in july president obama attended 21 fund-raisers compared to 17 public campaign events. its war chest, the romney campaign released a new television ad today acuesing the president of gutting welfare -- accusing the president of gutting welfare reform. >> under obama's plan you wouldn't have to work or train for a job. they just send you a welfare check. >> reporter: it's designed to paint the president as a big government liberal. tara mergener, cbs news, the white house. >>> coming up next, howard with the forecast. >> we've got some hazy sunshine out here, but south and east of town, some heavy showers have been occurring at times the last few hours. allergy update came in. allergy sufferers, the news is not good. numbers way up today. grass pollen from low to high. weeds low to moderate and mold once again high. i'll be back inside in a few minutes. we'll look at the radar and let you know where it's raining and i'll let you know what you can expect for the rest of the forecast. 9news now at noon continues in just a moment. >>> american athletes are facing tough comp

raiser. she is an incredible person, and we are lucky to have her support.ve described her as a philanthropist in the past. i would like to use that word again. it oftentimes sounds so overused, but it is very true with helen. the origin of the word shows that it means the love of humanity, and she deeply cares about san francisco and is committed to provide an opportunity for all children to realize their full potential. she sees this as a pilot program, and i wi her and our staff to roll this program out so we can offer it to additional students across san francisco moving forward. i would also like to share one other tidbit -- i know the olympics are over, and the excitement has sort of subsided, but there was one comment that i heard -- our fantastic united states olympian swimmer michael phelps said that he learned to swim because his mother wanted him to stay safe around the water. it is crucial that students are safer around the water and that they know not only how to swim but how to avoid accidents. i thought it was pretty amazing that that was how

five fund-raisers today, one of them is at his home in hyde park. while most the people there will have paid $40,000 a head, they also ran a contest whereby donating just a few dollars, $3, $5, whatever you could, people were entered into a raffle to come celebrate his birthday at his house. just shows how much they need to raise this money. >> yesterday there was a statement that came from the obama campaign about the paul ryan selection by mitt romney. today is anything new being said by obama or his camp? >> reporter: certainly, david axlerod was on state of the union with candy crowley. let's listen to how he summed up their view of the choice of romney. >> i think it's to help further define the race. don't think it's shaken up the race because governor romney has embraced many of the positions that congressman ryan espouses, extremely as they sound. i mean he's for the trillions of dollars of tax cuts for millionaires. >> reporter: so that's just a summary of the kind of lines we're expecting to hear from the obama campaign and from president

he said at a fund-raiser friday, arizona state lori klein, fund-raiser for her.ere's what he had to say. >> you know, for years i said put a fence on the border going to mexico and start shooting. i'm running for congress. that should be a bad thing to say. but it's how i feel. i'm not going to hide it because i'm running for office. i want our borders protected. i'm very, very adamant about that. >> let's go to lizz. we'll go to the trio of joes. they have the same m.o. and they're crazy. they have a crowd on the right, a niche of people who applaud terrible things. like we're going to shoot mexican-americans on sight. just kill them. is that funny? is that overstatement or do they mean it? >> as you hear this rhetoric, it seems like every few years what was absurd is now normal. it seems there's all this extra money in the world. if you have money to give to joe the plumber and the messaging he's got for you is, hey, let's go to the border and shoot up the border. at the fund raiser for a woman who pulled a pink gun on the press and said well, my finger wasn't

for a couple of fund- raisers of his own...ill be in the chicago area to speak tuesday morning where he will talk about the need to restore manufacturing jobs. that night he will attend two downtown fund-raisers before his campaign and republican national committee >> in the aftermath of a july jobs report which produced mixed reviews politicians from both parties butted heads on key issues toda >>y taxes and joy >> taxes and jobs >> romney hasn't been paying taxes for years... >> it is a plane he strongly denieclaim he strongly denies >> he called for broaget it done mr. president we need your help! >> it is hard to get consensus >> seven minutes of terror. that is what nasa scientists say it leads them to night around midnight. that is when the new mars rover curiosity is set to touch down on the red planet. after the complicated landing sequence is complete curiosity will either be ready to deliver ground breaking science or be demolished in a two and a half billion dollar wreck. curiosity is scheduled to spend two years on

