it's named after the former governor of new york, al smith, who is the first american catholic to ever be a presidential nominee. al smith incidentally lost to herbert hoover in the 1928 election so al smith was not the first catholic president but he was the first catholic nominee for president. this dinner, which is a benefit for catholic charities here in new york city, has ended up becoming a really important thing in american presidential politics. honestly, the biggest reason it is really important is because of its timing. there are other dinners like this. the gridiron dinner in washington or the alfalfa dinner or the correspondence dinner. there are other dinners that are fancy politics proms, essentially. where you get a sitting president or very high-level politician showing up in tuxedos and gowns and telling jokes and sharing stages with people they otherwise would not be sharing stages with. that happens. right? there are those events in washington and elsewhere around the country. but this one that you are looking at right here is different. because this one happens now.

they were at the al smith dinner. if you want to sound smart tell your friends 1996 and 2004 were the only two election years since 1960 when two major presidential candidates were not invited to speak at the al smith catholic charity dinner. in 1996, the candidates were unable to make firm commitments to attend and in 2004, the foundation thought the issues of the campaign were too divisive to have the candidates speak. >>> we told you earlier about president obama's visit "the daily show." now let's gather around the water cooler to watch some of the president's lighter moments with host jon stewart. >> how many times a week does biden show up in a wet bathing suit to a meeting? just ballpark figure. >> i had to put out a presidential directive on that. we had to stop that. >> you have to put towels down. >> i have to say, though, he looks pretty good. >> i don't doubt that in any way, shape or form. >>> still ahead on mika brzezinski's "way too early," where are you awake? your tweets, texts and e-mails are next. ja

al smith. i am talking about myself in the third person. my great-grandfather got into politics for a very simple reason. he liked people, rich people, poor people, democrat, native- born, democrat, republican, maker, or taker, al smith was a friend to all. [applause] drought his public life, he was a champion, and untiring advocate for the needy. as you all know, my great- grandfather was a catholic nominee for president. mitt romney is the first mormon nominee for president. [applause] my great-grandfather and it romney have another thing in common. for example, they both campaigned for governor. as democrats. [laughter] their biggest adversaries were successful businessman. for my great-grandfather, it was herbert hoover. for my road, it was mitt romney. -- for mitt romney, it was my rope. romney. [laughter] he is a very generous man. every year, he gives 10% of his income to charity. [laughter] [applause] knott's fast. [laughter] seriously, i have seen governor romney's de generosity to his church. i must confess. we invited him here to

may we all, in the words of al smith, do our full duty as citizens. god bless you. god bless your families. may god bless the united states of america! thank you very much. [ applause ] >>> there he is, the president of the united states, like mitt romney, a little self-deprecating humor and a little humor at the expense of his republican challenger. there is timothy dolan, the president of the u.s. conference of catholic bishops and the head of the archdiocese of new york that is sponsoring this al smith dinner, raising $5 million for needy kids in the new york area. let's get some quick reaction. gloria, what did you think? >> i thought he was funny, great, self-deprecating, as was romney at points, talking about the nap he took during the first debate made some fun of his vice president, made some fun of mitt romney and ended up on the same note that mitt romney did, which is talking about civility in politics, which we seem to reserve these days for events like this, sadly. and not more often. i thought both of these men did really well. they have got some good s

at the al smith dinner in new york. back with us gloria borger, jim acosta. them right now. when it comes to women, the most important issue, abortion, 39%. jobs, health care, the economy, equal rights, down to 19%, 18%, 16%, 15%. were you surprised by the poll? >> i was surprised by the poll, wolf. i think generally while women obviously care about the issue of abortion, the issue of contraception and a whole variety of social issues, the number one issue that we have seen in a lot of polls is the question of the economy. i think if you look at the polling of women in battleground states, it's very mixed as you go -- as you go from state to state. so, i was surprised by that. by that result. but, again, wolf, you look tonight, the battleground states new nbc poll, has iowa and wisconsin, the president up. and so, the question about the gender gap with a gender gap in the double digits in the president's favor. last week, we had gender gap polls that showed something else. this is a race in flux. but right now, the balance with women really tilts toward presi

