mitt romney praises some aspects of the obama's administration's race to the top program but says held give more control to state and local governments. the federal government pays 12.5% of elementary education. the government imposes sweeping mandates but leaves others to pay the bill. in april mitt romney says if he becomes president the department of education will be consolidated with another agency. it will be a heck of a lot smaller. secretary of education arne duncan leads that. he's with me now. thank you nor joining me. we haven't heard much until this week, the president campaigning in iowa talking to students and romney campaign took out an ad. mitt romney said under president obama it costs more to go to college. he says there are fewer opportunities when students graduate, less likely to be employed, half of them unemployed or underemployed. tell me, why would this get any better if president obama has another four years. >> what president obama and i fundamentally believe we have to educate our way to a better economy. our children today aren't competing for jobs in the

interestingly, we thought a romney administration would be more positive for energy stocks, but i think under an obama administration, energy would also do well because both candidates want an independent energy culture here in the united states. i think energy will do well. new energy. natural gas, fracking, all that good stuff. health care. interestingly, we think under an obama administration, health care stocks would actually do better than under a romney administration. that's contrary to most of our competition. the reason is, if romney should win, 80% of health care is product and pharmaceuticals and drugs and really expensive stuff. if you have fewer americans insured under a romney administration, that means less americans will be paying out for those products, 80% of which represent the health care. that's one thing you have to be careful of. >> we keep hearing image. obviously, the economy, jobs, the whole picture. what do you feel? it >> will be tough for either candidate. what we need, both fiscally and economically is compromise. i think we need to tell our leaders that we

how does that bode for the romney administration if governor romney is elected in the fall? >> first of all, you have to win the election. [laughter] i am one of the original supporters of what you said is internet freedom. the net neutrality that the f c c has promulgated -- i think that is more than sufficient. i go back to the tender 15 years ago, to the energy and commerce committee where chris cox, who chairman of theairma fcc, we put in a law that you cannot tax the internet. more information, more accessible, more transparent is better for democracy. i have nine steadied the republican platform, but if it is would you say it is, i -- i have not studied the republican platform, but if it is what you say it is, i think that is a good thing. >> do you foresee action on potentially taxing? >> i think there is an issue. if you have a sales tax in a state, the brick and mortar store collects a sales tax on a transaction in the store. the same consumer, if he buys the same product or the internet, it is not a sure thing that there will be a sales tax collected. i think that

for those trying to get a job will be cut by the romney administration.nd investment in infrastructure which will be cut by the romney administration, african-american voters are not monolithic, they don't think this one way. they think holistically. i believe the enthusiasm level are rise and rise and north carolina will be in the column along with new mexico. i'd like texas. new mexico and our southwestern states with the hispanic vote and certainly women will remember in november. this is going to be a vote for going forward and not going backward. >> one issue impacting minority voters is voter i.d. in your home state, a federal appeals court tossed out a voter i.d. law saying it was a burden on the poor. governor perry responded by saying chalk up another victory for fraud. with 19 states now involved in this fight, why does the republican party, the party of smaller government and less tax to institute more red tape and basically a poll tax on americans to vote? >> i think the question is enormously astute. this is the party of lincoln that obviousl

previous platforms had been, and i'm just wondering what does that -- how does that bode for a romney administration if governor romney is elected in the fall? >> guest: step one is to win the election. [laughter] you know, it's all a hypothetical now. you know, i'm one of the original supporters of what you just said is internet freedom, you know, and the mistitle net neutrality regulations of the fcc is promulgated i don't think are necessary. i think if you have an aggressive open market with reasonable guidelines which the fcc had adopted before they adopted their net neutrality principles, i think that's more than sufficient. and i go back on, oh, 10 or 15 years ago on the committee, the energy and commerce committee, where we, you know, chris cox who later became chairman of the sec, securities and exchange commission, he and i put an amendment in that is current law today that you can't tax the internet. so i'm, you know, more information, more accessible, more transparent is better for democracy, and, you know, i haven't studied the republican platform what they've done, but if it's as you s

i spent most of my time hearing from the california delegates about their hopes for a romney/ryan administration. >> i accept your nomination for president of the united states. >> belva: mitt romney's acceptance speech on thursday reinforced his campaign goal. keeping the issue of jobs and economy front and center in the political debate. >> i have a plan to create 12 million new jobs. >> belva: it's a message that appeals to the largest delegation at the convention. >> california, the state that gave america and the world, the inspirational relationship of ronald reagan and proudly cast all of our 172 votes. governor mitt romney. >> belva: we asked former governor pete wilson what romney would do if elected. >> i would say california needs to help itself. if you help the national economy, you will help 13% of the nation's people who live in california. >> belva: earlier this month, romney slammed california comparing it to failed european economies like greece and spain. party leaders echoed that tone during the delegation kickoff event monday morning. >> california is not competitive. califor