a fund-raiser will take place for them tonight that. is where care quo lynn tyler is with the story. >> this fund-raiser starts at 8:00 tonight, marion brown says that is a little bit late for her, but she hopes to attend. marion brown is a vip guest m a fund-raiser for her and her twin. >> how is your sister doing? >> she's being taken care of. and i hope they cure her alzheimer's. i never would have expected her to get it. >> the 85-year-old marion and vivienne are famous more than four decades for being identical twins with a flamboyant style and personalities to match. but now, marion is living alone and for a while, worried she p her sister would have to eleven the -- leave the city to find affordable care. but bare area stepped up to make sure that that didn't happen. >> this is heart warming to see them sending in checks and going online, making donation autos they're using donations to pay for the assistive living facility in san francisco. care like that can cost up to $7,000 per month. it's a hefty price tag bringing us to the

i participated in hundreds of fund-raisers for aids. this was a bar that catered to the leather committee. it is expensive. i was the owner of mr. san francisco letter, miss san francisco weather, a founding member of international leather. in san francisco, the eagle is our home bar. i was going to tell you about the eagle through the years. instead, i decided to tell you something more important. the san francisco ego was never the same after the death of jerry thompson in 1994. although they continue to do fund-raisers on sunday, business began to weigh in on other days. it was sold and renamed the eagle talon. although they continue to have fundraisers, it was never the same. the business plan did not work. the community support began to dissolve. keeping the doors closed and this building blighted is not in the best interest of the building owner or the community. i am concerned this body would try to tell the property owner what kind of business he can put in their or what sexual preference the operator had to have. [tone!] that w

mitt romney out raised the president for three months that brings the total of 201 fund raisers. at this time years ago george w. bush only had 78 fund raisers. >> the death tole from iran's twin earthquake rising down to at least 300. hospitals are struggling to help thousands who are injured crews end the rescue efforts providing shelter and aid for thousands left homeless. patty ann? >> thank you heather. the u.s. not going alone when it tries to fund new efforts. food prices are up. now there's growing peer of a replay of the food crisis four years ago that sparked riots in 2,000 companies. that's why leaders are calling for the first ever emergency session in the fall to deal with the rising cost of corn, beans and other food. the meeting would address changing policies like export restrictions and amounts of ethanol et cetera to avoid a global flairup. >> foreign buyers flood the market because of ex training rates weaker prices and record low exchange rates. they had 82 billion in the 928 billion of u.s. real estate sold in the last year. a third of that came from canadian

that maybe what happened to romney fund-raisers, maybe romney fund-raisers maybe donors have a speciale to make special pleas for their industry, for their personal pocketbook. that's not what happens at the president's fund-raisers. people are there because they are committed to the president. stuart: if i'm paying $36,000 for dinner, i really would like a word from the president. i would really like a photograph. i mean it is like going to disney and mickey mouse refuses to have a picture taken with you. i expect something for 36,000 bucks. >> you may, and the question is whether you have a right to expect. the truth is, the president takes a lot of pictures with a lot of folks. i have seen them. i have seen those pictures being taken. i have got one. i haven't given any money. the reality is the president takes pictures with a lot of people. he doesn't disdain anybody. but what he is trying to do is raise a lot of money. it takes a lot of $36,000 checks to make up for the 25 million dollars that the coke brothers under investigation for violating the law are putting out there for ro

he'll headline two fund-raisers later in the evening in washington. we're live in washington, i'm claire leka. lynn, back to you. >> all right, claire, thanks so much. >>> also we are learning more about the man who carried out the mass shooting at a sikh temple outside of milwaukee on sunday. a 40-year-old army veteran was the lone gunman who shot and killed six people before being shot and killed by police. nbc's andy roesgen has the latest from oak creek, wisconsin. >> his name is wade michael page. >> reporter: a known skinhead and member of a popular neo-nazi band, police say they are still working on a motive for sunday's attack. >> who he is. what he has done in the past. and the possibility of his being in other records of other law enforcement around the country are things we are still pursuing. >> reporter: the southern poverty law center, which tracks hate groups in the u.s., says page was a known name in the neo-nazi world. >> he was reportedly a member of the hammer skin racist skin half group which is an extremely violent skinhead group.

