we'll have the numbers and a steve kroft interview. of american who went missing in ssan. >> please help me! >> pelley: bob orr on the tssage and the mystery. who's holding robert levinson? dean reynolds with republican ron paul, confident that he'll finish in the top three in iowa. and "on the road" with steve hartman. a drama teacher's lesson's on life. >> i like to think i've made a difference, okay? nkay, i think i've made a difference. 've made a difference. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, you might say president obama needs a 333 plan. that's how many days he has to convince american voters that he should be reelected. 333. he's up against some tough new numbers tonight. take a look at the new cbs news poll. the president's job approval rating is 44%, and that poses a big challenge because, according to the gallup poll, no president since truman has been reelected when his approval rating was below 48%. then we asked this question. does president obama deserve

i'm here to say they are wrong. ( applause ) steve. >> kroft: mr. ent. >> obama: good to see you, sir. >> kroft: good to see you. we spoke to the president immediately following the 55- minute speech, which he wrote mostly himself, clearly drawing the battle lines for the next election. i mean, you were really talking about income inequality, which suggests redistribution of... of wealth. >> obama: i'm going to interrupt you there, steve. >> kroft: there are going to be people who say "this is the socialist obama, and he's come out of the closet." >> obama: look, the... everybody's at... concerned about inequality. those folks in there who were listening to the speech, those are teachers and small businesspeople, and probably some small-town bankers, who are in there thinking to themselves, "how is it that i... we're working so hard..." and meanwhile they know that corporate profits are at a record level, that a lot of folks are doing very well. what's happened to the bargain? what's happened to the american deal that says, you know, we are focused o

a fast track that seemed to have been created just a few weeks ago after steve kroft on "60 minutes" revealed that congress members were legally allowed to use inside information, information they learned through briefings or reports to make money. something regular people like us would be arrested for. >> why does congress get a pass on this? >> it's really the way the rules have been defined and the people who make the rules are the political class in washington, and they've conveniently written them in such a way that they don't apply to themselves. >> reporter: the buying and selling of stock by corporate insiders who have access to nonpublic information that could affect the stock price can be a criminal offense. just ask hedge fund manager who recently got 11 years in prison for doing it. but congressional lawmakers have no corporate responsibilities and have long been considered exempt from insider trading laws, even though they have daily access to nonpublic information and plenty of opportunities to trade on it. >> we know that during the health care debate, people were trad

in a "60 minutes" interview with steve kroft today, mr. obama compared himself to a captain in a storm. >> no matter how well we're steering the ship, if the boat's rocking back and forth and people are getting sick and they're being buffeted by the winds and the rain, at a certain point if you ask them "are you enjoying the ride right now?" folks are going to say no. and if you say "do you think the captain is doing a good job?" people are going to say "a good captain would have had us in smooth waters and sunny skies at this point." and i don't control the weather. what i can control are the policies we're putting in place to make a difference in people's lives. >> did you overpromise? did you underestimate how difficult it was going to be? >> i didn't overpromise and i didn't underestimate how tough this was going to be. i always believed that this was a long-term project. this wasn't a short-term proje project. and, you know, for individual americans who are struggling right now, they have every reason to be impatient. reversing struct

plus a preview of steve kroft's "60 minutes" interview with president obama, and analysis from cbs news chief white house correspondent norah o'donnell and political director john dickerson. then, we'll have an important announcement about "face the nation." it all starts now. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: good morning again. congresswoman michele bachmann who was on fire during the debate last night is joining us from des moines this morning. congresswoman, appreciate you getting up early. to come in and be with us. i want to ask you this question. it just struck me last night watching the debate. you're a social conservative, but when newt gingrich's three marriages came up, all the other candidates just jumped right on it. you did not make any direct criticism or reference to him about that. i just wonder why that was. >> well, i was asked a question about character and what that meant for the presidency of the united states. i went back to what the founders said, and the founders said we needed to focus o

>> while steve kroft was bringing up the cratering poll numbers, steve kroft said don't you think there maybe is ray possibility that you overpromised during the campaign in 2008, you might have promised too much? you might have said we're going to change things? interestingly enough, listen to the soundbite from the president when he says i always believed it's going to take longer than he had led us to believe earlier. >> i didn't overpromise and i didn't underestimate how tough this was going to be. i always believed that this was a long term project. reversing structural problems in our economy that had been building up for two decades. it was going to take time. it was going to take more than a year. it was going to take more than two years. it was going to take more than one term. probably takes more than one president. >> why didn't he tell us that? >> i think this is where he does get it into difficulty because listen, so many americans loved the idea of hope and change. that whole campaign. i think if you went back and interviewed, all the people who voted for him in 2008, and

majority of americans don't feel president obama deserves a second term. "60 minutes" correspondent steve kroft sat down with the president and asked if mr. can turn the economy around before election day. >> oops. rick perry gets more names wrong and draws more slumps for his record. >> whether it was -- uh -- uh -- not -- not to be -- or -- >> sonia sotomayor? >> sonia sotomayor. >> a video of a husband who vanished almost five years ago in iran, we will talk to her and a man who was held hostage by the taliban about what it takes to survive this long. >>> a british war ship is back after sending a christmas card to the world. ♪ >> what this crew really wants for the holidays "early" this saturday morning, december 10th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs >>> a nice december morning here in new york city. looking at one of the towers of the time warner center on the upper west side. >> it looks cold out there but it is cold. >> it's cold to you because you are from texas. >> i'm betty nguyen in for rebecca jarvis. >> i'm russ mitchell. >>> jerry sandusky's wife could also be charged because she a

