the g.o.p. electorate in iowa. could there be a situation of, you know, splitting that vote, paving the way for someone like romney who has a -- someone like huntsman, for example, who says he's not going to compete in the race but also has a few moderate divisions to come in and win the caucuses? >> i actually met with governor huntsman when i was at the national governor's meeting in salt lake city and suggested he rethink his position of not competing in iowa. i think really after iowa since romney is the frontrunner, whoever does well in iowa either wins the caucuses or surprisingly a strong second. it's going to be them versus romney in new hampshire. and everybody else is not even going to be considered. you know the way it works. iowa wins over the field, and it's down two or three candidates. i think he's making a strategic mistake by not competing in the iowa caucuses. i suggested he take another look at it and recognize that, you know, it's not the be all issue in iowa anymore. corn prices are good. we're

he could surprise some people here in the state of iowa. i guess i question whether he is likely to win the caucuses, but i think he could do better than he did four years ago, and a thing considering the financial problems of the country then, he has been warning about the way things have been operating in washington, d.c., for a long time. i think a lot of people are saying he has been right, and we certainly need to change course and direction. i think you will see a certain level of strength, but there is also a lot of candidates to choose from. some of his stance on other things, his libertarian positions on things like legalizing marijuana and stuff like that, do not sit well with a lot of conservatives in the state. >> there have been a number of books, including some republicans, who have been critical of the iowa caucuses, saying that they are not a fair test for a mainstream conservative, that they are too heavily dominated by one part of the party, the most conservative part of the party. do you worry that over time, iowa's influe

in the presidential race in 1988 for dick gephardt he won the iowa didn't win the nomination. it is all about organization on the ground. that's what wins iowa i the better part of the month in january, it is cold, troops on the ground win this. while the poll is interesting. o'it doesn't mean too much. >> rick: romney won in 2007. i looked at some of the other past winners this is not the iowa caucus this is the straw poll. in 1979 george h.w. bush won. not go on to win the party's nomination. in 1987 pat robertson won he didn't win his party's nomination. if you are a political junkie, you love this stuff. if you are a student of history, you can see this stuff doesn't mean a whole lot. >> but it does tell you how they are going to do later in the caucuses. both those candidates you mentioned did well. i think you can't discount what is going to happen in the straw poll. there are some side stories. will the conservatives step up and do well? is this a place where rick santorum can get momentum? there's been talk about rand paul and michelle bachma

iowa kicked off the season with the iowa caucus next year, and a shift in the iowa staff for republican herman kane. two top staffers have resigned. he's downplaying the changes and insists new hires are coming on board. >>> rhode island has legalized civil unions. it will give same-sex couples new breaks, health couple benefits, but it falls short of marriage. it fell through despite strong opposition. >> up next, jaw dropping testimony from the woman who said she had an affair with casey anthony's father in the weeks after little caylee went missing. >> do you get to know mr. anthony a little better? >> yes. >> did you develop a relationship with mr. anthony? >> we started to. >> and was it an intimate relationship? >> yes. >> what else did crystal holloway have to say? we'll hear that when we come back. >>> did you develop a relationship with mr. anthony? >> we started. >> and was it an intimate relationship? >> yes. >> did you have a romantic relationship with her? >> no, sir, no. she made that -- that's very funny. >> can you read the date of that text message to the ladies and gen

iowa kicked off the season with the iowa caucus next year, and a shift in the iowa staff for republican. two top staffers have resigned. he's downplaying the changes and insists new hires are coming on board. >>> rhode island has legalized civil unions. it will give same-sex couples new breaks, health couple benefits, but it falls short of marriage. it fell through desmite strong opposition. >> up next, jaw dropping testimony from the woman who said she had an affair with casey anthony's father in the weeks after little caylee went missing. >> do you get to know mr mr. anthony a little better? >> yes. >> did you develop a relationship with mr. anthony? >> we started to. >> and was it an intimate relationship? >> yes. >> what else did crystal holloway have to say? we'll hear that when we come back. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater a