and he picked up a big-name endorsement at another fund-raiser last night. that would be actor clint eastwood. eastwood joked with reporters as he headed into the fund-raiser in sun valley, idaho. >> i'm curious why you decided to endorse the governor. >> i haven't endorsed the governor. >> you're not going to? ? >> oh, yeah, i know. i just, because, i think the country needs a boost somewhere. >> eastwood told the crowd at the fund-raiser romney was going to restore a "decent tax system." >>> today is president obama's 51st birthday. he's spending the day at camp david. he'll hold a more official celebration in chicago next weekend. his wife, michelle, kicked off the weekend on the campaign trail, praising her husband's economic record at three massachusetts fund-raisers. >> when people ask you what this president has done for our country, here's what you tell them. tell them how many jobs he's created. tell them how much money he's put back in the pockets of american people. >> the president returns to the campaign trail monday with two stops in connecticu

obama's fund-raisers hit 200. but his first stop was campaign headquarters where they plan for the next political landscape. and democrats bombarded the airways. calling ryan radical, extreme, a right wing ideologue. he claims too make medicare and tax cuts to the rich the center of the campaign. the president already has. >> it is a trojan house. disguised as debt reduction plans is really an attempt to impose a radical vision on the country. >> reporter: while the ryan pick has brought excitement and bigger crowds, they say it makes it harder for republicans in crucial states, among them, florida and ohio. because talk of changing medicare could anger and motivate seniors. >> he is trying to move to the middle and ryan makes it almost impossible to do that. ryan wants a voucher program for medicare. some of the independents -- seniors. >> reporter: over the next three days, the president will campaign in one of the crucial state, iowa. there were five fund-raisers today, $6.5 million. as we mentioned, 200. that

fund raiser, president obama made light of mitt romney's tax plan, claiming it takes from the poor and gives to the rich. >> it is like robin hood in reverse. it is romney hood. >> but mitt romney punched back with a barb of his own. >> if i were to coin a turned it would be obamaloney. he is serving a dish that is in contradiction with the truth. >> romney accused obama of going back on welfare. >> under obama's plan, you would not have to work and would not have to train for a job. they just send you your welfare check. >> this advertising is categorically false and blatantly dishonest. >> it could be a ploy to drive a wedge between the president and bill clinton, who signed welfare reform in the law. >> bill clinton will be at the event this summer. alert,onight's education there is another sign that the first day of school is just around the corner. anne arundel county's major new employees passed a criminal background check before getting on the payroll. tim tooten is live in the newsroom with more. >> when it comes to student safety, nothing is off limits. >> they are the school

today he'll attend, count them, five fund-raisers. cnn's athena jones is covering the president's trip, and eye that he in athena, what has been on his schedule? >> reporter: five fund raisers in total, all of them here in his hometown of chicago. he's here to rev up the metown crowd and raise a bunch of cash. ticket prices for these fund-raisers are wide ranging t. they start at $51 all the way up to $40,000 a ticket. one of those is going to be at his home. they also held a contest where people donating a very small amount, $3, $5, could win a chance to go to that fund-raiser at his house. so all of that is going on today. you know, the campaign is not going to be releasing any sort of official tallies for the totals they're raising, but they estimate that today's events will bring in between $3.5 million and $4 million, deb. >> so it's very interesting because romney's campaign has bragged about making money off the paul ryan announcement. is it possible that there's going to be a surge also in the amount of money that is -- that t

this is a print project that will be a fund-raiser for the contemporary music players.cided to put it in the portfolio so you could either frame at or have it on your bookshelf. >> so nonprofits can come to you, not just visual are nonprofits, but just nonprofits can come to you, and you will produce prints for them to sell, and the profits, they can keep. >> the return on investment is usually four times to 10 times the amount of investment. this is for the bio reserve in mexico, and this is one of the artists we represent. >> you also make prints for the artists that you represent. over here are some large prints by a phenomenal artist. >> he writes these beautiful things. anyone who has told you paradise is a book of rules is -- has only appeared through the windows. this is from all over coffee. we are contract printers for all kinds of organizations all across the country. >> thank you very much for showing us around today. i really appreciate you taking the time to let me get better acquainted with the operation and also to share with our "culturewire" team.

