rick perry -- >> when you find yourself at extreme end of the republican party you makekeourself unelectable. >>> then as president obama experiences worst poll numbers of his political career, we'll talk to top obama campaign adviser, david axelrod. >> as president obama heads to martha's vinyard -- >> -- we were watching stocks go down again. >>> plus surprising numbers about whwhat is iviving ters with republican pollster frank luntz. joining our "roundtable" with george will, democratic strategist, donna brazile, jeff zeleny of "the new york times" and fox business network's liz claman. >>> good morning. christiane is off. i'm jake tapper. and we will l t to our exclusive interview with republican presidential candidate jon huntsman in a moment. but first some news since your morning papers. libyan rebels say they're closing in on moammar gadhafi's stronghold on tripoli. a day after fighters launched their first attack on the capit capitol. heavy gunfire and explosions battled tripoli with reports of coordinated nato air strikes after firefighters captured the coastal town. >>> in egypt.

>> i think when you find yourself at an extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectable. the minute we become the anti-science party, we have a huge problem. we'll lose a whole lot of people. i'm not sure the average voter 1 going to hear that treasonous remark and say that sounds like a presidential candidate. gas prices just around going to rebound like that, it just simply is not founded in reality. >> would you trust a president bachmann to do the right thing with the economy? >> well, i wouldn't necessarily trust any of my opponents right now who were on the recent debate stage with me when every single one of them would have allowed this country to default. >> so that's what huntsman said, will republicans listen? consider what happened in 1964 when the republican party was enthralled with berry goldwater, nelson rockefeller, the governor of new york was practically run off stage when he tried to warn the party about the perils of going too far to the right. >> the republican party is in real danger of subversion by a radical, well-financed -- we have no program fo

. >> stephen: so these unelected elites get to wave their wall street wand and tank the economy?y? they're not special and rich. they're standard and poor! [laughter] no wonder they're so moody! [cheers and applause] you're welcome. i'll take that one. [cheers and applause] they are materially harming america. this is nothing more than economic terrorism. and i say we deal with them the way we deal with all terrorists. march marines to their offices, fit them for orange jumpsuits, and whisk them off to gitmo for some enhanced accounting. [laughter] a little number boarding. rough stuff, but it's the only here to tell me other ways we might save our credit rating, please welcome new york times washington bureau chief, david leonhardt. dave, thank you so much for coming. good to see you. [cheers and applause] does it really matter if we have a triple a rating? can't we let the chinese kids get the good grades and we're copy off their financial report? >> it probably matters. >> stephen: why does it matter? >> not so much because of rating but because the rating reflects a reality.

extreme and unelectable. that's just what one top republicans is saying. can the gop handle the truth? stay with us. michele bachmann says he infiltrated the irs while working there. but we have the real story. and that's next. just one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. [ grandpa ] relationships are the basis of everything. [ grandma ] relationships are life... if you don't have that thing that fills your heart and your soul, you're missing that part of your life that just fulfills you. ♪ [ male announcer ] for us at humana, relationships matter too. the better we know you, the better we can help you choose the right medicare plan. that's why humana agents sit down with you to figure out your medicare options. and we have nurses you can call anytime, even at 3 a.m. because when you're on the right humana medicare plan and taking good care o

perry. >> when you find yourself at the extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectablee minute the republican party becomes the anti-science party, we have a huge problem. we lose a whole lot of people that would allow us to win the election in 2012. i'm not sure that the average voter out there is going to hear that treasonous remark that says that sounds like the president. gas prices won't rebound like that, but it's not founded in reality. >> would you trust a president bachmann to do the right thing with the economy? >> i wouldn't necessarily trust any of my opponents right now who are on a recent debate stage with me, when every single one of them would have lyallowed th country to default. >> that's what huntsman said. will republicans listen? consider what happened in 1954 when they were enthralled by berry goldwater. nelson rockefeller was practically run off stage when he tried to warn the party of the perils of going too far to the right. >> the republican party is in real danger of subversion by a radical well financed highly disciplined. they have no progra