in mitt romney administration will not make those kind of mistakes. mitt romney administration believes in peace through strength, supporting our allies, and we have tough times ahead of us. look at what's going on with israel and iran right now. look at the danger that brings, not just us, but the world. if we are trying to advance our national security interests and unless people of the difficult corners of this world to help us and we keep leaking about what they're doing, they will stop helping us. there are a lot of people who are not from this country who believe it into this country. you believe that a strong america as the best thing for their peace and security because we stand for democracy and freedom. these debt for the values of free enterprise, and of his rights, -- we stand for the ballets of free enterprise, womens rights -- if america stops doing that, they will have less support for their freedom. it is a shame this man is wafting in jail, as you say. we have to treat our allies better than this and we will. thank you, everybody. tha

so would a romney administration have said we're going to put aid on hold?o under romney on who had right now to egypt. and you're figuring out whether you're going to reinstate it. >> what the romney administration would make clear, there are conditions. no country gets a blank check. if someone is working against american interests, and if a country is working against its own interests, interests of people in its own society, minorities, women, in the case of egypt, coptic christians. we have to ask tough questions, and the answers to those questions will dictate whether or not part of the funding is suspended or all of the funding is suspended. so we would be having a real discussion with the egyptian government about whether or not they're willing to meet these objectives and maintain these commitments. >> so under the economic plan romney has put out he says he's going to reduce foreign aid and the numbers are about $100 million in savings is what he has suggested. this is interesting, okay? obviously you know the math, right? so that's .18% of our tota

>> what romney said the wealthy will pay just as much under the romney administration -- the tax rate will go down. they'll lose deductions and other loopholes that they'll have them paying the same. that's what governor romney's plan. i love that ad. $4 trillion reduction in the debt, really, mr. president? really. he hasn't come forward with a plan. it's great ad. it sounds really nice and looks nice. but there's nothing substantive there. >> the comeback from president obama at that point, where are the details, that same question could be put to governor romney, you said hard truths in the convention, governor romney hasn't laid out which deductions will go away for the wealthy. >> the president of the united states has an obligation to be the one who's the most specific. >> so the challenger doesn't have to. >> i didn't say that. that ad does nothing to add to the debate and discussion except to not tell the truth. he starts off by not telling the truth. the president says governor romney wants more tax cuts for the rich. which is not true. governor romney said it over and over a

mccain but mitt romney the response on the part of the white house you have heard the criminal tentty. not very passionate. how are they taking all of this? >> the obama administrationipped into governor romney and one of the spokesperson it was wrong to in his words politicize the situation which was still unfolding last evening. today the president himself in the rose garden didn't want to get into any of that political stuff. he didn't engage mitt romney directly on the questions he has been pushing over the last 24-hours about whether or not in the initial violence in cairo whether or not the u.s. embassy errored in suggesting this was di tied to an anti muslim movie and somehow there was something to apologize for. that is something mitt romney has jumped all over. what the president was trying to do is talk about how he is vowing there will be justice done in this case. take a listen. >> today we mourn for more americans who represent the very best of the united states of america. we will not waiver in our commitment to see that justice is done after this terrible mistake. make no mistake justice will be done. >> i have spoken to other officials they have gott

complicated subject and i think it was a complete waste of political capital and time by the romney administrationt takes a difference of opinion to make a horse race, as they say, if you don't have a difference in the campaign, no real advantage, particularly if you're the opposition, who is trying to make a case, fine some issues with which he can criticize the president instead of the president saying i'm just as tough as mitt. >> what's happening in global trades, a lot of free trade agreements between the countries of the asia pacific and zero between the united states and the eu. all the countries in the fastest growing part of the country, and meanwhile the obama administration is doing nothing, but implementing what the bush administration-- >> and romney has an opportunity to educate american voters, even when we have chinese imports, quote, what's made in china isn't made in china. and those created thousands of jobs along the value chain in the united states. a herridge study that says that clothing and toy manufacturing alone half a million or so jobs that were supported in 2010. so, a

romney said he made that statement to show there was a real foreign policy divide between him and the obama administration but what that statement really was about was a divide between romney and the people on the ground. the press release romney's attacking came from folks trapped in the egyptian embassy fearing an angry mob and who were trying to understand why that mob was angry and also how to calm it down. saying here in america that america is great doesn't do all that much for you when you're in egypt and the angry guys with guns outside your window don't instantly agree. the last few years i think have been a repudiation of the idea that we can deal with the world entirely on our own terms, but that is clearly not the lesson governor romney has taken from them. for more on the lessons governor romney has taken from them, we turn to heather hoburt. now executive director of the national security network. james mann, author and residence at the johns hopkin university school advanced international studies and author of the book "the obamians." it's great to have you both here. james, i want to start