he said at a fund-raiser friday, arizona state lori klein, fund-raiser for her. had to say. >> you know, for years i said put a fence on the border and start shooting. i'm not going the hide it because i'm running for office. i want our borders protected. i'm very adamant about that. >> we are going to go through this trio of joes. they happen to have the same name and same m.o., they are crazy. politically they have a crowd on the right and niche of people who applaud terrible things like we are going to shoot mexican americans on site. just kill them. is that funny? is that overstatement? do they actually mean it? >> you know, as you hear this rhetoric, it feels like every five years we are -- what seemed absurd is now normal. and it seems like there's all this extra money in the world. if have you money to give to joe the plumber and the messaging he's got for you is hey let's go down to the border and shoot up the border. at the fund raiser for a woman who pulled a pink gun on the press and said my finger wasn't on the trigger. i don't know. i feel like sligh

i learned about many of these by getting the schedules from gop fund-raisers and consultants getting invitations, but one of the most prominent ones which you mentioned, the salute to david koch, oddly enough, is a public one. and i actually went on the americans for prosperity website today, registered for the event. it appears i can bring a guest, so i know you have some anchoring responsibilities, but if you would like to salute david koch, you're more than welcome to join me. >> well, if i held a lottery for that privilege on the staff, i would be trampled by the people trying to participate in it, so i might have to defer. mike, the conventions are always sort of slurries of cash. they're always sort of slurries of lobbying events. it happens on both sides. certainly, the democrats vet their donors in the same way that the republicans do historically, but is there something different about the scale or the relative emphasis happening at the rnc this year. as i said in the intro, it feels to me the highest profile events and positions at the rnc are about the donors. >> first of

fund raisers. >>> just over 24 hours from the " seven minutes of terror " with the mars rover lands on the red planet what makes exports confident it will land safely. the most decorated olympic athlete michael phelps said,,,,, >>> at photographer snapped this photo of the moon rises beyond london's tower bridge the full amount in perfect sync with the olympic rings. it is the eighth of 17 days of competition at 2012 games the last day of competition for the most decorated olympian michael phelps says he's retiring after his final race he has won the most gold medals and more total medals than anyone else in olympic history his journey began as a 19 year-old he won six gold and two bronze in athens now he leaves his inspiration to younger members of team usa. >>> michael gave me a high five and wished me good luck that man to a lot >>> she says phelps words helped her win the gold medal and record time. in beijing he swept eight gold medals break a record of mark spitz said in 1972. sad news for the parents of swimmer rye and lockheed they are drowning in debt and face foreclosure o

vice-president joe biden will a fund-raiser in new york. nathan lane is among celebrities expected to attend a fund- raiser. mitt romney and paul ryan not taking any time off. there was a rally in commerce, michigan, not far from where romney grew up. making some final before the republican national convention next week in tampa. big question for many is whether tropical storm isaac or -- or cain isaac hurricane isaac will disrupt tampa. the storm's sights are set on dominican republic and haiti. of storm is about the size texas and it has already downed trees and flooded parts of puerto rico. it is predicted to shift west mexico, gulf of remain a tropical reaches the warm waters of the gulf. and it could strengthen into a category one hurricane early monday. >> there is uncertainty in the track and intensity. that's why we cannot pinpoint any single spot in south florida elsewhere that would receive or theongest wind rain.st >> residents in southern florida up, prepared to survive three days without electricity. >> we have water and home a

the romney campaign closed a jerusalem fund-raiser to the press and then reversed course. he suggested cultural superiority of israelis over palestinians and then complained the comments were mischaracterized. he praised the israeli health care system, which just happens to be socialized. romney aide loses cool, tells a reporter to kiss my bleep. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question -- is mitt romney's campaign right? was mitt romney's foreign trip a great success? text a for yes, text b for no to 622639. or go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. i'll bring you the results later in the show. joining me now is msnbc political analyst david corn. also the washington bureau chief for mother jones magazine, and author of the book "showdown." welcome to the show. >> good to be with you, professor. >> mr. corn, three countries, three strikes? >> you know, maybe he got a foul tip in poland. i don't know. that's about the best he did. i have been on the air the last day or so calling this the moonwalking tour because he had to spend so much time wal