republicans nominate somebody who is manifestly -- hoping republicans nominate somebody who is manifestly unelectable. that is a terrible position politically, depending on your opponent to make a mistake. >> they are out scouring the nation trying to bring people into the process -- >> energizing the base that has soured on them. here is what could affect obama. assume the house of representatives remained in republicans' hands, and that they strengthen their hands in the senate -- i am not saying take the senate, but strengthen their hands. what difference will obama make in the next four years? that question will cause, i think, some democrats to say "maybe i can improve that scenario." you think of the way obama handles this republican house and republican-influence senate, what makes you think he will do any better? >> that is a great question. what difference would an obama victory make? >> it would prevent counterrevolution. 1/6 of the american economy, that is where a lot of republicans worry. yes, we will hold last, yes, we will probably win the senate, but unless we win the white house, ame

. >> do you think that governor perry is unelectable were he to get the republican nomination?elf at an extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectable. >> and rick santorum, himself a candidate of the right, took on perry from a slightly different angle. >> i'd be out of the race if i thought he was the best candidate. i think i'm the best candidate for this who has a record of accomplishment across the board, who's been a consistent conservative. i think you go back and look at the records of all the candidates in this race, the one who can accomplish things, who's been a consistent conservative, someone who can attract candidates. rick perry has won in texas. that's great. we're going to win in texas no matter who the nominee is. we have to win pennsylvania and ohio and florida. i've got the track record to win in those states. >> in a rare display of

. >> and whether he was asked if perry was unelectable, huntsman said.i think when you find yourself at an extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectable. >> and what i really like is huntsman didn't let other republican contenders off the hook either. >> well, i wouldn't necessarily trust any of my opponents right now who are on a recent debate stage with me when every single one of them would have allowed this country to to default. >> these criticisms are coming not from a liberal democrat but from a man who describes himself as a center right candidate. >> this is a center right country. i'm a center right candidate. right now we've got people on the fringes. >> well, i disagree on that point. this is not a center right country. they love to say that because of this goofy map they put up there. but you think people in america care about health care? it's a center left country with an extreme right-wing on the other side. let's bring in huffington post contributor jim moore. he is the author of the forthcoming book "awed yoes dio"

what thomas jefferson believed in a society where ultimate powers along with we the people not nine unelected justices sitting over the supreme court. our final comment for the day comes once again from our viewer rant why here's what a car lot and unemployed man had to say about watching this show. yes i am a public television watcher i watch macneil lehrer news hour i love public television but boy i'm going to tell you that watching that and watching it's almost like night and day the questions the answers the information so again i just want to thank you and please keep going i've been unemployed for two years but my mind isn't good and i'm going to tell you thank you for keeping hope alive. thanks for the nice work words to carlow and i'll continue to keep hope alive on my end as long as you do the same on your end these actually are very very difficult times for america as the carla knows firsthand and what i try to do on this show is not just complaint t. as in republicans are bad the economy is in the tank millionaires and billionaires are taking over let's all despair it would be too

supreme court and restore the vision that our founding fathers had of this country a nation where five unelected guys in black robes couldn't make work kill the laws of the land. our next comment is from the viewer rant line the republican spin machine has been in full swing blasting president obama's new jobs plan and it won't even be released the jobs plan until september sixth that is a spear points out republicans want to talk about jobs well sort of should be fair to the public and the party of treason if you would be naive or to talk about jobs it is about losing jobs we have too many federal employees that's one of the candidates for president in peter's like yeah a lot of people are going to use this job was filled with hate so pete times are tough that's the only time i hear republicans talk about jobs just couldn't jobs right and today over thirty million americans don't have a job or are stuck with a job that pays so poorly that they're broke too broke to buy things that would stimulate the economy that the great republican why is that our country is broke if there's not enough money