bush came in third in the iowa caucus. wo republicans that finished ahead of him that year. the answer and more coming up on the call they rundown. should be pretty easy, guys. [ female announcer ] what if your natural beauty could be flawless too? discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. with new extra-strength bayer advanced aspirin. it has microparticles, enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief to the site of pain. it's clinically proven to relieve pain twice as fast. new bayer advanced aspirin. >>> well, will the clock run out before this year's nba season, the next nba season. owners and players are as far apart on contract negotiations as many believe may very well come down the buzzer and then some. gordon schultze is a sports columnist for the "huffington post" and joins us now. all right. let me start with three issues. we know

and republican presidential candidate michele bachmann spending the day in iowa. she's riding her bus across the state in an effort to connect with voters. we see time and time again with candidates here, the tour has to stop somewhere and usually that's a diner. cnn political producer shannon travis joins me now from iowa city. where is the congresswoman? didn't i hear -- you sent a note that said she arrived. where is she now? >> she's right behind me, t.j. >> oh, there she is! >> i'm going to apologize in advance to you and our viewers, it's a bit chaotic and crazy in here. remember, we are at a diner, so they're still serving breakfast and coffee and all of that. the congresswoman is right behind me. she's talking with voters, she's meeting and greeting. this is basically the start of a really big day for her here in iowa. she's on a bus tour. she kicks off her bus tour here in iowa with five stops. this is the first stop, here at the blue bird diner in iowa city. later on today, she'll have a tea party rally she'll be attending in des moines, iowa, at the stat

the upcoming straw poll. but others are looking past iowa. cameron examines the strategy for 2012. >> reporter: former minnesota governor tim pawlenty kicked off three week of iowa barn storming in advance of the fox debate an straw poll with an r.v. tour and warning that iowanss should not waste their support on charismatic candidates who can't actually win. all but calling rival michele bachmann unelectable. >> it's of no value or little value if you pick someone who the rest of the party and the rest of the process and the rest of the country says that person can't really be president. >> reporter: iowa democrats accused pawlenty of driving minnesota's economy in ditch with press quotes on his record on governor. campaigning in iwhat where she leads first of the nation caucus polls, minnesota congresswoman bachmann largely ignores pawlenty. today she played up a close house partnership with popular iowa congressman steve kung to defund and repeal obamacare. >> it will be socialized medicine in the united states. it's a crown jewel of socia

let's talk about iowa and all the different pieces of iowa. now in iowa in terms of what's happening with romney and bachmann? want to play a little bit of bachmann's first ad which went up today. >> as a descendent of generations of iowans, i was born and raised in waterloo. as a mom of five, foster parent and former tax lawyer, now a small business job creator, i know that we can't keep spending money that we don't have. that's why i fought against the wasteful bailout, against the stimulus. i will not vote to increase the debt ceiling. i'm michele bachmann and i approved this message. >> so that's a pretty potent ad and especially as a signal of where she stands on the debt ceiling talks. where we've just had what the president called constructive negotiations today. you can see how the speaker of the house, if he tries to make a deal, will be squeezed very hard from the right. >> absolutely. two things about that ad that jump out to me. one, for all the talk that we hear about cultural conservatives dominating the iowa caucuses on the repu

she's beating you in the polls, has traction from the recent debate in iowa. t the fellow minnesotan, but this is about distinguishing yourself from the others in the field. what makes you different than congresswoman bachmann? >> i respect her, but her record of accomplishment in congress is non-existent. it's non-existent. and so, we're not looking for folks who just have speech capabilities. we're looking for people who can lead a large enterprise in a public setting and drive it to conclusion. i've done that. she hasn't. >> do you think she's too controversial? she has said on this program and elsewhere that this is a gangster government. she thinks the president has un-american views. do you think that reflects a temperament that are not suitable for the presidency? >> we share views, we're both conservatives. the difference is i've got executive leadership in a public setting with a record of accomplishment and results in difficult circumstances, and she has served in congress, and in that regard, her record of accomplishment is like i said, non-existent.