. >> i'm steve kroft. >> i'm lesley stahl. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm bob simon. >> i'm lara logan.cott pelley. those stories tonight on "60 minutes." hi, could you read my list? it's all crossed out... it's 'cause i got everything on it. boom! thank you! [ male announcer ] no need to wait with our christmas price guarantee. if you find a lower price on a local print ad before christmas, we'll give you the difference on a walmart gift card. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are n

it's interesting about steve kroft's questions. he tried a bunch of different ways to get the president to admit he underestimated something. the president just wasn't having it. no matter how steve kroft asked the question, the president seemed to steer it back to, look, i didn't underestimate this. i knew this was going to be this hard and take this long. that i found interesting about both the questioner, the intent to ask him these questions, and how on message and on point. there was no way to allow to show a moment of weakness, right? when you go back in recent presidential history, that so-called malaise speech where jimmy carter didn't use the word "malaise" but talked about the negatives in such a public way ended up hurting him. it was like the president wanted to draw the line there and didn't slip into that territory. >> chuck todd, thank you sir. i want to pass along the programming note. the president is due to speak at 11:30 eastern time. we'll bring it to you live as soon as that happens. >>> we also are keeping a c

. >> mitchell: in an interview for tomorrow night's "60 minutes," steve kroft asked president obama whether he over-promised during his last campaign and underestimated how difficult the job of fixing the economy would be. >> reversing structural problems in our economy that had been building up for two decades, that's going to take time. it's going to take more than a year. it's going to take more than than two years. it's going to take more than one term. probably takes more than one president. >> mitchell: and you can see the full interview with president obama tomorrow on "60 minutes." overseas three exceptional women receive this year's nobel piece prize. ellen johnson sirleaf, africa's first democratically elected female president. librarian leymah gbowee, a woman's rights campaign. and tawakkul karman, a pro-democracy protest leader inien and the first arab woman to win the prize. many in the western u.s. and asia watched the moon disappear from view for almost an hour this morning in a rare total lunar eclipse. in beijing people had their best view in 10 years. the time-lapse images

the president spoke with correspondent steve kroft. >> reporter: why do you think you deserve to be reelected? what have you accomplished? >> not only saving this country from a great depression, not only saving the auto industry, but putting in place a system in which we're going to start lowering health care costs and you're never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick, making sure that we have reformed the financial system so we never again have taxpayer funded bailouts and the system is more stable and secure, ending don't ask, don't tell, decimating al qaeda, including bin laden being taken off the field, and when it comes to the economy, we've got a lot more work to do, and we're going to keep on at it. >> susan mcginnis is in washington with more. >> reporter: the president spoke very frankly with cbs news about all of the republican contenders. meanwhile, that gop field is looking more like it's down to two. >> ending don't ask, don't tell. >> reporter: president obama listed the reasons why he should be reelected in an exclusive interview with

. >> i'm steve kroft. >> i'm lesley stahl. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm bob simon. >> i'm lara logan. >> i'm scott pelley. those stories tonight on this special christmas edition of "60 minutes." [ female announcer ] your favorite folgers gourmet selections flavors are available one perfectly brewed cup at a time folgers gourmet selections k-cup packs extraordinary roasts. exceptionally rich flavors. available where you buy groceries. exceptionally rich flavors. do not miss sears after-christmas sale! get 60% off coats 60% off fleece and sweaters 60% off pajamas and robes for the whole family plus it's the big denim savings event! for serious after-christmas savings, get to sears! did you hear sam... ...got promoted to director? so 12 seconds ago. we should get him a present. thanks for the gift basket. you're welcome. you're welcome. did you see hr just sent out new... ...office rules? cause you're currently in violation of 6 of them. oh yeah, baby? ...and 7. did you guys hear that fred is leaving? so 30 seconds ago. [ noisemakers blow ] [ both ] we'll miss you! oh, facecake! there's

we'll have the numbers and a steve kroft interview.american who went missin misn iran. >> please help me! >> pelley: bob orr on the message and the mystery. who's holding robert levinson? dean reynolds with republican ron paul, confident that he'll finish in the top three in iowa. and "on the road" with steve hartman. a drama teacher's lesson's on life. >> i like to think i've made a difference, okay? okay, i think i've made a difference. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, you might say president obama needs a 333 plan. that's how many days he has to convince american voters that he should be