career the advocacy of ordinary people against powerful organizations, but as she makes the move from unelectedhe political left is likely to make her harder to raise the funds she'll need to mount a successful campaign. keep in mind, for example, president obama is expected to raise $1 billion in his 2012 reelection campaign. that's billion with a "b." as for elizabeth warren's potential candidate, that would be massachusetts republican senator scott brown. the hill did number crunching and found this, senator brown has been stockpiling campaign cash in anticipation of a tight 2012 race. if warren runs, she'll have to decide to court the high-rolling donors in the financial community, an awkward choice given her carefully crafted image as an antagonist to big finance, but without the support of heavy-hitting donors in massachusetts, many who work at hedge funds and other financial firms, warren might find it difficult to keep up with brown's fundraising juggernaut. as for brown and his juggernaut, he was named favorite congressmen last year having been the recipient of over $442,000 from campa

gop is a party with a fringe on top and huntsman says the right wing of the gop will find it elf unelectable. >>> finally let me fin wisht republican party's attack on logic and science. we start with the situation in libya. richard engel is chief foreign affairs correspondent and he joins us on the phone from tripoli, libya. welcome richard, glad you could join us. >> reporter: thank you very much. communications have been complicated today. but i am now in green square which ch is in the center of tripoli. there are some rebels here, perhaps a hundred or more. they brought their heavy weapons. i think in the course of our conversation you will hear them fire them in the air. they are still celebrating. there have been celebrations in the city all day. at the same time there is also fighting going on in this city. rebels hold about maybe 90% but that 10% they do not hold is gadhafi's compound. and don't think of gadhafi's compound like some sort of i havecation villa. this is a military base. gadhafi list lives on a military base. inside of it he has tanks and artillery and he is firing the

government, upset with washington but that kind of rhetoric maybe goes too far and makes her look unelectable. >> i will be reading as soon as i get off the air, first reads, everyone else should be reading it. you've got a preview. >>> his republican rivals are on the campaign trial and president obama has begun his vacation on martha's vineyard. nbc's kristen welker is there. what's the president's plan today? >> reporter: well, nothing on the president's public schedule so we're guessing perhaps some golf, maybe a strip to get some ice cream with the girls. he arrived here last night, greeted folks and then headed off to the blue herren farm. even though there's going to be a lot of r & r on this vacation, it's also a working vacation. the president will be in constant contact with h-- he'll also be working on that big jobs proposal that he'll be unveiling after labor day. and as you know, and as you just mentioned the republicans have really been hammering him for taking this vacation. and sarah palin on the airwaves calling on him to cancel his vacation, this is not a choice that he woul

approval rating, lowest in his presidency, country hates his economic policies, no, rick perry is unelectu believe in global warming, rick perry -- rick perry does not can the republican party elect someone president who doesn't believe in global warming? he referred to social security as a crumbling monument to the failure of the new deal. he compared social security to a bad disease and it was set up like an illegal ponzi scheme. can you elect a republican to the white house who thinks social security is a bad disease? >> sean: said a ponzi scheme. and it is because they spent the money and we don't have the money. will somebody help these reporters? >> this is the liberal litmus test. rick perry doesn't pass the liberal litmus test that is all she saying. earth to this reporter, she has to understand, when she talks about global warming she equates skepticism of it to the flat earth society. you have to be crazy to be skeptical. 48% of the american people are skeptical of global warming. i guess that makes them rick perry supporters. where social security is concerned, all he's saying

almost unelected power, right? >> bill: right. >> laura: money buys power.nd that's just the fact of life. i'm not here to lecture about that. but, remember, he made a really shrewd, really well-timed investment in goldman sacks at the end of 2008. he got that money paid back. you know, before the -- you know, obama came into office. it was just paid back earlier this year. and he also made a really handsome return on that money. so, he has an enormous amount of power. i don't know, maybe it is kind of the end of his business life to, you know, wield this kind of power. it's different from being in the business world uniquely. so maybe he enjoys that bill on your tarp point not that we are going to relitigate tarp. if it was such success kneel ba ross ski says it wasn't a success because the consumer aspect didn't bear out. we shouldn't be in this trouble with bank of america. if tarp was such a great success and people are talking about kampe 2. i think it goes company by company i believed president bush when he got out there and said look if we don't do t