the iowa caucuses bring a lot of money into iowa.ichele bachmann is going like gang busters in iowa. the subtext of what terry branstad was saying, is hey, mitt romney, hey, tim pawlenty, you're former governors. don't give up on iowa. get in here and compete. now, pawlenty is doing it, but mitt romney is not taking part in the straw poll in august. he is trying to blow off iowa, not really compete there. the subtext there is branstad saying, please come to iowa and compete here. in addition to the point that he makes about governors, which is a perfectly valid one. >> howard, michele bachmann's husband has been unknown to me. and i think other observers of national politics up to now. but when you get into that presidential campaign, the heat is on, the microscope starts focusing. listen to something that her husband has said. >>> howard, the barbarians he's talking about are gay people. he can obviously produce quotes that are even hotter than michele bachmann. so now she's going to be carrying the dual liability of what she says a

is the iowa caucuses very important to you? t is very important to her. >> reporter: in that q&a that i had with her, i said congresswoman, the person who emerges as the winner of the iowa caucuses doesn't always go on to become the republican nominee. she said it's important for ana candidate to have a presence in iowa and she called it the breadbasket of the world. >> for the latest in political news, you know where to go, cnnpolitics.com. >>> maria shriver filing for a divorce, a look at some of the other top stories of the day next. ave nothing to eat sure you do. hey! you can have the pop tart! pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat even if you think your mattresses is just fine, ask me what it's like to get your best night's sleep every night. why not talk to someone who's sleeping on the most highly recommended bed in america.™ it's not a sealy or a simmons or a serta. ask me about my tempur-pedic. ask me how fast i fall asleep. these are actual tempur-pedic owners. ask someone you know. try your friends on f

he is competing in the iowa fox debate and his name will be on the ames straw poll ballot but the iowa lead-off caucus are not as important to romney as the first primary in new hampshire where he is spending most of his campaign time. while the former massachusetts governor blasted the obama economy in the mill town of merlind. a newspaper sinked him as awkward millionaire unable to connect with real people. gallup says 58% of republicans and right-leaning voters cannot name a favorite 2012 g.o.p. candidate. those getting occasionm mentions include romney and bachmann. rudy giuliani has all but taken himself out of race saying he is not even testing the waters. while sarah palin is doing little to organize a run, texas governor rick perry is working hard at it, bret? >> bret: all right, carl. thank you. >>> speaking of big money, the president has a birthday celebration coming up. but something might get in the way. that's later in the grapevine. up next, trying to keep spying eyes away from pentagon secrets. our girl's an architect. our boy's a genius. we are awesome parents! biddly-

doubt of mike huckabee, who won the iowaaucuses back in 2008, she has joined his campaign. so you can say that tim pawlenty is looking for some huck luck. and sarah huckabee was a big part of the huckabee campaign and will be a big part of pawlenty's campaign. if pawlenty will do well in iowa, sarah huckabee will be a big bet to help him because right now, he needs all of the help he can get. >> jim acosta, thanks. your next political update in an hour. always get all of the political news 24/7 at cnn/politics.com. >>> blogs and web sites in china tossing around rumors their former leader may be dead. the president of china, his ten-year run ending in 2003. john mann is here to clear this up. what exactly -- can we figure out this is is true or not? we know about the answer of censorship. >> i don't know if politics is your name. people watching may remember his owlish glasses. we don't know where he is now. he was missing at communist party celebrations on july 1st and people took that as a signal something is wrong and peo

seems to have the advantage of a larger, deeper iowa organization. the straw poll ballot was finalized over the weekend. nine names on it, two big names missing -- sarah palin and rick perry, largely because neither has announced nor campaigned in iowa, but the two may get straw poll votes anyway. >> the iowan who wants to support someone not declared growtyetfor president will a wr. >> the texas congressman likes his chances. >> i wish i could say i'm the frontrunner, no one is ahead of me, it's a shoo-in. the truth there's we can do it and will do very, very well and hopefully come in in first. >> now, ron paul has a history of doing well in straw polls. he's won several of them. the most recent was at the republican leadership conference in new orleans last month. paul has reason to think he can win out at the iowa stray poll next month. bret? >> steve, thank you. the battle for the hispanic vote is on, both here in washington and out west. we have a report from denver. it's hard to tell who's winning. >> has never been more important than -- >> sp

take a look. >> reporter: and the winner of the iowa caucuses aren't historically necessarily the republican presidential nominee. why such an emphasis on iowa? >> because iowa's the first in the nation. it's very important to be here and have a presence here because the values and the opinions that people have in iowa count. they count for the nation. so it's important that we come here. this is the breadbasket of the world for a reason. this is where the food is grown, we have the best farmers in the world right here in iowa. it's important to come and listen to what people have to say here in iowa and take that message back to washington, d.c. >> shannon travis now joining us live from iowa city. shannon, a lot served there at that diner, including a real spontaneous moment there between you and michele bachmann. >> reporter: that's right, fred. michele bachmann is here in iowa. she's going to be barnstorming the state today with five different events. i caught up with her, was the only person allowed to fire off a few questions to her. but she's hoping to win big in this state. obviously