bush at the 2000 al smith dinner. is. >> this is an impressive crowd, the haves and the have mores. some people call you the elite. i call you my base. >> what do you think? >> first of all, i love the white tie. black tie is not good enough for these folks. and it's -- it's all about the timing of the delivery. and, you know, bush has a good sense of humor in private. obama has a good sense of humor in private. we're told that mitt romney does, but they always say that, the handlers do. tonight we're going to find out because if you can't tell a joke in public, you're probably not so great at telling one in private. i shouldn't talk, because i can't tell one in private. >> president obama already taped an episode of "the daily show" today. what will his new york city comedy tour do for him if anything? >> "the daily show" tour is base solidifying. you know, that's part of his base. younger viewers. younger voters who watch "the daily show" and "the colbert report." you know, he needs to do well with them. generally le

[applause] it's been four years since i was last at the al smith dinner. i have to admit some things have changed. i've heard people say, barack, you're not as young as you used to be. you don't have the pep in your step, and i say, settle down, joe, i'm trying to run a cabinet meeting here. he does smile when he says it, though. tomorrow it's back to campaigning. to cities and towns across our great country, and i hear the same thing everywhere i go. "honestly, we were hoping to see michelle." [laughter] i have to admit, it can be a grind. sometimes it feels like this race has dragged on forever. but paul ryan assured me we've only been running for 2 hours and 50-something minutes. [applause] of course the economy's on everybody's minds. the unemployment rate is the lowest since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it would be useful to remind everybody, that the unemployment rate is the lowest since i took office. [applause] we're getting to that time when folks are making up their mind. just the other day, honey boo-boo endorsed me. th

romney speaking at the al smith dinner tonight. we are having coffee annon here. he is our guest or the interview tomorrow. but now it is time for, "the last word". >> a few blocks from here, president obama and mitt romney have just finished telling jokes about each other while they were separated at the table by only one very large cardinal. >> what governor romney said superintendant true. >> that is true. >> you will get your chance in a moment. i had a question. >> you want me to answer. >> the candidates are taking their hostility on the road. >> now to the campaign trail. >> both campaigns are stepping up their attempt to win. >> most voters are women. >> he never did answer the question on equal pay. >> when these young women graduate i want them to receive e-mail wa equal pay for equal work. >> campaigning for president obama in ohio. >> we are coming back. >> the romney campaign is fighting back hard. >> this president has failed america's women. >> i'm not running for office and i don't have to say what i feel flt. >> i would love it for you to get my hu

the al smith dinner has become an election dinner tradition. ting hundreds of millions of campaign money. the next joint appearance will be the big debate next week. it won't be quite as pleasant. >> monday's debate is different because the topic is foreign policy. spoirl alert, we got bin laden. >> people seem to be curious as to how we prepare for the debates. let me tell you what i do. first refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate. second, find the biggest available strong man and mers illy attack it, big bird didn't even see it coming. >>> good lines last night they may have been laughing but they are thinking about the polls. real clear politics average of polls and you see the impact of each of these debates. the first debate we saw the numbers start to converge and look how tight they are after the second debate heading into the third one on monday night in florida. back do y to you guys. >> 5 minutes in the top of the hour. one man getting dumped before ending up a big winner. >> you have to hear that story. >> can you figure

i was at the al smith dinner. a bunch of rich irish, i get it. the fact of the matter -- some of the guys are smart. i get it. >> finger on the pulse. >> not regular. this thing seems to be drifting around. i don't want to bring a lot of numbers in. they all conflict with each other. is there a drift, a turn, is it moving towards romney clearly ever since that first debate? is that a safe assessment or is it not? >> i think it moved clearly in romney's direction. i think it is now sort of sitting there. the question is does he still have a little momentum or did the president stop him? and, you know, that's -- >> so that's -- a little more momentum left, but he gained ground. >> he gained a lot of ground. this is basically an even race, a coin flip race, whether mitt romney can breakthrough in the three midwestern states, ohio, iowa, and wisconsin. it's the only way the math works. >> you're implying it's going to be so close in the popular vote that these electoral decisions are going to really matter. >> i think they absolutely are going to matt

