o. iranian security forces confronted protest is as thousands, march to march, 40 days since the death of missouri. minnie in the custody of her morality, police ah, nor entails his al jazeera life from london. also coming up, gunman open fire and a shrine in the southern iranian city of shiraz, killing at least 15 people, sent back to syria. why rights groups are worried about the safety of refugees returning from lebanon, plus run in the u. k, which is an act faces his 1st prime ministers questions, including a grinning and wood cabinet appointments. ah, and it will begin in iran where day of sweeping protest has taken place across the country as people mock the 40th day since the death of massa mini, that's the traditional warning period in iran security forces confronted some of the thousands of people who traveled germany's grave, the 22 year old died while in custody of the so called morality police for violating strict dress codes for head coverings. dosage bar reports from the capital terran o chanting women, life freedom. thousands of people gathered at hg cemetery in kurdistan province. the final resting place of massa mimi warners, or heard calling their province the fascist graveyard hours later, this was the scene in the city of sack, as a security forces fought with people. semi official news agencies say nearly 10000, came out to mark the 40th day since massa mooney died in police custody in teheran o university. students across the country also remembered her. this group is singing from the blood of the youth of the homeland tulips have grown. scuffles broke out in another university across the city. and police use tear gas this for students in at least 2 institutions into iran. the student protests were not just in the capitol, but across the country. this was the scene in the city of paddock, with many chanting freedom. and in the 2nd largest city, measured students have been protesting since the death of massa media last month. protests are not limited to only schools. this is terrance grand bizarre. on wednesday. nasa was visiting relatives with her brother in the capital when she was detained by the so called morality police for not wearing the mandatory headscarf properly. the police released the security camera footage of saying it shows massa arriving at a facility for so called a re education class on the religious benefits of wearing a headscarf. according to the official autopsy and a government investigation, massa had a pre existing health condition and suffered heart attack. her family says this is not true and says she was beaten while in custody. government supporters also rallied across the country. the president addressed the issue in a live televised interview. we shall go from to her in i told her family that this news was shocking. not just for me, by for every iranian void of criticism and dialogue on various issues have a place in the constitution and can help us in the decision making process all. but the distinction between protesting and royalty which should be defined a room earlier this month. president racy visited an all female university in teheran, where he praised the achievements of women in academia. at the same time. these university students chanted gracie, get lost outside the building. this is the area where iran's morality police arrested massa minnie on a tuesday afternoon since then they haven't been seen much in the city. whatever happens next your, regardless of which version of events people believe it is clear that massa minis, death has changed this country go so jibari, joseph live now from toronto dawson, what was the latest on the protest? well, the ongoing protests that took place earlier in the day in a massive home town of soc, has seemed to have reached an end, according to officials in that province. we heard from semi official news agencies, quoting police officials saying that the situation there is com. but i have to tell you that the internet was cut off there this afternoon with officials citing security considerations as a reason. so we don't have any ways of verifying that news that come out of their what we have heard over the past few hours is a number of sporadic and protested demonstrations taking place not only in the capital to her on but across the country. and we have just heard recently that there has been a fatality that is, according to official semi official news agencies. a revolution guard intelligence officer has been shot dead in hammered on province, which borders occur to san province in the western part of the country. this is going to certainly be a seen as a escalation and a extra concern for the government to have been a towing. the line that there, this is a security situation that is unfolding in the country. and the way to deal with demonstrators is really to maintain peace and stability in iran at a moment when clearly there are serious concerns about how people are viewing the events that unfolded with my son needs death. no, no separate story or the attack can shiraz. what can you tell us about that? well, at about 60 m local time in sharon, which is around 15 gmc, we heard reports that a gunman had opened fire in a shrine in the city in farce province. in the eastern part of her on shrouds is very well known as a tourist pub. and this took place at a shrine that is known as shall have shut all the lights, the king of lights. and according to the official from that province, we just heard the desktop has now gone up to 15 people and a number of dozens of been injured. apparently this gunman opened fire, then he was confronted by police who shot back at him. he's now injured, but in police custody, they do not know if he has any affiliation to any known groups in or outside the country. and it's a very rare event to take place. the last time. such an incident happened, insurance was in 2008. when a bomb went off inside a mouth, killing 14 people, certainly they officials who are saying this is a terrorist act. and it's going to warrant a much more of a strict security apparatus to get involved in terms of ensuring that this does not take place in any other parts of the country. doesn't jabbar. i thank you very much indeed. ah, hundreds of syrian refugees who fled to lebanon to escape the war, and making the uncertain journey back home. lebanese officials say more than $700.00 a being voluntarily repatriated. but does any reports from us out in lebanon rights groups concerned about their safety? they're leaving behind a life in exile. i've got crossing the border back into syria. lebanon is where hundreds of thousands of syrians escaped to during the war. there's mixed feelings and a lot of uncertainty. some don't have homes, nor jobs. with many say it's dire economic conditions that are driving them back because i guess it is better to die there than to die here. the situation is difficult here. i can't even afford bread for my children. it will be the same there, at least there, we can find a place to be buried. the repatriation process is being organized by the governments in lebanon and syria. they insist this is voluntary. but right group say it lacks transparency and have documented cases of return needs facing abuse back home, even after receiving security clearance. they also point to policies by the lebanese government that makes life difficult for refugees. between 80 to 90 percent of syrian refugees and lebanon don't have legal residency in the country, which means that they are subject to arrest and deportation. at the same time, you have politicians from across the political spectrum and up and on. really pick up the as and so back and hateful rhetoric towards refugees living on says it can no longer cope with so many refugees and officials have gone as far as to accuse the international community of not wanting syrians to return to their country. they believe refusing to redirect 8 to syria is a way to put more political pressure on damascus. live in the sea that are a very limited number of political refugees. we can stop the repatriation process because of them the you and hcr should settle them in the 3rd country. the u. n. refugee agency says it is not facilitating the return of refugees at this stage. as syria is still not safe for them. it seems, many syrians feel the same since 2016, the us has verified nearly 80000 have returned and less than 3000 have signed up for repatriation in recent weeks. that's a small number. those who don't return are from former strongholds of the opposition in syria, and could face persecution in pro government areas. and many now live in fear as lebanese authorities say this voluntary repatriation process is only beginning. then there are also sita ourselves northern lebanon. britain is new need ever. she's not current been put to the test at the house of commons in his 1st prime minister's questions. he defended the reappointment of sue and bravo. and as home secretary of the she was forced to resign just last week due to a data breach. fisher has more. i finished a little more than 24 hours is taking the top job. richie sooner stood in the house of commons for the 1st time, as prime minister was from the opposition labor party, an acknowledgement of the historic woman. my welcome, they prime minister, the fast british, asian prime minister, is a significant moment in our national story. but there was a quick return to rody partisan politics and the call for an early general elections. let working people have their say, a toll a general election, richie sooner and echo from