>> i think that under romney administration it might be a little bit harder.i'm actually scared to live under a romney administration. >> laura: i'm going to allay your fears. what are are you scared of? >> you know what? all of the above. you know, from contraceptives to abortion to whether or not people have access to quality healthcare, have access to quality education, have access to housing. >> when you say access, do you think public schools are going to cease to exist if mitt romney is president or you think that women won't be able to go into a clinic and get an abortion? no, i don't. i find the language, frankly, to be sloppy and i think you're better than that you are better than that if you want to have a substantive argument about mitt romney's policies that's fine, but to say is he stopping women from aborting or having -- using contraceptive devices is ridiculous. what he wants to do is probably not force religious institutions like catholic universities to have to give abore face drugs or sterilization drugs healthcare plan. that's a religious l

what romney said the wealthy will pay just as much under the romney administration -- the tax rate will go down. they'll lose deductions and other loopholes that they'll have them paying the same. that's what governor romney's plan is. so, what i would say, i love that ad. the president gets to say, a million new manufacturing jobs? how? $4 trillion reduction in the debt, really, mr. president? really. how? he hasn't endorsed his own plan. he hasn't come forward with a plan. it's a great ad. i have no doubt about that. it sounds really nice and looks nice. but there's nothing substantive there. >> i can imagine the comeback from president obama at that point, where are the details, that same question could be put to governor romney, you said hard truths in the convention, but governor romney hasn't laid out which deductions will go away for the wealthy. >> listen, the president of the united states has an obligation after four years of being president, to be the one who's the most specific. >> so the challenger doesn't have to? >> i didn't say that. he has the bigger obligation. that ad

employment, pawlenty reportedly agreed not to run for office or accept any position in a potential romney administration. >>> well, every year nbc hosts week long meetings and discussions that include experts from around the country on ways to improve education in america. this year's education nation begins on sunday and nbc's danielle leigh has a preview from washington. >> reporter: new york city's public library will soon host the nation's leaders in business, government, philanthropy and media. >> thank you all for coming. >> reporter: more than 300 people brought together by nbc to seek solutions to the biggest issues facing america's education system. >> we think we can shine a spotlight on what's working and share the results. >> reporter: for the third year nbc spread out across the country from california to illinois. this time to find innovation in a classroom. >> it's good for a news organization to stand for something and we think education is a broad subject matter that doesn't get nearly enough attention by the traditional news media. >> reporter: nbc news journalists will highlight the p

. >> this is just idea of a romney administration to me is to be honest is abhorrent. >> i love his films so it's hard to like, slam him but i think maybe he just needed to sit down or something. and seems like he was trying something. it didn't come across. that well. >> she says supporters in the film industry were wild for him four years ago. this time around? >> i think at the end of the day everybody realizes that this is just still our guy. we have to do what we can to make sure he gets reelected. i think it's not like a series of rock concerts anymore. >> and coming up, michelle obama going to attempt to rock this hougs, capping off a day devoted to attracting women to president obama and at least their votes we'll have that for you coming up tonight. >> okay, thank you very much and again, on abc 7 news at 6:00 mark talk was women who were taking center stage including state attorney general harris and actress ashley judd. you can get updates by following him on our facebook page and mark is also tweeting at matthews abc 7. we'd like you to join us from live coverage that airs ton

these people, as allowed under current law, making it hard to know what they might want from a romney administration. >> the romney campaign is the first in many years to not release the names of their bundlers. >> reporter: and as the romney victory council members left the yacht, secrecy seemed to be the order of the day. how much money have you pledged to raise? >> sorry, i don't really have time. >> reporter: what's your name, sir? >> uh -- >> reporter: can't say your name? >> no. >> reporter: are you embarrassed about being here? >> not at all. got to run. thank you. >> reporter: whoever they are, and whatever they want, they are expected to help raise more than $800 million to elect mitt romney as president. brian ross, abc news, tampa. >>> and brian ross will be back on the money trail next week in charlotte for the democratic national convention, stay tuned. >>> the white house took a veiled shot at romney's acceptance speech with a spokesman saying he's surprised the republican nominee didn't mention the 70,000 u.s. troops currently in afghanistan. romney was, according to the associated pr