. >> he date, in fact, serve -- >> if you laughs at the al smith dinner. >> i am well rested after the night-long nap at the first debate. so much totime redistribute. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> this is a close race. at week's end, the national gallup poll gave romney is largest lead so far. the president is looking good in the battleground states of iowa and wisconsin, however it is on the heels of the second presidential debate. the president showed up for this one and the result was a lively exchange. >> have elected your pension? have elected your pension? mr. president, have you looked at your pension? >> i don't look at my attention to it is not as big as yours. >> they almost look like they were going to duke it out. >> how much did you cut the budget -- >> the macho stuff made some viewers uncomfortable. romney won the first debate hands down. who won this one, evan? >> obama won its slightly but not so much that it puts them over the top. >> mark? >> i agree, no knodown but viewers of fox news thought by a 3/4 margin that romney won, m

the al smith dinner in new york city, hosted by the catholic archdiocese. both men worked on one-liners as artfully as they sparred tuesday night, here just a few moments people will surely be talking about today. >> i was actually hoping the president would bring joe biden along this evening, because he'll laugh at anything. >> i feel really well rested after the long nap i had in the first debate. i particularly want to apologize to chris matthews. four years ago i gave him a thrill up his leg. this time around i gave him a stroke. >> as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room, with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he's thinking. so little time, so much to redistribute. >> after my foreign trip in 2008 i was attacked as a celebrity, because i was so popular with our allies overseas. i have to say i'm impressed with how well governor romney has avoided that problem. >> in the spirit ofsesame street, the president's remarks are brought to you by the letter "o" and the number 16 trillion. >> i don't have a joke here. i thoug

both appear in new york in a few hours at the al smith dinner. earted event days after the tense debate we watched. the audience has high-ranking catholics including the archbishop of new york. he received stacks of e-mails from pro-life activists urging him to uninvite the

both appear in new york in a few hours at the al smith dinner. ht-hearted event days after the tense debate we watched. the audience has high-ranking catholics including the archbishop of new york. he received stacks of e-mails from pro-life activists urging him to uninvite the president. it's issues like women and contraception that the president is hitting hard today in hopes of breaking what seems to be governor romney's momentum. >> by the way, we want our sons to thrive in math and science and engineers, but we also want our daughters to thrive in those fields, too. we don't have to order up binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women who can learn and excel in these fields right now. and when these young women graduate, i want them to receive equal pay for equal work. >> also today a group of women who served under governor romney during his time as the governor of massachusetts, they're now on a bus tour through iowa talking

must be the al smith dinner. first today's trivia question. here we go. arlie cooke wrote about this this morning. folks, we're all thinking about it. how many presidents have won the election without winning the popular vote? i gave birth to my daughter on may 18th, five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. >>> in a campaign where it often seems the candidates genuinely do not like each other or even respect each other, the al smith dinner to benefit catholic charities was a well-needed brief respite though the president and mitt romney traded a few jabs along with the jokes. >> president obama and i are each very lucky to have one person who is always in our corner, someone we can always lean on and someone who is a comforting presence without whom we wouldn't be able to go another day. i have my beautiful wife, ann. he has bill clinton. >> in le

before he went to the al smith dinner the president taped the jon stewart show. >> i would say even yould admit it was not the optimal response, at least to the american people as far as us all being on the same page. >> well, here is what i will say. >> yeah. >> if four americans get killed, it's not optimal. >> right. >> and we're going to fix it. >> all of it. >> all of it. >> bill: by using the word optimal mr. obama upset some people who don't like him. they ever say be his optimal description shows is he incentive to the four murders in america. i disagree. i think mr. obama was playing off mr. stewart's description and the remark was in context. however, there is a strange detachment in play here. from the very beginning, president obama was not fully engaged. after he he learned of the assassinations, he went to vegas to campaign. we now know the cia told the obama administration early on what happened in benghazi was an organized terror attack. yet the president would not hold a press conference and say that. instead, as u.n. ambassador and his press spokesperson openly mislead