his words on tuesday, insisting his mandate was clear. our mandate is based on a manifesto that we were elected on to remind him, an election that we won and a lot. elliot. the new prime minister met his leadership team for the 1st time, but he's already facing criticism for his appointment of swell braverman as home secretary, the you case, interior minister while she was sacked just a week ago by las trust for a classified data breach. an appointment that the sooner was forced to defend contact the house actually made an error of judgement. but she recognized that she raised the matter and she accepted ha miss day. far away from westminster. the political up people has exhausted people who are at least willing to give the new man a chance. i just wanted this to them to see. i think it's like everybody else. and obviously, we need to know where we are and, and how much things are gonna cost very initial times. and it, i think it's an difficulty anybody in different countries. so yet if people a chance richie sooner has warned of heart economic choices ahead. but the announcement of how the government will repair the countries finances has been delayed by the change at the top. it's also extremely important that that statement is based on the most accurate possible economic forecasts and forecasts of public finances. and for that reason, the prime minister and i have decided that it is prudent to make that statement on the 17th of november and as prime ministerial debut school. this was perhaps as good as richie sooner could hold free. but the issues facing las trust happened disappear, please questions. and there will be tougher days ahead. alan fisher. i'll g xena, westminster. as glenna to pull brennan at last. miss tessa polish which pretend 1st to ella brown and to a top cabinet position. yes 6 days is not a long time to spend in the public political purgatory, not at all, but it seems that for she soon act a new prime minister assesses that soil. abrahamson is less of a liability and more of an asset as far as his government goes. after all, she is a you're a skeptic like he is. she is very right wing just like he is. and she resigned over kind of what she described as a technical breach. so really soon i was able to sort of gloss over it and, and accept her her mia copa. and the other thing though is it doesn't look good. it was a gift to the opposition parties. as you saw in alan's report, there, i mean, 24 hours ago we should soon ack spoke about a government of integrity and accountability and openness. unprofessionalism. and now he's reappointing. somebody who just 6 days ago was forced to quit, and it was a gift to the opposition parties who've accused him of essentially doing a grubby deal with sula brothman to advance his leadership a campaign up with that said, i think he still in the honeymoon period and his figuring that he's going to survive it. and in the meantime, the government has it a little while longer before she has its economic plan. yes, a postponements all from next monday, which is when we were expecting to hear the government's 5 year medium term plan. i have to say though, that there's a massive difference between the markets. turmoil that resulted after a liz trusting quasi quoting per se. well, sir said that they weren't going to reveal the costing for them. many budget markets went into term all over that. the postpone ones, this time appears to have been accepted by the financial markets. disappointing but understandable was one quote i saw from rob banks from a rob buying strategist to day festival wishes to knock former chancellor himself wants to get intimately acquainted with what jeremy hunt his new chancellor is actually going to be announcing. and 2nd of all though, there's the data, the data that would be used to assess the affordability of the government's plans, if they did it on monday, would be based from data that is, that was from the midst of all that turmoil a couple of weeks ago. postpone it to november 17th and we're talking about data from now. when the markets are a lot more common stable, it's probably gonna look alot better for the government if they use data from now on november 17th than if they tried to rush it out on monday for a minute. thank you very much indeed. still to come this half hour, pent francis welcomes the family of murdered elders. here john issuing at work late to the vatican. tipping the scales museum. moxon is start moment witching a majority of women on it. ah hello. the weather remains res. remodeled across a good pause if yet very mild over to was at western side, if you happen to remain very unsettled as well as a cloud parting into western parts. nice autumnal storm fading aim, but as i said, it is mile. the winds coming from a sadly southwesterly direction around our area of low pressure, which has been churning away at a similar area for the last few days or so. so we're looking at temperatures, getting up into the 20s once again across the western side of year. we could well get into the low twenty's there, into berlin, so well above the sea, no average. there is some unsettled weather around. we have got some outbreaks of cloud and rain once again, mainly affecting those western parts. streams of wet to weather coming into ireland into wiles, pushing into west scotland. still some very wet weather there. into portico, western parts of a space, and that makes its way a little further east, which as we go on through friday, but for central areas, as you can see, it is largely drive the 021 celsius barmy conditions. here. i'll try whether they're across. so much of the mediterranean, a lot of dry weather to cause northern parts of africa. can you shower still there down towards the gulf of guinea? they are slowly but surely sinking their way further south as they should do. but they do extend to liberia. ah ah ah ah ah ah, are one of the top stories you're now to 0 computations have taken place between iranian security forces and demonstrators in the hometown of massa, many thousands of protesters march to the cemetery where she was buried to mock 40 days since her death in police custody. these 15 people have been killed in iran, southern city of shiraz. please say a gunman went into a shrine and opened fire. he was shot and taken into custody islamic state, his isolation to his claim responsibility. lebanon has started repatriated, hundreds of syrian refugees. officials say they're returning home voluntarily, but rights groups are concerned about their safety. and frances has blessed the family of murdered al jazeera jonas. she read a berkeley in vatican city. especially memorial mass has also been held in rome for the palestinian american terrain was targeted and shot dead by his ready forces while on assignment in the occupied westbank city of janine in may. stephanie deca has war from vatican city, passed by the family. the family that is here is tony terean's brother, his 2 daughters and his wife. the pope, passed by tony, also held out a picture of shitty and that he blast move past the family. they also met with cards in the family and who is the essentially the secretary of state of the holy see also cardinal sandy, who was a vatican diplomat. so of course, significant and symbolic surely, hugely for you know, a catholic family. you know, it's considering what happened to me, but i was talking to lena one of the shootings. nita's families been very tireless when it comes to pushing for just talking to various governments, also the international criminal court. no, of course here at the vatican interest said, you know, we are hugely appreciative of the words and the support that we're getting from, you know, religious figures and diplomats, and politicians said, but what we really need is action. and we're not really come down to justice. that means bringing the shows, the soldier who shot city and country and to justice. of course, we know the americans and is really following that, carried out an investigation saying that it was highly likely that it wasn't. it was ready, soldier killed her, but that it wasn't a criminal act and therefore there will be no criminal prosecution or investigation . hence, no justice is really forces have rated the home of a palestinian activist who was killed in august. troops attacked, abraham nobles, his house in numbers and reportedly arrested. his brother ed operation is related to a series targeting members of the palestinian on group lines. then in the occupied westbank, ukraine is admitted that its counter offensive in the south is proving more challenging due to weather conditions. and the terrain has been more shilling in the east. a rushing miss armstrong targeted college building into escape cur. south of comma tossed in the internet screen and there is a big, is there ukrainians say that this college building with the early hours of this morning by 300 rocket. now they say it's a college building. we've seen the rubble. we've seen hedges from textbooks and the smell of the burning and the dust to feel very potent in viet that this college building is rounded by residential flats. half all the windows have been blowing and the clean up cleaning operation has been taking say all morning and you can see the result of this last not windows, it's not got power. they've been working all morning to try to restore to some of these apartments. and some of these people just will just have to move back because they can't say neither ukrainian military are saying that the russians continue to mount