party chairman michael steele says, quote, we're not inciting anyone to go out and disrupt anything, unquote. steele calls the democrats' claims a bunch of baloney and says there's no upside for the republican party in these protests. meanwhile, a new cnn opinion research corporation poll shows the nation pretty evenly divided over the nation's health care plan, 50% for it, 45 45% opposed. the poll shows more than half of americans have strong feelings about the debate. a third says they are strongly opposed to mr. obama's plans. 23% say they are strongly in favor of them. the poll also suggest those against the president's health care plan may be more motivated to attend these town hall meetings than the people who support the idea. here's the question. do you think those protests against health care reform across the country are grassroots democracy or orchestrated opposition? go to cnn.com/caffertyfile and post a comment on my blog. >> a hot august. town hall meetings. >> going to be here the rest of this month? >> going to be here the rest of this week. >> okay. two day

republican party chair michael steele's mass e-mail reply replied quoted the mayo clinic that cuts in insurance payments could prompt mayo and others to reduce our access to government patients. a real debate on a real issue amid all the noise. but this new poll shows that in part because of the noise, president obama is losing ground in the health care debate. i'm steve handelsman, news4, capitol hill. >> former president dick cheney is apparently going to make his memoir a tell-all book that could expose a lot of secrets. for example, according to several reports, cheney believes that president george w. bush gradually turned away his advice during their second term in the white house. the book will cover cheney's long career from his days as chief of staff under president ford to his work under president bush. it is due to be released in 2011. cheney has said in the past that he believes the statute of limitations is passed on many of the secrets he will divulge in the book. the man current lip behind bars for the 19 8 bombing of pan am flight 103 could soon be released from prison

michael steel, proprietor. we'll talk when we come back. my name is chef michael.cook. you just love the aromas of beef tenderloin... and, ooh, rotisserie chicken. yes, you do. [ barks ] yeah. you're so special, you deserve a very special dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. the deliciously different way to serve up your love at mealtime. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations. >>> contessa with the buzz on the political blog this morning. what's going on? >> dnc has an ad out, people bitter and angry, rnc doesn't want to hear about it. grand old party has an line. when you press one it throws you right over to the dnc, doesn't even answer your call, sends it to the democratic party. >> pretty clever. >> michael steele is taking credit. he thought it was a good idea, you don't sit there and think you're going to direct a bunch of angry liberals to call rnc when i know full well what that's about. talk to your own party. they are the ones ginning it up. thank you for that. talking about outrage on the part of missouri

meanwhile, republican national committee chairman, michael steele issued a statement saying plerns simply aren't buying his efforts to repackage his government-run experiment. >>> alexandria's former police chief is spending the weekend in jail. david baker pled guilty yesterday to drunken driving. he was arrested last month, after a car accident in arlington. baker will spend five days behind bars in arlington county. >>> two baltimore police issuing two citations to michael phelps after a car accident there thursday night. they say the olympic gold medalist presented them with an invalid michigan driver's license after the minor accident. police cited him for failure to establish residency in maryland. investigators say the other driver caused the accident when she ran a red light. >>> >>> good morning anwelcome back to "news4 today," the weekend edion, i'm kimberly suiters. let's start the half hour off with a great look at today's weather, chuck bell is up in storm center 4, good morning to you. >> good morning, kimberly and good morning, everybody. saturday under way, sunrise is just

rnc chairman michael steele is going for the, who me? approach saying there is absolutely nothing to do with encouraging angry town hall protests. mr. steele said in a conference call, we're not encouraging people to be angry. some people that's how they express frus trashgs but that's not something deliberately coordinateed by me or anyone one state party. you know it is being celebrated and publicized by the national republican congressional committee, which is the part of the republican party that's responsible for racism in the house of representatives, promoting the disruptions on public websites calling them recess roastings and taunting the democrats accosted and shouted down at these events. house minority leader john boehner on his website is gloating specifically about the way the texas democrat lloyd duggette was treated during his town hall. the congressman was treated to an image of his own tombstone, you recall. congressman boehner concludes, "it will be a long, hot august for democrats in congress." the republican party of

republican party chair michael steele's mass e-mail reply quoted the mayo clinic that cuts in insurance payments could prompt mayo and others to reduce our access to government patien patience. a real debate on a real issue amid all the noise. the new poll shows in part because of the noise, president obama is losing ground in the health care debate. i'm steve handelsman, news4, capitol hill. >>> it is now beginning to look a lot like dick cheney's memoir will be a tell-all p.m. many described cheney as the most influential vice president in u.s. history. according to "the washington post," the former v.p. believes hi old boss gradually turned away from his advice during their second term in the white house. and began taking more flexible positions on a wide range of issues. the implication is that president bush changed from being a man of resolve into an ordinary politician. cheney told his biographer he has strong feelings about what happened and now that he and mr. bush left office, he does not see why he should not express those views. the memoir is due out in 2011. >>> secretary o

the rnc chairman michael steele has said that. their politicians have said that over and over.ink the only thing that works aside from low interest rates is tax cuts. they went down on record opposing the stimulus package. not a single republican voted for it. so they are heavily invested in its failure. >> there are obviously differences about this cash for clunkers program and how much it is really goosing sales. but car sales are up so if you're the mccain economic advisor what's the strategy to be the guy who tries to block the cash for clunkers program when it seems to possibly be working? >> you know, you pointed out in your intro to this that we've seen something out of detroit almost as rare as a detroit lions win and that is a year over year gain on sales. ford sold more cars in july, '09 than in july, '08. cash for clunkers only kicked in in the last week. it had something to do with it. all sorts of good things happen when a lot of cars are sold. there are huge retail sales, taxes are paid, it draws down inventory which means car factories may have to start making ca

lot of talk the republican party does not have a leader it needs a leader is a rush limbaugh, michael steele, new gingrich? is important that the party or movement of conservatives have a leader as definable? morrice is it the open source there could be multiple leaders, multiple groups and they will have the same effect and turn the country around and take back the white house and congress over the next two years? >> there is plenty of time. this time four years ago few americans knew barack obama. there is plenty of time to revolve a a leader for the next presidential cycle but in the meantime as volunteers or activists have to take a role and and gage and build within our communities. the problem i think has happened in her on movement through the years it is a lot of conservatives went to washington to do good. they did very well. they stayed and bought into the system. they bought into the benefits of the system and the power. we need to return to a movement of activists. >> a number of conservative leaders, tom delay said we do not need reagan anymore we need a new path, all of us have

. >> but with priceless spin rnc chairman michael steele says the markets are up because the president is failing. because the train has slowed on health care, because cap and trade basically imploded under its own weight in the house and couldn't get across the street to the senate, because the obama juggernaut on trying to manage and control our economy has slowed down the market is beginning to do what markets are supposed to do -- heal thy self. welcome the senior editor of "newsweek" magazine, daniel gross. thank you for your time tonight, sir. >> good to be here. >> so this was a miracle. just sort of happened like when the macarena became the hit song? >> you just gave me flashback to a lot of bad weddings in the '90s. yes, 2,000 years ago we had the immaculate conception, 35 years ago the immaculate reception and now the immaculate recovery. no one had anything to do with it. >> good economic news, cash for clunkers, none of this factored into what we saw today? >> cash for clunkers helped a little bit because people saw a huge amount of economic activity generated by that. but