. >> so these unelected elites get to wave their wall street wand and tank our economy. why?not special. they're not rich. they're standard & poor. no wonder they're so moody. >>> time for your political ticker from tim farley. deal done, sign and delivered just in time, tim, for president obama's 50th birthday party. >> yeah, exactly. the president getting out of town, much like the house of representatives and the senate who decided it was time to leave until september. the president, who turns 50 tomorrow and has a nice big special section dedicated to him in "the washington post" will be at the air gone in chicago. jennifer hudson will be there, her by hancock. they've turned this into a political thing where you can go to the campaign to reelect and host your own birthday party at home. i'm not sure if they have special favors for you or anything like that. it is something, to turn 50. >> it is going to be -- he's having a party. it's going to be a fund-raiser. the tea party is protesting it, going to try to bust it up. >> they're doing something across the street about

as she makes the move from unelected bureaucrat to likely candidate, the very advocacy for the commonft is likely to make it harder for her raise the funds she needs. keep in mind, president obama is expected to raise a billion dollars in his 2012 reelection campaign. that's billions with a b. as for warren's potential candidate, that would be senator scott brown. the hill did number crunching and found this. senator brown has been stockpiling campaign cash. if warren runs, she will have to decide whether to court the high rolling donors in the financial services community. an awkward choice both personally and politically given her carefully crafted image as an antagonist to big finance. without the support of heavy hitting donors in massachusetts, many of whom work at hedge funds and financial firms, warren might find it difficult to keep up with the juggernaut. as for senator scott brown, he was dubbed wall street's favorite congressman in a forbes article published in june of last year. having been quote the recipient of nearly $442,000 in campaign contributions from the financial

, this makes a lot of people very uncomfortable because you shouldn't be pledging to some random unelected person when you've taken an oath to the nation. >> right, melissa, $1.5 trillion, not an easy number to come up with. we're awaiting nancy pelosi's picks for the panel. what is she likely going to want to bring to the table with her choices? >> i've got to say, this is -- this super committee is super distressing because when you look at it, it should be precisely the sort of group that would be able to make progress. i mean, one particularly when you look at the senators, right, the whole idea of the american political system, senators, because they have a six-year time horizon instead of the two-year that the u.s. house has or the four years that the president has should have a little bit longer time horizon, ought to be able to think more broadly about what is good for the broader public rather than just worry about an immediate re-election and when you look at where these individuals are from, they are from, you know, ohio, pennsylvania, michigan, places that have typically been p

on the mall where he addressed the multitudes and to be the only unelected figure, you've got jefferson, washington, lincoln, but martin luther king jr., what does that mean? >> i think it means a great deal. not only to african-americans, but to all americans. when you see what is being created there, when now it's open to everybody in the next few days you will be amazed at one, how beautiful it is. but also the words that will be ib scribed on the words around the memorial. martin luther king coming out of that stone of hope. i think it will be an inspiration to all who go and see it. who go and experience it. who go and witness it. and i want to see kids go there by the thousands because i want them to read those words. i want them to understand what was done for them. and don't blow the opportunity. we're counting on you. so many of our youngsters are doing extremely well, but we do have problems. and we've got to work on these problems. we can never think that his dream is over until it truly is overand it is not a dream. it is a reality for all americans. not just african-america

i think when you find yourself at an extreme end of the republican party you make yourself unelectablealking about rick perry, the governor of texas. what is this strategic gambit by huntsman? >> well, he's apparently decided that combativeness in defensive moderation is no vice. i think there's two things. one, he needs attention. and two, he's decided there's an underserved market in the republican primaries, that there are still republican moderate voters and moderate conservatives and nobody else is catering to them, so he may as well. >> are there, jonathan? are there? the 2010 senate primaries, i know it's not the presidential primaries, but the 2010 senate primaries, we had joe miller, we had rand paul, christine o'donnell, did i invoke her name? it suggests to ramesh's point or jon huntsman's point. is there? >> i don't know about republicans but definitely independents in a place like new hampshire that do look at the field and sort of cringe when they look at the candidates and some of their comments. but here's the challenge for huntsman, though, is how much does that add up