defensive in the east and in the south in their recruiting and say that they've managed to repel russian attacks. but they said in the last 24 hours did mean 30 strikes over 100 rocket strike. one person was killed, one pregnant woman was killed and the need for a pixel station is have and the size to say because of the weather because of the rain you offensive. ukrainian offensive has been slow down because it's difficult to move military personnel as well as military equipment, but it's difficult to know exactly what's taking place in person because of ukrainians. do you have a media black act as impossible to impossible to get access to the area? but here in the east, the battle continues and to the size of us. as i said, this area here was hit in the early i was, i caused a lot of destruction ukraine. his deputy prime minister has urged refugees and fled the country to stay abroad this winter because of severe constraints on the power bridge. up to 40 percent of ukraine's energy facilities have been seriously damaged in russia. strikes to say, found the government already implemented. rolling power outages of up to 4 hours across the country did receive pretty well in the hotel timber. i'd like to take this opportunity to ask the refugees, not to return. we need to survive the winter, john. unfortunately the electricity network won't survive it. you can see what russia is doing. every one sees everything and to return now is to risk yourself and your children, your vulnerable relatives who may be ill. bed ridden or elderly to russian president vladimir putin has ever seen annual military exercises by strategic nuclear forces. 5 video link, russian officials say test launches of nuclear capable, ballistic, and cruise missiles were all successful, authentic and confirmed that russia had notified it and the routine drill. which nato, with nato also carrying out their annual game. russian court has dismiss claims that jailed opposition. nita alex, in the valley has been sent to punishment. so now the address the court 5 video link from prison, he said he was kept in the punishment cell for 2 months by himself. and another time for cooling an officer by his name. he was arrested in russia last year upon his return from germany, where he'd been recovering from nerve agent poisoning, which he blames on the kremlin, having a 9 year sentence on charges of fraud and contempt of court allegations he rejected as politically motivated and he's 22 people have been killed and thousands left homeless of the cycling sit, trying, slammed into coastal regions and bangladesh rode power and communication things have all been disrupted. authorities helping affected communities. autonomy child reports from patrick holly cycle and sit drink, maryland from the bail bengal early tuesday. with winds gusting up to 88 kilometer per hour and a storm surge of about 3 meters. heavy winds with rain and storm surge damaged thousands of homes in the coastal region and flooding low lying coastal areas. galka la nathan beach teeth that will be yesterday during the storm and heavy rain . the part of our house got all inundated, there was a strong wind and many trees also fell. and we couldn't even venture out and were very scared about the cycle and brought rains and flooding in other parts of the country, including the capitol darker. it's like an hour because of the hope due to the storm. marine, we're struggling. the looks is all the streets indebted by floods that is very difficult to travel treasures. the cyclops originated in the bay of bengal, before turning not towards coastal bangladesh. only wanting timely and massive evacuation. saved life during saigon said rung that slammed the coastal areas of bangladesh, electricity supply, telecom, and road communication were severely disrupted in many regions. nobody spooky, i live or say hundreds of electric polls were damaged or tilted due to the storm and some were totally destroyed. electric lines are now disrupted, but we're working to restore them within a few days. my mother, shes government says it is assessing the physical and financial damage. looted the cyclone around 10000 homes, 6000 heck, death of cropland and a 1000 heck. death of fish had to these were damaged a site and of course to lay the us the stammers under hit obsolete in the country. also, bangladesh is situated in one of the world's largest deltas, making it prone to natural disasters. scientists say climate change is making psych runs and floods. more intense and frequency was making bangladesh among the 10 most vulnerable country. most people who live in coastal belts or poor subsistence farmers and fishermen. for many of them, there's little left of their belongings and homes to come back to can be child re al jazeera, put to a cali bangladesh. in the united states midterm elections are fast approaching. a few key races could determine which party controls the senate. one is in the state of pennsylvania christian sitting the report law, read $47.00 studios in harrisburg, in the 1st and only pennsylvania senate debate. the key question was whether democrat, john ferryman, was up to the job after suffering a stroke more than 5 months ago. and you may notice these large monitors that are behind us. this is part of our closed captioning system. and despite seeing the questions in writing, the man once considered the candidate to beat at times struggle to make his point here on raising the minimum wage. that's, that's the most american bargain. that if you work full time, you should be able to live in dignity as well. true. and i believe they haven't have any businesses being being oh, you can't have businesses being subsidized by not paying and individuals that just simply cannot have to pay their own way. money. republican ma'am, at oz has been trying to capitalize on growing concerns about the economy. he's not released cognizant of the real challenges of business owners who got the balance that with employees. thankfully, we have a solution at john, you didn't answer the question. you can't put businesses out of a commission in order to pay more wages cuz they won't be the wages will go to 0 regardless of their performance, whether it was restoring the right to an abortion on a national level for democrats, or rising crime for republicans. both candidates largely stuck to their campaign talking points. pennsylvania embodies the political tug of war in this country between democrats and republicans. donald trump won the presidential election here in 2016 joe biden in 2020. and in this years senate race both candidates are sticking closely to their party platforms, while at the same time attempting to show that they're more pennsylvania and less washington dc. it's a contest of analogies. political scientists to sara nibbler has been following the race. they're both running as political outsiders, right? no one wants to be part of the, the washington establishment or, or, you know, government in washington. inflation is weighing heavy on pennsylvania voters. oh, can anyone has gone to a grocery store and bought some eggs or milk or anything like that and found out how much you know their own increased for some party platform is more important than debate performance. it turns into an argument that's not in my opinion, won't help me make a decision. it just turns me off. an pennsylvania voters with so few senate races and serious contention could very well determine which party controls of the senate . kristin salumi al jazeera harrisburg, pennsylvania zealand is marked to historic moment as it reaches a majority of women in parliament. sir, i.
burnett. breaking news a major offensive against isis under way tonight. this is the battle to retake ramadi. iraqi forces have launched a massive drive to push isis out of the city a little over a week after it fell to the militants. they claim to have the city surrounded on three sides and claim to have biten isis back, to cut off supply routes to a key supply refinery to the north. a huge sandstorm blanketed the region reduced visibility to near zero. isis saying the storm was sent by god to protect them. isis took ramadi on may 17th. the end came sweftly after suicide bombers broke through town walls with explosive laden bulldozers. more than 55,000 people have fled the town in the last month. the vast majority of them headed to baghdad. some 70 miles to the east. arwa damon just returned from the front lines of the front. she's "outfront" tonight in baghdad. arwa we heard iraq's prime minister saying over the weekend that ramadi will be retaken in days. is he right? >> well that might be a bit optimistic especially if we look at how long it took for battles past when the iraqis were trying to win back cities such as tikrit for example. now, the area that we went to is located between anbar province where ramadi is and just to the northeast. this operation is focused on ramadi yises but also integral to all of it is moving issis out of this massive, vast terrain it controls. the area you were in in particular significant because it falls on one of the key logistical supply routes that isis uses to transport its fighter and weapons from territories that it does control. and located in this particular area was a unit that is part of this iranian backed shia military force. they just moved in a few hours before we arrived. not a lot of direct confrontation with isis but the terrorist organization had left behind a number of roadside bombs, and in all, at least 11 people from this fighting force were