two things that nicholas kristof found are not true during thinks trip across iran. >> iran is a country of contradictions but there is a common thread. >> thank you so much. >> the people of russian like american people. >> i learned that the regime does have some support. especially in rural areas. but i met lots of people who are increasingly frustrated. >> eliot: joining me now opponent he had nicholas kristof author of" and who returned from his road trip across iran. welcome. >> thank you. >> eliot: when you get behind the walls of a regime that we not know a great deal, there is a changing dynamic. >> the most amazing thing, as an american to go and wander around and drop in villages and factories and the moment people find out that you're actually an american, then all of a sudden they grin and they want to offer you tea and/or our trip kept getting delayed because people wanted to invite us in to lunch and take us into their homes. it seemed to me it was an intuitive reaction to the distrust that they have to official media. the official media sees how awful it is, and i was the

nicholas kristof author "half the sky."nk you for. >> thank you. >> drinking chocolate milk out of the stanley cup. the viewfinder is next. gaeme inc. thank gaemezilinsky, thank you for joining of sununu, you're wrong. mitt romney, you're wrong. we need more teachers, not fewer teachers and more cops and more firefighters that support our >> eliot: coming up obama versus romney coming up, it's starring to sound like hamilton versus jefferson. but first dopped's birthday and the president's musk career. >> the birth king. don't forget don't trump. i'm not making this up. it is also donald truck's trumped birthday. >> the first thing he did this morning. he demanded to see his own birth certificate. >> he didn't want a big party. he invited a few close friend to to come over. >> he didn't even want a clown. >> there is initiatives about legalizing marijuana. >> if they make it on to the ballot i say romney is doom because we all know pot smokers are highly motivated organized and punk actual. >> sorry i'm late, this new sched

the "new york times" columnist, nicholas kristof, took a remarkable journey through the country and he way they view their government as well as the way they view the united states. nick kristof is joining us from the "new york times" right now. nic, you really wrote a pretty amazing column today in the "new york times." and you also posted some dramatic video of this 1,700-mile journey you took through iran. not every reporter has a chance to do that. let me play this clip for our viewers. >> i spent a week talking to various people from uneducated farmers to self-confident women. iran is a country of contradictions, but there was a common thread. >> thank you so much. >> the people of iran like america people. >> i learned that the regime does have some support especially in rural areas. but i also met lots of people who are increasingly frustrated. >> if i had a chance to talk to mr. obama, i would say that he didn't support us. >> more of the video on the "new york times" website. what was his point, this individual, we didn't see him, he was disappointed about president obama. wha

. >> i'm joined now by "new york times" columnist nicholas kristof and "washington post" columnist, danae to both of you. nick what is going on here? is this politics on the part of the republicans or do they have a legitimate beef? >> it seems to me we have so many priorities nationally to focus on this just seems incredibly lame. on the other hand, they have a point, i think in that president obama in 2008 suggested that executive privilege should be very narrowly defined in terms of what a president and white house saufgss discuss amongst themselves and that does not seem tonight case in the documents he is trying to hold back. it just seems to me everybody -- i'm sympathetic absolutely everybody in this case u. >> if you look at the politics of it, dana, there is this feeling any day the romney campaign isn't focused -- focusing efforts on attacking the president on the economy is not a good day. i mean, are house republicans off message for the romney camp? what do you think's going on here? >> i mean there is a school of thought that says that the white house is actually picking th