the problem. we're getting into dangerous territory. because you need help in iowa and i can't plan to help you, okay. so i would like you to tell the people out there what kind of help you need in iowa. >> all right. >> stephen: and the kind of message would you like to give to the iowans but legally i can't hear it so while you talk i will be putting on the cone of silence. >> oh, man. >> stephen: okay. (cheers and applause) what i want to you do is i want to you hit the play button, hit the play button right there before you start talking. >> before i start, okay. (laughter) >> i need plain people in iowa. i need people, i need people who farm, i need small businesspeople, i need people who want to build roads, i need every people in iowa. i don't need the fat cats. i need every plain, hardworking people. i need republicans, i need independents, i need them all. (laughter) i think you can listen now, stephen. >> stephen: say that again. just tap it, grandpa. (laughter) now legally i can go home and watch the show tonight and hear you what said. >> you can do that

the presidential race. for a holiday where parades aren't hard to come by. in iowa, new hampshire, mitt romney and jon huntsman tripped over each other. romney jogged over to huntsman to quote welcome him to the granite state noting that new hampshire must be more pleasant than beijing. in iowa, newt gingrich trailed a turquoise convertible behind michele bachmann. the candidates talked to anyone who would listen. >> who's on the ground, we're going to spend a whole lot of time in the state winning the hearts and minds of the residents. >> i spent my life in the real economy. if i'm president, i won't be doing 70 rounds of golf, i won't be blaming somebody else for my problems. >> they messed up the debt ceiling. they messed up health care. they're trying to mess up cap and trade with tax and kill. we need more people who have had political experience. >> they look as though the cliff is too steep. i am here to say, the lord does not need many. he does not need the biggest. he does not need the brightest. he takes what he has. he takes who he calls and equips them a

will be seen as a serious candidate, potentially in the top tier as we get a few months from now to the iowaaucuses and new hampshire primary but if it bounces the other way, this summer, including at the iowa straw poll a couple weeks from now, i think he's really going to be gasping for air and people are not going to see him as a credible top contender. he sees his -- part of his opposition right now is michele bachmann because she's been sucking up so much of the oxygen in the room with the headlines she's been drawing, particularly in iowa. >> and in the nbc news/"wall street journal" poll with the matchup showing her at 16% behind mitt romney at 30% and pawlenty is off the charts. >> down in single digits. jonathan martin in politico this morning writes this is incredibly frustrating to pawlenty and the team because they have been planning a race for a couple of years now. he is somebody that's kind of come up through the ladder of politics in a very slow, steady, steadfast way, and they see her as kind of following this lightning bolt strategy, really springing on the national scene j

and remember mike huckabee won the iowa primary in 2008. buchanan won the new mexico primary in -- the new hampshire primary in 1996. so we'll just have to see. but i would go the conventional wisdom route on this. i think this all helps romney. there's lots of debate. there's lots of high throwing. -- pie-throwing. she probably won't go in the history books. but, again, you never know. chris: there's some spark there, i hear. she seems to have perfect pitch for some people. >> i think there's something interesting about the fact that she's so categorical about it. she's yes or no. and for a lot of back and forth that we've seen in washington, that must be very refreshing. >> chris: she's so crystal clear. i think there's a potential that there will be shifts in the republican party and she's at the center of the real republican heart, like mitt romney, who's seen as a moderate and that party is not run by moderates. >> the calendar is in her favor. if you look at iowa, to a certain extent new hampshire less so, but she's got that geography

and a shift in the iowa staff for republican herman cain to tell you about. two iowa top staffers have resigned in what the campaign is down praying as routine changes. i'm don lemon. see you back here an hour from now. the situation room with wolf blitzer starts now. >>> bill clinton on the republicans he says will be most threatening to president obama in 2012. stand by for my one-on-one interview with the former president of the united states. we'll talk about the campaign, the economy and much more, including a topic that made him get rather emotional. >>> and an office space is empty leased by the federal agency for millions and millions of dollars. this hour u.s. taxpayers on the hook for what's being called an outrageous waste of money. >>> in the line of fire. cnn is embedded with u.s. troops in afghanistan when the taliban attack. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the situation room. a special gathering to tackle america's serious economic problems. key figures from government, busine