wounded or killed due to those explosions. also interesting, and this is quite an example of who it is who really is the influential power on the ground was the presence of iranian advisers. we were not allowed to film or speak to them but one of the commanders was very quick to criticize the united states saying relying on the united states was like relying on a shadow. and he said that it was the iraqi government's reliance on america that was the key cause to the loss of ramadi. the hope right now is by cutting off the various different supply routes by moving in and taking territory from isis insuring that it can be held when they do go to make the final push into ramadi the terrorist organization will not be able to regroup afterwards. >> we saw the sandstorm. how is it complicating the fight? >> well it most certainly was making visibility very very difficult. we actually drove through it at one point. you could not see more than a few dozen feet in front of you. there were concerns that isis would capitalize on this and try to launch some sort of counterattack, especially in the areas around ramadi. we did not hear any reports to that degree at this stage, but the weather most certainly not boding in favor of the iraqi security forces and the other conventional units fighting alongside them. >> arwa damon in baghdad, thank you. the question is does the iraqi army have the will to win this battle in rumady as well as the larger fight in isis? jim sciutto is "outfront." >> that massive battle to retake rumade ramadi comicated by an international war of words over who was at fault for the city's fall. today, the white house tried to soften charges iraqi troops simply gave up. >> what the president has observed is that many of those forces were not forces that had benefitted from the training that the united states and our coalition partners have been engaged in. >> a fine line from the much more damning criticism leveled by ashton carter. >> the iraqi forces showed no will to fight. they were not outnumbered. in fact they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. and yet, they failed to fight. >> iraq's prime minister took the diplomatic route in responding suggesting carter had been misinformed. >> i'm surprised why he said that. he was very supportive of iraq. i'm sure as he was fed the wrong information. >> but the white house says carter's comments were based on solid intelligence. >> secretary carter said is consistent with the analysis he's received from those who are on the ground. >> on monday vice president biden made a call to al abadie reassuring him on u.s. support and said he recognized the enormous sacrifice and bravery of iraqi forces over the past 18 months in ramadi and elsewhere. today, as iraq released this video of coalition forces distributing weapons to iraqi troops the white house called training and modern weaponry the keys to success. >> when they're receiving equipment from the united states and our coalition partners to take the fight to isil we know they can perform very well in the battlefield. >> the battle to take back ramadi now a major military and diplomatic struggle. now, one of the best measures of progress of the coalition against isis is simply to look at the map. this is something we do every month or so to measure that progress. this is today, may 2015 yellow areas, isis support zones. red areas under isis control. let's look to three months ago, february virtually unchanged. there are some areas where isis lost some ground around the turkish border gained some here. coalition forces took back tikrit from isis but you have ramadi falling just a few weeks later. again, let's look at the map again. today, three months ago, really almost difficult, almost impossible to detect that until the overall map changes, it is heart for iraqi forces for coalition forces to say they're making significant progress against isis. >> yeah the map doesn't lie. jim sciutto, thank you so much. "outfront" tonight, former cia counterterrorism official phil mudd and a retired colonel who serve as executive officer to david petraeus in the u.s. troop surge in iraq in 2007. you heard the secretary of defense, ash carter saying iraqi forces just showed no will to fight. you worked with these soldiers. what did you make of his comments? do you agree? >> you know iraqi troops are brave when well led. and i think this is an issue of leadership not of will. those iraqi forces in ramadi would have stayed and fought to the det if they had commanders they believed in and if the commanders wanted to hold the ground that they were ordered to hold. this is an issue of getting comp tent leaders in positions of command in the iraqi army and then empowering them to fight and training and equipping them so that the soldiers have what they need to win. >> we heard some frustration, phil from iraqi soldiers with their leadership. but at the same time when you look at the motivation of isis do you think the iraqi forces have more will to fight than isis? even the same amount even close? >> look let's take two questions here. isis will not prevail here because they don't have a message over the course of years that will resonate with the population. that said in the interim, over the next weeks, months years, you have to look at one fact. insurgents that are motivated by religion not by money, not by ethnicity ethnicity, but a belief they're going to win are going to conduct suicide bombings. they will not leave the battlefield until they're dead. if you want to look side by side at an army that is motivated by nationalism, by a paycheck versus an insurgency that is isis that believes they're spoken to by god, it's hard to tell you that somebody has to greater will than an isis fighter who says i'm not going home because if i sacrifice myself i go straight to heaven. >> colonel, i'm sure you saw that map that jim sciutto just put up. we have been able to see over the months how isis has been able to gain ground and hold it. so when you look at that this map here of the territory that isis controls the areas that support isis what does it tell you about the u.s. strategy and how it may need to be adjusted? >> the u.s. strategy in place now for a year simply isn't pushing isis back. isis is consolidating control over the areas it holds, and to successfully defeat them we're going to need competent allies on the ground. this can be iraqi army forces but they will take months if not years to retrain and get competent commanders in place. really what we need are the sunni militia forces that did so much to defeat the forerunner to isis al qaeda in iraq. if we could get weapons in their hands, they're plenty mote evaluated to defend their homes and their tribes and ally with other forces and u.s. air power to defeat isis and anbar province. >> phil how do you think the u.s. strategy needs to be adjusted? >> not much. people are making a mistake in believing that the u.s. can somehow change the battlefield. if you look at insurgency studies, if the home team the iraqis doesn't want to bring the fight to the opposition over the course of time studying insurgencies will tell you inserting too many foreign troops that is people like the americans, will persadeuade the iraqis to say not our fight. the americans can take care of this for us. i agree with the colonel. we're fighting in sunni territory. the solution is to get the locals to fight. the problem with that solution is when the iraqi government is bringing in shia militias to fight in sunni towns, the local sunni tribesmen are going to say, hey, i'm not signing up for this. you're bringing in my relijgious opponents to fight in my home turf. this is a recipe for civil war. >> there have been questions of the shia militias and how they behaved. thank you so much. and "outfront" next deadly floods hammering the southwest, killing at least 13. there are at least 16 people missing, and there is more rain on the way. we're live in houston. plus tensions high in cleveland after a police officer is acquitted in the shooting death of an unarmed black couple. will new reforms to the department make any difference? and homicides soar and arrests drop in baltimore in the weeks since freddie gray's death. are police staging a slowdown? and breaking now, we're just learning of a bomb threat. this is against a passenger jet. this plane right here just labd labded minutes ago at lax. we'll have detailed next. ugh! heartburn! no one burns on my watch! try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. i have heartburn. alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. ortho bug b gon gives you season-long control of all these types of bugs. spectracide gives you season-long control... of just ants. their label says so. bugged by more than ants? get ortho bug b gon. the label tells the story. ortho home defense gives you year long control of all these household bugs - roaches, ants, and spiders. spectracide gives you year long control... of just roaches. their label says so. got more than roaches moving in? get home defense. the label tells the story. they're custom made trains. you can't get any better than that. siemens trains are not your grandparent's technology. they're something that's gonna change the cities we live in today. i find it so fascinating how many people ride this and go to work every single day. i'm one of the lucky guys. i get to play with trains. people say, "wow, we still build that in the united states?" and we say, "yeah, we do!" some breaking news