president's foreign policy as well as his domestic policy and he says that job number one in a romney administration will be to get those 23 million americans out of work or underemployed back to work and gainful employment. so they believe that is the message that is ultimately going to resonate with voters on election day. the fact that there have been 43 months straight of unemployment above 8%. and they, again, they want to continue to hit the president on that front and try to perhaps move beyond this foreign policy issue that was created this week with mr. romney's statement on tuesday night. >> all right. nbc's ron mott there in roanoke. safe travels. >>> coming up, chuck todd, nbc's political director and host of msnbc's "the daily rundown." we're going to ask him about the latest swing state polls in the presidential race, including the shrinking number of undecided voters. that's coming up at the bottom of the hour. >>> two u.s. marines were killed, and several others injured during a militant attack on a base housing england's prince harry. the strike happened at camp bastion in soump afg

what the romney people will argue and what they said, people understand what they mean. he sent the signal that the bush administrationesses and did things wrong and america has to be stronger and firmer, unwaiverring, that's a philosophical difference. but romney shot himself in the foot, coming out, before the facts were clear, the story was in motion and opened himself up to the charges that he was being rash and trying to score political points. had he waited until later today -- >> greta: did the facts make it better or worse for him? >> better organized crit senate criticism. >> he would have said the same thing. >> that's fine. but he had the facts and no one could accuse him of shoot from this hip and being political. as a matter of political process, it would have been better to wait to have the argument. >> but when we learn that the ambassador had been killed that put it up the importance scale that romney's statement looked inappropriate? >> i think so. and hasty. he wasn't getting all the facts. >> greta: we are going to take a break. straight ahead, paul ryan, just told us about governor rom ne's economi

house based on obama may soon be on t outside looking in at a romney administration. >> i hope you have a great night. i would have to be destitute for that to be the case. if it came to that. from the fast-food guide how the country could be fast. >> one unions make a buck. what do they want? >> $20 an hour. >> $30 of hour. >> i don't know you do not know anything about you. >> then i want to learn. that is our show. >> with the chicago teachers union got the media attention but the battle to control the school will continue but the basic issue who has the power and who pays? it is more than taxpayers they say it is good day for track -- protect from arbitrary dismissal. is that true? no. all agreements make it hard to fire people and everyone be treated equally are bad for customers and employees and the union workers themselves. but no luck with that argument to some workers. >> thousands of workers came here to say we need a second bill of rights. a living wage, full employment, start with lie with some workers are more effective and the rules mean the slackers cannot be fired? >> d

intended to win the white house based on obama may soon be on the outside looking in at a romney administration. >> i hope you have a great night. i would have to be destitute for that to be the case. if it came to that. from the fast-food guide how the country could be fast. >> one unions make a buck. what do they want? >> $20 an hour. >> $30 of hour. >> i don't know you do not know anything about you. >> then i want to learn. that is our show. >> with the chicago teachers union got the media attention but the battle to control the school will continue but the basic issue who has the power and who pays? it is more than taxpayers they say it is good day for track -- protect from arbitrary dismissal. is that true? no. all agreements make it hard to fire people and everyone be treated equally are bad for customers and employees and the union workers themselves. but no luck with that argument to some workers. >> thousands of workers came here to say we need a second bill of rights. a living wage, full employment, start with lie with some workers are more effective and the rules mean the slackers c

what some of the previous thought firms have been and i wonder how does that bode for the romney administration if he is elected? >> i'm one of the original supporters on the internet freedom and the title medved neutrality and regulations as promulgated i don't think are necessary. i think that you have an aggressive open markets which reasonable guidelines which they had adopted before the adopted a dennett neutrality principles. i think that is more than sufficient and i go back ten or 15 years ago in the commerce committee where he became a german in the securities and exchange commission and put an amendment in and you can't tax the internet. more information to more accessible, more transparent it's better for democracy and i haven't studied the platform and what they've done but if it is as you say it is that is a good thing. >> you mentioned taxing the internet. that is an issue that seems to be popping back up to you for c auction on may be potentially taxing? >> i think there is an issue as there are more internet sales and if you have a sales tax and estate, the brick and mortar stor

. >> if you're thinking about a romney administration making a significant change that would be noticeable to anyone outside of, lets say economists or financial market professionals, we're probably all going to be disappointed. >> reporter: republicans have expressed some concern the current fed has been too cozy with the treasury and the obama administration. but that concern may fade after the election. >> i think you'd see a move away from that, so that's easy to say now, before someone has the reins of power. if... when they actually get the reins of power, they might actually prefer to have a more cozy relationship. >> reporter: the three men most often mentioned as likely romney fed picks are columbia business school dean glenn hubbard, harvard economist greg mankiw, and stanford economist john taylor. >> among those, i think mankiw would be the most activist and taylor would be the least activist. mankiw would perhaps be the most likely to consider q.e. right now; taylor would be opposed. >> reporter: taylor has criticized bernanke for the fed's aggressive bond buying and is consid