is what some call the teavangelical, putting her in a strong position to win iowa. >> that's the reale real treasure. >> reporter: that is, unless someone like texas governor rick perry enters the race, another tea didn't vange lchlical, leada prayer service at reliant stadium on august 6th, just a week before the iowa straw poll but the pulpit is not necessarily a launching bad to the gop nomination. since 1998 only two have gone on to be the party's pick. >> iowa is one of those rare states not in the south with a wide evangelical population. there's only a couple of states outside the south with an evangelical population higher than 25%. with or without faith, iowa winners have only had a 50%-50% getting the party's nomination, meaning there's still plenty of room for the mitt romneys of the world who are choosing not to play very hard there. we'll see if he continues that pledge. >>> up next, breaking down all the big political stories with our powerhouse panel coming up. >>> the florida fight in the house and how the blood sport of hockey just made its way on to the campaign trai

[laughter] since the iowa supreme court legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 they've noticed real changes in the state's cash crop! [laughter] yes, their worst fears corn destroyed by a (bleep) playing. [laughter] a -- (bleep) plague. movie about iowa field of -- if you build it they will -- you know. [laughter] it's no surprising the message is resonating to conservatives there. unless you think she's pandering rest april sured she's be on this message for years. >> if you are involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle it's bondage. it's personal bondage, personal despair and enslavement. that's why it's so dangerous. it's a sad life. it's part of satan to say this is gay. it's anything but gay. >> jon: if i were to use a word for their lifestyle i'd say it was queer. what they took that word, too? oh, god. those (bleep). they've got that one, too? [laughter] representative bachmann doesn't just talk the talk. she and her husband walk the walk. dr. bachmann runs a christian counseling term that practices repaira active therapy or pray the gay away. why he denies it some focialer patients

the prez must represent all people, and that is reaction to the iowa group having candidates sign thatarriage vow. and we had a segment on the forbes magazine top boom cities in the struggling economy and someone said to me, before you are pumped up about the home state of texas, take a closer look. rick perry is a fraud and he can't win home. so rick perry has not officially announced he is running for president, but as we pointed out, many believe he could perhaps use some of the successes that he is claiming exists in the state of texas if he does plan to run. join the "newsnation" on dot-com as well as twitter and facebook. and secretary of treasury tim geithner says now is the time to get a deal done. >> and now firefighters in washington, d.c. has an extra duty, fighting crime. it has ems crews in high crime neighborhoods, because several members of the summer youth program were mugged. firefighters are supposed to radio for police if they see something suspicious, and the d.c. deputy mayor saying it is a preventative measure. >> it is to prevent things from bubbling up. the idea

i'm wondering if you see that there has been harm to iowa, the state of iowa or will there be harm touse they've legalized gay marriage? >> i wouldn't phrase it that way in the sense that -- i think there's just a difference of opinion about whether all domestic relationships are in the eyes of the law and otherwise going to be the same as traditional marriage. i don't think they should be. >> why? in particular, what should gay couples, lesbian couples not have that straight couples do? >> well, i think we have a long-standing practice. it's social, it's legal, it's cultural, that says a man and would hand are joined together for obvious reasons, in relationship, in marriage, in probing asian, in raising children, in their function in society. i'm not at the point, nor will i ever be at the point where i'm going to say, you know what? that really is not special. it's not any different than any other domestic relationships we can imagine or assemble. >> there's a difference between saying, look, i'm never going to get there and saying there is harm to the state of iowa or society in g

plus, on the ropes in iowa. we're up to round three of this pawlenty bachmann boxing match. city hits bachmann. and what is christie? he can't say anything nice about the republican field. at some point, does he? >>> it's hot. what does this mean? gazpacho. i hope you noticed the theme of the day. you're watching "the daily rundown" only on msnbc. ural beay could be flawless too? discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. woman: saving for our child's college fund was getting man: yes it was. so to save some money, we taught our 5 year old how to dunk. woman: scholarship! woman: honey go get him. anncr: there's an easier way to save. get online. go to geico.com. get a quote. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic center recommends the custom-fit orthotic that's best for your tired feet. foot-care scientist