to tell you about. a bomb threat at l.a.x. airport officials just tweeting airport police responding to a reported threat onboard an aircraft. police are there on site. the fbi is heading to the airport at this hour. and this is a threat that was phoned in against eva airlines flight number 3. the plane left taipei taiwan earlier today, arrived at l.a. sxmpt x. in the last hour. it's in a remote corner of the airport as investigators go over it. this latest threat and this is why this is concerning is that it comes on the heels of at least ten scares against passenger planes over the memorial day weekend. we're continuing to monitor the breaking story. we'll bring you the latest developments as they come to us. >> breaking news on the extreme weather that is slamming the u.s. this is already claimed at least 13 lives and at this hour another 16 people are missing. america's fourth largest city is under water tonight. nearly a foot of rainfall swarmed houston in less than 24 hours, and now flash flooding has washed away entire neighborhoods. you can see here cars just swallowed by the rising floodwater, and forecasts are showing more rain is coming. ed lavendera is "outfront" from houston. >> more than ten inches of rain in a matter of hours drowned parts of houston in a sea of chaos. >> it was bad. it was bad. you know we tried. we tried to push the water out from the kitchen to the sliding back door and as soon as we made it back it was already full. >> the epic downpours again triggered flash floods that have killed four people in the houston area. and left thousands racing to escape the rushing waters. city officials say motorists left about 1,000 cars stranded on the city's roadways traffic was snarled, the city's emergency management director describes the scene as a mad house. even houston's popular galleria mall took on several feet of water. across the state of texas, flood victims have had little time to react. quickly trapped in walls of walter like elisa, a beloved high school student and homecoming queen from the san antonio area. just days away from graduating she was driving home from her senior prom when floodwaters washed her car off the road. >> she called 911, called her father but it was just too much and too quick. >> oh, my god. a whole bunch of water. >> after the rains, matthew and will used their kayaks to navigate their southwest houston narnd where dozens of homes took on 3 to 4 feet of water. they strapped on our camera to show us the damage. >> flooded? >> yeah. >> how many inches? >> cars abandoned on the roadways was a scene common all over the city. >> one, two, three, four, five cars. five cars and a whole lot back there. >> they say they have never seen their neighborhood like this. >> they're coming our way. >> first responders imp rovised as well. these fire rescue teams turned massive public works trucks intemporary ambulances to respond to 911 calls in the neighborhood pulling several residents out who couldn't escape the floodwaters pouring into their homes. and there are still three people believed to be missing, search and rescue teams trying to get into those neighborhoods where floodwaters haven't quite receded, to see and continue those search operations. this is one of the bayous that winds its way through mane parts of the city of houston. this is very common the floodwaters in the bayous that rose up so quickly when that rain fell so dramatically. here where we are, the floodwaters stretch said across the embankment and to the bridge you see. a dramatic amount of water causing problems. >> ed lavendera, thank you for that report. there are at least 13 people missing. of the 16 people missing from hayes county. we have daniel guerrero, the mayor of san marcos the largest city in that county. mayor, thanks so much for being with us. i know this is a really tough time for you and your residents there. really hard hit community with more than a dozen people still missing. give us an update on recovery efforts. >> we're still in the process of our search and our rescue efforts. as you mentioned, we're looking at about 13 people that are still unaccounted for. we have rescue groups that are searching and using every methodology available to work towards finding those missing people. >> what are they doing? what are the methods they're using to try to find these folks? >> everything from helicopters, we have different infrared technology that we're utilizing to try to identify folks that may be on the river banks, anywhere we might be able to find them we have search groups walking along the riverinformed earlier today of folks on horseback, so every means possible we're exhausting those efforts. >> you had informed us at cnn that 1200 homes were damaged there in your city. that is a tremendous amount of damage of people displaced from their homes. where do you begin to repair things? >> well it begins with the community coming together. that's what we have seen over the last 48 hours. 1200 homes, that's a significant amount of impact to our community. but our neighbors, our friends, our families have come together and really worked to try to help folks begin to clean up the debris to begin to put their lives together. neighborhoods are coming together and we're very very pleased with the effort that we're receiving from nonprofit organizations, different social agencies that have come together to help communities throughout san marcos. >> thanks so much for being with us. really appreciate you giving us that update. tonight, there are family and friends who are coming together to remember alyssa ramirez, a homecoming queen from texas and the student council president of her school. she was killed on her way home from prom. we have randy brown, close friends with the ramirez family and he tried to save alyssa on this evening that she passed away. sheriff, i'm so sorry for your loss and for the loss of your friends. how's the family doing? >> well i don't know. what can you -- it's hard to judge at this point. they're doing the best they can. >> certainly, we understand that. and give us a sense, i know i think people see what happened to alyssa a young person so full of promise, and they realize that this could happen to anyone. you got a call from alyssa's father. he was trying to save his daughter. tell us what happened. we know that she tried to get help but what happened? >> she did. she tried. there was a lot of first responders that responded. and there was a lot of people in the water and hoping for a different outcome. searching in the treetops unfortunately, the water was high enough that the car was completely submerged and it took some time actually into daylight the next morning for us to be able to locate the vehicle. >> was she able to tell -- she was able to tell authorities where she was located but the car was moved? >> she did. she was able to -- she made a 911 call talking about she was in the water and her car was being washed away. and at some point, she disconnected from the dispatch center and she called her father. >> and do you know what she said to her father? >> i have not had that conversation. he called me and i responded along with a lot of other people. and unfortunately, we were all there too late. >> you went to the scene. you were ultimately able to reach alyssa's car. when you think of what happened that night, it must have been -- the conditions must have been so difficult. in your experience obviously, this is an area that deals with flooding from time to time. it's a combination, right, of the water, but also it being at nighttime, even the danger that you see from the water is really impossible to see until you're right in it right? >> it's very difficult. especially when it's raining so hard you can barely see to drive down the road. then to hit a spot like that where the water is the same color as the asphalt, and then the next thing you know you're in it. then it's too late to back out. >> this is such a tough time sheriff. we really appreciate you being here. our condolence to you, and especially to the family to your good friends. please pass that on from us. thanks for talking with us. >> we will. thank you. "outfront" next protests in cleveland after a police officer was acquitted in the shooting death of a black couple. that is the department is undergoing sweeping changes. we have our report on that next. and shootings and homicides soar in baltimore, the worst month in more than 15 years. why did the number of arrests drop? put your hand over your heart. is it beating? good! then my nutrition heart health mix is for you. it's a wholesome blend of peanuts, pecans and other delicious nuts specially mixed for people with hearts. i said people with hearts. because hearts health is important. that's why i've researched optimized and packaged this mix just for you. not you. so if you have a heart start optimizing your nutrition with my nutrition. planters. nutrition starts with nut. pain from your day can haunt you at night, don't let it. advil pm gives you the healing sleep you need helping you fall asleep and stay asleep so your body can heal as you rest. advil pm. for a healing night's sleep. 