. >> i'm steve kroft. >> i'm lesley stahl. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm bob simon. >> i'm anderson cooper'm scott pelley. those stories tonight on "60 minutes." selections flavors are available one perfectly brewed cup at a time folgers gourmet selections k-cup packs extraordinary roasts. exceptionally rich flavors. available where you buy groceries. ♪ and just let me be [ male announcer ] this is your moment. ♪ your ticket home ♪ [ male announcer ] this is zales, the diamond store. [ male announcer ] this is zales, this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people came to louisiana... they came to see us in florida... make that alabama... make that mississippi. the best part of the gulf is wherever you choose... and now is a great time to discover it. this year millions of people did. we set all kinds of records. next year we're out to do even better. so come on down to louisiana... florida... alabama... mississippi. we can't wait to see you. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. [ male announcer ] you never know when a moment might turn in

it was interesting last night when steve kroft was interviewing him.talked to him a little bit about first he seemed to be trying to compromise and now he's taken a sufficienter stance. let me play a little bit of that for you. >> we can't have an honest conversation about the greatest income inequality since the 1920s, and we can't have an honest conversation about the irresponsibility that resulted in the worst financial crisis since the great depression without somebody saying that somehow we're being divisive. now, we're being honest. >> where's the president in all of this? >> the president is right there. the white house feels they've figured out a strategy now. they spent the first year after the election trying to compromise with republicans. that didn't work. they hoped approximate if republicans had noted their compromises they would get credit from the public by compromising and that didn't work. they're going to push this payroll tax cut and the inequality arguments, arguments it's hard for the republicans to embrace or be on the other side

speaking to "60 minutes'" steve kroft, president obama predicted a long battle for the gop nomination matter who the nominee is going to be. the core philosophy that they are expressing is the same. >> what do you make of this surge by former speaker gingrich? >> he's somebody that's been around a long time and is good on tv. and is good in debates. and, you know, but -- mitt romney is -- showing himself to be somebody who is good at politics as well. i think that they will be going at it for a while. >> with us now from washington, dnc communicationings director brad woodhouse. good afternoon, brad. >> i imagine that you couldn't believe your luck when mitt romney, who has been the most sensible and stable individual in all of these debates, suddenly offered the $10,000 wager to rick perry. why was that so significant to you and your team? >> it certainly was a significant moment. look, i think because it really speaks to who mitt romney is. i mean, you know, politics, as david axelrod, i'm sure you heard has said, you know, is an mri to a person's soul. and you know, anythe one that

here's "60 minutes," steve kroft asking the president, when have you accomplished, this is a great questionhis first term. let's watch the president's very important answer here. >> not only saving this country from a great sfregs, not only saving the auto industry, but putting in place a system in which we're going to start lowering health care costs and you're never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick. making sure that we have reformed the financial system so we never again have taxpayer funded bailouts and the system is more stable and secure. ending don't ask, don't tell, decimating al qaeda, including bin laden being taken off the field. >> compelling argument for re-election yet, or not? >> i think -- obviously, i think it is. but, you know, i don't know how much any politician gets credit for what doesn't happen on their watch. so a big part of his argument, which happens to be true, even though i don't know if it's effective, is that he forestalled a second great depression. >> things could have been worse. >> things could have been worse.

. >> reporter: the president was also also asked by steve kroft about performance of president. mr. obama said he was being ju dgedjudged against the ideal ra ptha n agthanains agatinst the alter whi& h, pwhiof cch, oursof ce,ourse, hopes he'll be judged when the vo tersvoters go to the polls. jeff? >> bill, this meeting the president has today with iraqi prime minister nuri al maliki, what are we expecting from that? >> reporter: the end of u.s. tar&eporter: the end of u.s. inpmilvoitary im portimpoant rtanfor t fother th because it marks a promise ca ppedcapp afted aerfter nine yea. pbut ,but, look. pman ymany divisive issues that reman in u.s. relations with iraq. so this meeting is about putting som& lipsompe lipstick on the face u.s./iraqi relations. lots of contentious eyes there pmal iki'maliski's appearance in the is standing on its own and that ap precappriateeciastes the help as given it over the past nine years. i think even more important is vin&ink even more important is phaving al maliki here sends a undue influence from iran or be a& a surge grogate for iran in the mi

suggests that this president is still shaped by the remarkable recession of 2008 was when heed to steve kroftme and then steve said but you have a 7% approval rating among republicans and he looked jarred, and you could see his mind working through that. it's as if he does not -- he still can't grasp how far this country has moved away over the past three years. >> i think that's right. i think he operates like all of us, on two speeds, but his intellectual and analytical gear is where he spends most of his time, and i think that in an odd way, recognizing the 7% number, recognizing what i continue to believe to be a fundamental failure to establish during an emotional connection to people is something that if you're a politician it's such a system failure that one would have a hard time. >> here's the thing, though. steve radner, there is a systemic failure in washington, d.c. you look at right track, wrong track and you look at barack obama's numbers that steve put out there last night, they're just horrific one year out and yet, of all of the polls that have bombarded us over the past mont