>> i think when you find yourself at the extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectable you know, i've been saying on the show the democrats favor this republican because he says stuff like that. is there concern within the republican party if they nominate michele bachmann or rick perry or sarah palin throw her name in there that they're foreclosing an opportunity, a really golden opportunity, to win? >> i think so. i think among the mainstream establishment politicians, i think there's definitely -- and you said it in your opening -- the beltway. there's definitely a concern that the extreme wing of the party cannot -- cannot go up against obama, and that's what huntsman's trying to appeal to. >> brian, i think lois is exactly right, that there is a concern, whether it's voiced publicly or privately, there's some worry within the establishment of the party. but in 2010, there was concerns about sharron angle in nevada, there were concerns about christine o'donnell in delaware. there were concerns about the nominee in colorado, the nominee in alaska for senate races. an

hit transfers power from the electorate, we, the people, to the unelected branch of politics of years ago i published a piece one of the harvard law journal's, going through the various different theories tha might give court's authority to strike down pronouncements and acts of legislature that are most directly representative of the people. it is not because it violates the text of the constitution. the one theory we have largely rejected his that there is a natural higher law that binds. we have reject that notion as the basis. another theory is that the judges are smarter than the rest of us, or maybe institutionally they have the ability, because their job gives them the time to think throughhese problems. if that is essentially creating a federal common law that we rejected. every one of the different alternatives that you come up with ends up where the judges are substituting their judgment for the acts of the majority because they think it is better policy. when you deviate from the text of the constitution, what confines the judges from getting that right or getting that wron

there are republicans who are worried that michele bachmann can't be elected, that she's unelectable. so what you're seeing among conservatives is this look at rick perry as a serious contender. you saw the speech he gave earlier this afternoon. this is a governor who has been in office for ten years, he's the longest serving governor in texas history. he knows how to give a red meat speech and dished it out to the conservatives and they were eating it up. at one point, he was talking about how he wanted to reduce the size of the role of government. he wants to do that and talked about the recent downgrade of u.s. credit saying president obama has been downgrading jobs, downgrading the economy ever since he got into office. take a listen. >> mr. president, let us tell you something. you cannot win the future by selling america off to foreign creditors. >> and that was just one of several jabs in this speech. if you take a look at rick perry's style and what he was saying today this is a candidate who is not going to be afraid to go right after this president and he has at times gone a

every time she opens her mouth, she proves that she is unelectable and unqualified to be president of the united states. and she's so crazy, right, she makes rick perry look almost sane. >> i was going to ask you that. who is more dangerous for america, perry or bachmann? >> boy, that's a tough choice. i have to say perry. perry's got that faux gravitas. he's been governor of this large state, texas. so, therefore, he's got to know something where he's just about, i think he's as crazy and as dangerous as she is. >> that's why he's going to get the nomination. >> that's probably why he's going to get the nomination. i find it really amazing. i think this is a big story. you have a member of congress who either doesn't understand the process or has a plan nobody else in the country has ever heard of. that she thinks because if she were president that she would be able to get gas down. she would be that powerful. how can she do it without government intervention or a government takeover or some kind of massive regulation on wall street? she's taking a page out of fdr is it what she's do

. >> well, and i asked norquist if one man unelected should have shkis this kind of sway, and on messagepeople don't want their taxes raised. >> the rest of them people are signing. those guys probably feel comfortable violating it. this one that he has proved. >> right. and there are at least they have had to sign including two now on gay marriage, including one this past week. >> and the one that doesn't sign them is huntsman. >> no. >> romney has been signing most of them. >> although huntsman does have a meeting scheduled with norquist. >> fun footage. you know i love that archive stuff. >>> buckle up. minutes away from the opening bell. looks like another rough day and another bumpy ride. >>> plus, the chaos is spreading in london. a massive crackdown after four days of violent rioting. >>> indiana governor mitch daniels will be joining me with his plan to improve education in his state. could it be key to fixing our nation's schools? a little "education nation" segment coming up. we'll get his thoughts on the republican race for the presidency. woman: day care can be expensive. so