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"outfront" we have walter madison, the attorney for tamir rice's family. we have david klinger, a former officer with the los angeles police department. i want to ask you, david, because some of these recommendations from the department of justice, there's a key one that says police essentially get a refresher course on when the use of force is proper and lawful, but you look at that tamir rice video, and you believe that the officer acted lawfully. how does a recommendation like this help prevent a situation that i think everyone agrees needs to be prevented? >> i think what you have to do is step back and understand that the critical mistake was the officer driving the vehicle, getting so close. and there were four key bullet points in the 2014 letter to cleveland p.d. that then led to this consent degree. the fourth one was the bad tactics. if you look carefully at a number of questionable shootings around the country, what you will find is officers not behaving in an unlawful fashion, but using poor tactics and getting too close to a situation. that creates the situation in the tamir rice case where the driver officer gets too close, the passenger officer behaved appropriately. shooting someone in the process of brandishing a firearm. if they would have done the right thing, ie the passenger officer with the driver officer, stayed back 25 yards or so then they can engage in some type of dialogue. doesn't mean mr. rice wouldn't have been shot but would not have been shot in the circumstance where he was shot. you have to look at the whole context. >> walter what do you think about that? if the issue is that police officer driving and he gets too close and he creates this sense for the officer in the passenger side that he feels like deadly force is nescessarynecessary, where does that leave us in a case like this? >> well, first of all, driving a police cruiser off road like that onto a playground is unlawful. that's not a street. and that's a crime. so the tact that was taken at that time was created by an unlawful situation. and if you look at the brelo decision the judge went through some great length to describe how and the prosecution went on to talk about getting on the hood of a car is contrary to the idea of safety. well, in this instance why wouldn't mr. loman get out of the car? and then before we get back, before we even get to the day at the park there's an indictment against the city for hiring mr. loman in the first place. he was unfit to be a police officer. he should have never been hired. and that is another key point that the justice department focused on about the hiring and the examination of these individuals who we give a gun and authorize to use deadly force in appropriate circumstances. but you know the real issue is the perception of danger when it comes to african-americans as opposed to any other group. and there are study after study that would indicate african-americans present and pose a greater danger and in simulations, they're quicker to be shot than other individuals. >> real quick, to you, david, do you think these reforms will work? >> i do not know but i would like to say that the other guest is just wrong in terms of his summary of the research. the best research shows that in fact there isn't racial bias in terms of shooting decisions, but we can take that up at another point. i'm a little bit dubious of the effect this consent degree would have because ten years ago -- >> aren't their racial considerations in a sense of whether you should be fearful in a situation? that's been proven. >> no it hasn't ma'am. >> that's exactly what the government talked about. >> there's implicit bias research that talks about button pushing. what i'm talking about more robust laboratory experiments run by colleagues of mine that shows a counter bias. when you put police officers through realistic scenarios, delay in shooting black versus white suspects for presenting a threat. that's been published. >> mr. clinger, name the number of white individuals who have been shot unarmed by officers in america. >> hundreds. >> name one. >> there were three los angeles police officers who were fired this year or late last year excuse me, i can't remember which, for shooting an unarmed white man. >> well the epidemic sir, what is his name is the point? >> i do not know because i don't pay attention to names, sir. >> okay well that's the problem. there's a perception that african-americans who are unarmed are being shot at an alarming and epidemic proportion. when there's a perception that justice isn't being served the government needs to take inventory of itself and correct that issue. america and all of the protests across the nation can't be wrong. >> yes, they can. >> okay. >> because there's a disconnect between what the research shows and what people are concerned about. we could have a long discussion about this. i'm not telling him how to feel. i'm telling him what the social science research shows. two different things. >> i would love to compare those notes. >> i think we will continue this conversation at another time. thank you so much to both of you, walter and david. appreciate it. "outfront" next as violence soars on baltimore streets, accusations that police are backing down from arrests, fearful of being charged with excessive force. we'll have a report on that. we're learning new details about the man charged in the grisly d.c. mansion murders as police follow the money from washington to new york and back. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. attention. did you or anyone in your household work around asbestos-containing gaskets and packing? the garlock bankruptcy may affect your rights even if you do not presently have an asbestos-related disease. garlock's products were used in industrial and maritime settings, where steam, hot liquid or acid moved in pipes. certain personal injury claims must be filed by october 6, 2015. you may have a right to vote on garlock's plan to reorganize and pay claims. call 844-garlock or go to garlocknotice.com baltimore is suffering from an alarming surge of homicides and shootings in the wyche of freddie gray's death, and felony charges against six police officers. with 35 homicides just this month, may is the city's deadliest in 16 years. over the holiday weekend alone, seven people died, and more than two dozen people were shot. this included a 9-year-old boy. miguel marquez is "outfront" in baltimore. >> another murder scene in baltimore. an all too familiar sight. murders and shootings here skyrocketing. what is it like to be an queen-year-old young man in this city today? >> got to watch your back man. watch your back. >> the spike in violence greater since the death of freddie gray while in police custody. at first, there were protests and riots in response to his death. then the charging of six police officers involved has done little to slow the murder spree in baltimore. caron morgan freddie gray's cousin says these days she stays in his own neighborhood straying just a few blocks could be a death sentence. >> how many other deaths have you experienced since then? >> maybe like seven. >> seven people you know have been killed in the last three weeks. >> yeah. >> are you kidding me? >> really seriously. >> one veteran police officer told cnn anonymously, police here are engaging in a coordinated work slowdown something baltimore's police commissioner denied sort of. >> i hope not. i hope my guys have stronger character than that. >> the crime wave worst in the western district where freddie gray was arrested and the bulk of the rioting occurred but the entire city has nont only seen murders on the increase but nonfatal shootings are up a staggering 78% over last year. >> a war zone right now. you know a war zone. but this is not just happening. it's been going on. sowio knorx we're used to living like this. now, the cameras are here and everybody is seeing it this is normal to us. >> caron morgan says baltimore is in a bad place right now. >> late night, man, people getting tired and restless. the crime is going up. people are getting tired. >> a hot summer a city wrestling with violence and the trial of six police officers could only complicate baltimore's recovery. now, on that recovery this is the fraternal order of police here. a very well attended meeting going on between current officers and former officers here. the police commissioner was here for about ten minutes, took no questions when he left. but i'm sure these officers may have a bit to say about how things are going in baltimore when they exit. back to you. >> miguel marquez in baltimore for us thanks. joining me "outfront," reserve rnd jamal bryant a local activist in baltimore who is the pastor of the empowerment temple. thanks so much for being with us. we want to talk to you about this deadly month in baltimore, the deadliest in 16 years. why do you think it has turned out to be so? >> it is very disappointing that while the murder rate is higher the arrest rate is lower. we have passed already 100 homicides for 2015. tracking statistically a year ago, we didn't hit 100 until july. this is very unnerving, realizing we have had this surge in homicides and violent crimes while school is still taking place, and all the more many of these crimes are taking place in brought daylight. >> you see the spike in shootings and homicides coming as you have the six baltimore pd officers facing serious charges for the death of freddie gray. do you think police are pulling back because of the scrutiny and the fear that they may be the next one charged with excessive force? >> absolutely. it's escalating policing. the police have taken on regrettably in large measure a hands-off approach. as a consequence, it's left itself open to this kind of crime and criminal element. we're right