and the number 16 trillion. >> reporter: both men were featured speakers of the al smith dinner. a white tie fundraiser for catholic charities. a fact not lost on romney. >> it's nice to finally relax and wear what ann and i wear around the house. >> reporter: president obama spoke second and he was quick on the draw himself. >> everyone please take your seats. otherwise clint eastwood will yell at them. >> reporter: he admitted that some people may be tired of the presidential election. >> sometimes it feels like this race has dragged on forever. but paul ryan assured me we've only been running for two hours and 50 something minutes. >> reporter: the laughs quickly faded when the president was questioned about the government's response to the crisis in libya during an appearance on "the daily show" with jon stewart. >> even you would admit it was not the optimal response at least to the american people as far as us all being on the same page. >> well, here's what i'll say. if four americans get killed it's not optimal and we're going to fix it. >> reporter: both candidates go bac

it was all about the punch lines at the al smith charity dinner in new york. actually hoping the president would bring joe biden along this evening. because he'll laugh at anything. >> first when people say barack, you're not as young as you used to be. where is that golden smile? where is that pep in your step? and i say, settle down, joe, i'm trying to run a cabinet meeting. >> biden will be campaigning for the president in tampa, florida, this morning. >>> lance armstrong expected to speak publicly for the first time since the u.s. anti-doping agency laid out mounds of evidence that he used performance enhancing drugs. armstrong was part of the livestrong 15th anniversary event in austin tonight. even though he had stepped down as chairman of the charity he started. several huge sponsors have bailed on armstrong this week, including nike, but nike says it will still continue to support livestrong. >>> a frightening scene in portland, maine. a store clerk, look at this, bolting over a wall, she's running for her life. the man chasing her is wearing a mask. he

they spoke at the 67th annual al smith dinner in new york city. speaking invitation democrat and republican nominees have been accepting since 1960. they are not expected to get too serious here is the president earlier tonight. >> this is the third time that governor romney and i have met recently. as some of you may have noticed i had a lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. [ applause ] >> although it turns out millions of americans focused in on the second debate who didn't focus in on the first debate and i happen to be one of them. i particularly want to apologize to chris matthews. four years ago i gave him a thrill up his leg this time around i gave him a stroke. of course there are a lot of things i learned from that experience. for example, i learned that there are worse things that can happen for you on your anniversary than forgetting to buy a gift. >> that was the president speaking just 30 minutes ago. mitt romney spoke before the president. >> of course only

[laughter] with or without all the dignitaries here, the al smith dinner lives up to its billings. usually when i get invited to gatherings like this, it's just do be the designated driver. [laughter] as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room, with everyone in white tie and finnerry, you have to wonder what he's thinking. so little time, so much to redistribute. [laughter] >> now, win or lose, this is my last political campaign. so i'm trying to drink it all in. unfortunately mayor bloomberg will only let me have 16 ounces of it. that's okay. i'm still making most of my time in the city. earlier today i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. [laughter] of course the economy's on everybody's minds. the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it would be useful to remind everybody, that the unemployment rate is at the lowest it's been since i took office. [applause] it's been four years since i was last at the al smith dinner. i have to admi

now, this dinner, the al smith dinner, it's been a tradition for presidential candidates ever since world war ii. the fancy affair in midtown, manhattan and both candidates were wearing white ties and tails. something that romney said made him feel quite comfortable. >> but it's nice to finally relax and to wear what ann and i wear around the house. >> everyone please take your seats. otherwise clint eastwood will yell at them. >> i was actually hoping the president would bring joe biden along this evening. because he'll laugh at anything. >> the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it'd be courthouseful to remind everybody. >> he knows how the seize the moment, this president, and already has a compelling new slogan campaign. you're better off now than you were four weeks ago. >> reporter: i'm saving the best stuff for last. when obama and romney made fun of their own performances during the last two debates. it's hill lair rouse, that's coming up at 6:30 and you know i think that this is what it would be like if jon stewa