you feel like, the implication, you feel too many unelectable people have ended up winning the iowa caucuses that -- in the past. how do you think about that? >> okay. i think one and only one way for my point of view, because you can do well in iowa, but you've got to be able to compete in new hampshire, south carolina, nevada. you name the states that come up right afterwards, and can you do well in iowa, but if you don't have the resources to go beyond. so i'm looking for people that are qualified to be president, number one. number two, doing reasonably well until iowa but have the resources to go beyond and bible to put on a national campaign and hopefully able to put on a national campaign you're just not relying on taxpayer funded campaigns like mccain had to, and raise resources so you can compete financially with president obama. >> you haven't endorsed yet but haven't ruled out endorsing? is that your criteria? you want somebody who not only you can support but you think actually can get the nomination? you're not going with somebody, maybe, because they touch a cord with the conse

these were aimed at governor perry in particular, and michele bachmann, you suggested they may be unelectablet what the realist? you tells us? >> i was answering questions about a response on ben bernanke being thereseinous, which i think was inappropriate, and i think it was not based on the reality of the situation. nor i do think it is reflective of the kind of person that people would look to seriously as a presidential candidate. so when asked about these qerkz i'm just going to give an answer that i think reflects reality. that's the world i live, and i try to see these things based upon the real world and where we are, and what it means in terms of the real-world application of certain decisions. that's why i stood alone on that stage on the debt ceiling debate when every one of my competitors said let the nation default. i said 25% of the world's g.d.p. can't default. it would so disrupt the marketplace. we set the rhythm for the international marketplace. you can't default for the first time ever in the history of our country. >> brown: that set you apart and yet you still seem to be

> i think, when you find yourself at the extreme end of the republican party, you make yourself unelectabletor and chief of "slate." his article on huntsman is in the latest issue of "vogue." so here's the question. is jon huntsman a sort of anti-republican? >> i don't think he's an anti-republican. i think he's a very traditional republican, sort of a george bush 41 or eisenhower republican. he's what used to be the mainstream of the party, the kind that can win a national election against democrats. for some reason the republican party seems to have been taken over by the tea party movement, by the patriotic anarchishsanar. and someone like huntsman has no chance at the nomination. >> so when he says he believes in science, it makes waves because we're so used to republicans running for office that don't want to embrace any of this. >> when you talk about evolution or climate change or say it would be a bad thing for the united states to default on its debt, that makes news, which is shocking. these should be the common assumptions of a responsible party that wants to compete for the vote

the unelected -- and it didn't matter -- both sides of the aisle -- they are really hurting.is for my former boss joe biden who played a key role getting this done, beginning, middle, late. proven himself to be the most effective vice president nonscary in american history. >> nonscary? i have to leave it there. shameless plugs. we call them that for a reason. see you tomorrow at 9:00. i'll be anchoring at noon as the senate votes on the debt ceiling compromise. at 1:00, andrea mitchell reports. bye-bye. every day, all around the world, energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy developement comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed to safely and responsibly providing decades of cleaner burning energy for our country, drilling thousands of feet below fresh water sources within self contained well systems and using state of the art monitoring technologies, rigorous practices help ensure our operations are safe and clean for our communities and the environment we are america's natural gas.

just one poll, it's important to note, but if rick per demake the argument, look, i'm not unele unelectableactually make it as close as mitt romney can, that could really deflect that argument that we're going to see coming from the romney camp if he continues to be behind. >> and real quick, let me transition to the president's speech before a joint session of congress. it may hit in primetime during this debate. the republican debate planned. any response from the republican leadership or even the candidates for that matter, i should say? >> tamron, i haven't heard anything just yet. it does provide some very interesting theater. you're going to hear from the president of the united states, of course, addressing congress, a very big stage for him, and then if it turns out that the debate ends up holding on the same day, that -- that you would end up having republicans being able to respond to that, so -- so very interesting development here. i do think that september 7th is probably shaping up to be a humongous day in american politics, and i can't wait for it. >> much better than all of