in the community, really believing that we're going to have to start policing ourselves, but we're also going to have to bridge the enmity between the police and the community. we don't believe that all police are negative. we think there's some great police officers right here in baltimore. we want to work with them because we've got to put baltimore back on track to be the harmonious city we know it can be. >> one veteran police officer, reverend told cnn on the condition of anonymity, police are engageing in what is a coordinated work slowdown. they're not being proactive. the police commissioner is denying this. what do you think? >> it's obvious, and it's evident, there's no way in the world you can have 37 shootings this weekend, 9 homicides and not seeing the police right on top of it. there's got to be a greater call to accountability and i pray that commissioner batts' head is not in the clouds that he'll come back down to earth and see that we really need policing to operate in an effective and an efficient manner. >> reverend jamal bryant thanks so much for going "outfront" with us tonight. >> thank you so much. and "outfront," we have breaking news. we're learning new information about how the man charged with torturing and killing a wealthy washington, d.c. family may have escaped after the murders. we have that next. and b.b. king's daughters are charging their father did not die from natural causes as reported. was the famed bluesman poisoned? i am totally blind. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24, a circadian rhythm disorder that affects up to 70 percent of people who are totally blind. talk to your doctor about your symptoms and learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. don't let non-24 get in the way of your pursuit of happiness. you total your brand new car. nobody's hurt,but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do, drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had a liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. new car replacement is just one of the features that come standard with a base liberty mutual policy. and for drivers with accident forgivness,rates won't go up due to your first accident. learn more by calling switch to liberty mutual and you can save up to $423. for a free quote today,call liberty mutual insurance at see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. tonight, new clues in the murder of a wealthy washington, d.c. family and their housekeeper. detectives have uncovered a trail of financial transactions and they link the suspect to two other individuals. palm ella brown is "outfront" live in washington. give us the latest. >> we have learned from law enforcement officials that two you the oft five officials with darren when he was arrested used the cash from the 40,000 dollars, and investigators believe that the 40,000 dollars been used they purchased money orders $2,500 for each money order, we're told. and the two women with went who purchased the money orders were taken into police custody, have since been left again. those with him, including his brother have been let go. police are looking at their texts or their phone records and anything to build a case against them. the two women, charges against them are not mim innocent but they are looking for imminent but they are looking for accessory after the crime, that they purchased money orders with money from the murder. >> and after the murders, what are we learning in the days following? >> we learned from law enforcement officials he took a bus from d.c. to new york, after he became a suspect, he took a ubber from d.c. back to new york and he paid a thousand dollars for and they have been talking to the driver and he has been cooperating. and b.b. king, two of his daughters are questioning how he died. was the king of blues poisoned? your credit is in pretty good shape. >>chuck, i know i have a 798 fico score thanks to experian.com. kaboom... get your credit swagger on. become a member of experian credit tracker and find out your fico score powered by experian. can a business have a mind? a subconscious. a knack for predicting the future. reflexes faster than the speed of thought. can a business have a spirit? can a business have a soul? can a business be...alive? my name is jeff richardson the vice president of operations here at c.k. mondavi. to make this fine wine it takes a lot of energy. pg&e is the energy expert. we reached out to pg&e to become more efficient. my job is basically to help them achieve their goals around sustainability and really to keep their overhead low. solar and energy efficiency are all core values of pg&e. they've given us the tools that we need to become more efficient and bottom line save more money. together, we're building a better california. two of bb king's daughters are raising suspicion about his death, alleging he was poisons by two of -- poisoned by two of his closest associates. a stunning allegation. two of his daughters say their father was murdered. the two daughters. claim laverne tony and my ron johnson administered foreign substances to induce his premature death and the king of blues was poisoned. >> they didn't see their father die and see him for a week before he dies and they want to know and be at peace. >> his doctor ruled he died from a series of strokes affiliated with diabetes but the clark county coroner conducted an autopsy on his body on sunday and the coroner said so far there is no evidence to substantiate the allegations. earlier this year the two accused them of elder abuse but the case was dismissed. >> today was not the final chapter in the b.b. king story. >> it is an ugly post script scene too often in celebrity deaths. michael jackson's death spurred legal cases, including one from his mother. >> will this be the seventh week at number one. >> family members battled over the conservatorship of casey case um the fight for his millions in assets. james brown left his tens of millions of dollars for scholarships to needy children and still a battle over the money. and the b.b. king case follows a familiar pattern. >> there is a estate to fight over and there is a shoot across the bow and they are wanting a place at the table. >> the young women who are accused, what are they are saying. >> we spoke to one of the women's lawyers and they say this affidavit is blasted as fiction and the accusation that his client would have poisoned b.b. king and said three different doctors observed the blues legend and this comes down to one word -- money. >> and there should be an autopsy coming out somewhat soon right? >> in six to eight weeks they expect to have the forensic results. >> key information. i'm bree onna keeler. thank you for watching us. erin will be back tomorrow. ac360 starts right now. good evening. thanks for joining us. breaking news and sadly a rising death toll in the wake of the massive weather system devastating tarts of texas, oklahoma and mexico. nearly a foot of rain in places seemingly all at once. sections of houston under water. rivers and streams hitting flood level in a matter of hours overnight and then rising even further. also rising as we mentioned, the number of lives lost. at least 13 people have died in this country. 13 more in mexico. in addition. 15 people are missing, including a mom and two children in a vacation cabin when it was swept into a local river and carried downstream. we'll speak
>> and first no laughing matter we begin with the 360 report you'll only see here a florida dentist harming the most vulnerable of patients children and collecting millions for things his patients didn't need or want. and you'll see what the dentist did to some of the children and as disturbing as the story is and it might be difficult to watch at times, it might be the tip of the iceberg. there have been questionable billings among providers in five states. this week a new report found more than 300 dentists in california may be overcharged medicaid. and while there isn't proof of fraud or inappropriate care they raise red flags and merit further investigation and that brings us to florida and the dentist still working and the report still difficult to watch. >> a child screaming out of fear and possibly pain from the dentist chair. the cell phone video secretly recorded by the boy's mother. going to the dentist is a rite of passage but happening in this office at the hands of dr. howard shschneider was not the right of passage, it was horrifying. for the past three weeks there have been daily protests outside of his jacksonville florida practice one patient so angry she attacked him outside of his office. he said he did nothing wrong. after brandly motley wrote about the day she took her daughter to the dentist to have her one tooth pulled. >> they said it is best that the kids act better if the children is not in the room. >> so motley sat in the waiting room for three hours. >> finally the nurse went and get me and she was hyperventilating and had blood and marks all over her. >> they left and rushed to an emergency room. >> in the parking lot she takes the gauze out and all of her teeth were gone. >> doctor schneider had pulled not one tooth but seven. >> what happened to her teeth. >> the doctor hid her and choked her and so mom called police twice and even though the officers responded and according to police logs one wrote a report cnn was told no report was written on the case and no attorney would take the case. >> i told everybody what happened. >> her story went