we're going to win the iowa caucuses. raw poll, that may have a bearing. we're not going to do that. we're already showing good progress. our goal is to move, as i said earlier, from towards the back of the back to the front of the back. i'm absolutely confident that will happen. this idea we'll drop out after the aim straw poll is preposterous. >> also difficult to fight politically. if you're raising money -- >> i don't see those stories about rick santorum, newt gingrich or herman cain. obviously romney is the front-runner. we acknowledge that. he was the front-runner last time. there's plenty of time and plenty of room for others to catch him, and we will. >> governor pawlenty, thank you so much for joining us here today. we appreciate your time. >> you're welcome. thanks for having me. >>> up next, the latest on the debt negotiations and other headlines. then fareed zakaria gps at the top of the hour. every day, all around the world, energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy developement comes with som

she has a good chance of winning the iowa, but i am not sure where she goes in terms of winning after that. but she could easily end op number two. she is very appealing. the more you learn about her -- she had 23 foster kids, five kids of her own, she talks about life, family, looking after each other. this is a person who has lived it. it is not only rhetoric. but ideologically, she would have a hard time in the general election. >> defense secretary robert gates retired this week. they gave him a good sendoff at the pentagon for he said when he looks bzero back at his service, he will think about the war years, the ones who kept on fighting and the ones who never came back until the end of this day's trade remarkable guy. >> the only as secretary of defense in the nation's history to serve as successfully under presidents of two different bodies and have the trust and admiration of both of them. he had sobering remarks on the way out. he said, "i go to arlington, i go to hospitals, i meet with the families, i know the awesome responsibility and unpredictability of war, and those wh

she has a good chance of winning the iowa, but i am not sure where she goes in terms of winning after that. but she could easily end op number two. she is very appealing. the more you learn about her -- she had 23 foster kids, five kids of her own, she talks about life, family, looking after each other. this is a person who has lived it. it is not only rhetoric. but ideologically, she would have a hard time in the general election. >> defense secretary robert gates retired this week. they gave him a good sendoff at the pentagon for he said when he looks bzero back at his service, he will think about the war years, the ones who kept on fighting and the ones who never came back until the end of this day's trade remarkable guy. >> the only as secretary of defense in the nation's history to serve as successfully under presidents of two different bodies and have the trust and admiration of both of them. he had sobering remarks on the way out. he said, "i go to arlington, i go to hospitals, i meet with the families, i know the awesome responsibility and unpredictability of war, and those wh

. >> let me ask you about a group called the family leader out of iowa that is asking candidates to signludes a lot of things we're familiar with that you would only appoint conservative judges, you would remove anti-marriage provisions in the tax code. but the ceo of the family leader, bob vander plaats, had this to say about the pledge. first, would you sign this pledge? >> the answer is yes. i mean, i certainly -- i pledged personal fidelity to my wife when i was married to her and pledged the same that i would not involve myself in any other relationships with anybody else who's married. that's a pledge i've taken and i take every single day as a married person and feel very comfortable making that statement. >> this is a pledge you would sign. >> in fact, i did sign it. i did re-sign it. >> and do you find it intrusive? >> you know, look, the answer to that question is when i first read it, i thought, well, you know, i can say that because it's true. should politicians be held to that standard? you know, if you look at the amount of disrespect or disregard members of congress have b

there's something called the "marriage vow" put out by the iowa conservative christian group, the familyand it's head, bob vander plaatz. in the 14-point pledge candidates have to first vow "personal fidelity to my spouse." it's essential for candidates to swear to that one. cuz that vow they said at their wedding (bleep). this is something binding -- a pdf sent to you by some guy named vander plaatz. [ applause ] the rest of the pledge defends marriage by vowing "vigorous opposition to intimate unions which are bigamous, polygamous, polyandrous, same sex, etc." [laughter] that et cetera is an essential catch-all, because there's a lot of freaky stuff goin' on in iowa. [laughter] okay? man on corn, corn on man, corn on cob, butter on corn on cob on man. but i know what you're thinking, "stephen, that sounds delicious, [laughter] but i thought you said this pledge had something controversial in it." well, it does. in the preamble to the pledge. here on the first page. >> it says that slavery had a disastrous impact on african-american families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860