viral and there were other claims of unwanted claims and abuse at dr. schneider. >> i kept reading until the name dr. howard and i knew that was the same dentist. >> amanda barry is deaf and her son is blind in one eye and was referred for a crown in march. he is part of a civil suit accusing the doctor of assault and battery. two front teeth were removed for an unknown reason. >> did you cry out and scream out. >> yes, screamed for my mom. >> that is what mothers me the most. i'm deaf: to know my son called me out for me and i can't hear him. you know i'm always here for you. >> and we were apart and i was sad because i wasn't here for you. >> at one point this family was part of the lawsuit and have since withdrawn. they are pursuing a medical malpractice suit represented by attorney phillips and most of them rely on medicaid. >> medicaid paid him per toonl. so can i cap it twice and then pull it and then obtain benefits for all three? absolutely. >> and dr. schneider has made a ford un from medicaid. state reports show he had received $4 million in reimbursements in the last five years. now the florida attorney general has launched a medicaid fraud investigation and the claims stretch back decades. a 1995 malpractice suit was settled out of court saying he placed 16 crowns in the mouth of a 3-year-old. the boy's family was paid $7,500. a said suit was filed that year but the documents have been destroyed and the outcome is unclear. >> someone performing procedures that children don't need and pulling teeth that he knows should still be in the child's mouth, in some cases, we even have where many procedures were done except for what they came in. >> this attorney represents dominic and dozens more of the doctor's former patients and this month he filed a potential class-action lawsuit on behalf of these children claiming patterns of abuse of the child patients an as youkation that cnn discovered had been made before. according to this 2013 police report the mother of a 5-year-old patient was allowed to sit with her and an officer acknowledged a small scratch behind the left ear and the alleged offense was battery and the doctor denied touching the girl and not arrested and the mother was referred to the state attorney office. and nurses later denied that anything inappropriate happened. prosecutors decided not to file charges because of improbable of conviction at trial. cnn made no fewer to dr. schneider's office to arrange an interview and none was returned and we found him in the parking lot of the office. >> what do you think about the allegations? >> what do you think about them? you don't want to hear. >> no, sir, i do. >> you are not correct. i want to be left alone, okay. >> despite the calls to police and the malpractice settlement the doctor is free to practice and his license is clear and according to the board he is not disciplined and that is unclear to these parents. they want jail. >> go to jail. >> it is just a stunning stunning case. victor blackwell joins me and our prosecutor jeffrey toobin. this is so unbelievable when you see the kids and the parents. how could he practice for so long and how long has he been practicing. >> 45 years in jacksonville and for the first 30 of that there is no social media or facebook. so each alleged cases happens in a relative vacuum. you put the allegations of a three, four five-year-old up against a dentist and then brandy started it and then these parents build a pattern of abuse. >> and i just want to put this guys picture up again because i think it is important to point these people out. howard schneider, that is his name. why were parents going to this dentist in particular? >> well because most of the patients rely on medicaid for the insurance. there are few other, if any other options and there is one in gainesville 70 miles away. many of these people don't have cars and they have to rely on public transportation and another dentist could get them in in four to eight months and one mother said he took out four teeth instead of two and then would take them back and i said why did you take them back and they said no other would sedate my son and hi to take them back. >> and the details are horrifying. >> oh, i'm not sure i watched the whole thing, i was climbing under the table. it is a horrible set of allegations. but you know what he's going to say. he'll say i have a clean record for 40 years going to the dentist is not pleasant, some kids scream but when there are so many allegations, and the combination of the testimony incentive to do more procedures. >> and to be paid by tooth -- >> exactly. >> that looks bad. >> is the state's attorney's office looking at this. >> the 2013 case specifically. the nurses told the investigators with the state attorney's office nothing inappropriate happened. well there are reports unconfirmed that schneider has shut down his office. the theory is that they said that in 2013 in fear of losing their jobs. if he has shut down the practice and that fear is out of the window and if something happened they are more willing to talk about it now. >> it is amazing, if this had been going on for a long time some nurse or assistant isn't willing to come forward, why that wouldn't be. >> that has to be the key to the case to make a criminal case against him. these are assaults if it is what the parents said. if you put your hands on someone in a violent unconsented to way, it doesn't matter if you have a white coat or not. it is also malpractice and should result in the loss of a medical license but it would be a crime as well. the hienlennist or the people who work in the office are going to be critical here. >> and what sort of charges could he have in case anyone out there has experiences they want somebody to know about. >> the list is long it begins with malpractice, civil. civil battery. possibly criminal assault. possibly criminal fraud in connection with the medicaid payments. and of course the loss of his chemical license to the florida authorities. all of those are possible. and boy, if that is true the real question is going to be how did this go on for so long. >> and the mom who can't hear her child crying and the little boy -- i just want to hug him. victor blackwell, appreciate the reporting. jeff toobin thank you as alzheimer's. -- as assalways. and the beginning of the end of the mystery in the fire that took four lives in an up scale neighborhood and word of a possible motive when we continue. when a moment spontaneously turns romantic why pause to take a pill? 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>> you mentioned more than 1,000 weapons, knives handguns rifles and ak-47s and they were all over this restaurant. they found guns stuffed in between flowerbeds in a bag of tortilla chips and hid ebb in the toilets in an attempt to try to dump the evidence. >> thank you. and the fact that some people are dead offer the fact that someone gets to wear a patch on their jacket and for groups like this like the hell's arvegels and the band eidos, and over something that wouldn't make any sense to any sensible community, some in the community believe they are getting a bad wrap. gary tuchman has that. >> this is something you might not expect to see. bikers from rival organizations. with nanks like the patriotic defenders, the booze fighters the gypsies, the revolutionaries, altogether under one roof peacefully they are called motorcycle clubs and the term gang is insinuating. >> call me your name. >> in this bar, south of waco there is shock about what happened in waco. >> there is a reflex not to stereo type all motorcycle riders. >> i feel they are been unfairly labelled. >> why is that? >> because i know a lot of them that i don't see them that way. >> jimmy graves is a bandido, a high level one at that. >> we have been stereotypes. >> they have been labelled a criminal organization and a serious domestic threat. >> they are not thugs. mainly when we find a thug in our bunch, we get rid of them. >> and the bandidos have made a push to get involved in charity and fundraising over the years. an attorney who represented bandidos say it is all in earnest. >> they do try to help people and the government can try to make it a sinister version to make them look bad, but they wanted to clean up their imth. they didn't want to look bad, but they don't think they are. >> the executive editor of texas monthly magazine who does done investigations of the bandidos and said the charity work is a major part of life for many motorcycle clubs like the one at the saloon. >> we start working with abused and neglected children. >> and we have to take care of our veterans. >> i ride with the tribe of judea motorcycle ministry. >> and those who judge them for being part of a motorcycle club. >> this are shows like sons of anarchy and they think ault bikers are like that. >> and people run across you with your colors and they are scared and try to get away from you. >> yeah. i seem to scare people. >> the people that patronize this bar come from different clubs but they feel mischaracterized and misunderstood and misappreciated and they don't expect that to change any time soon especially with what happened in waco. what newly declassified papers revealed that osama bin laden had for americans right up until the day that americans got him. we got the new tempur-flex and it's got the spring and bounce of a traditional mattress. you sink into it, but you can still move it around. now that i have a tempur-flex, i can finally get a good night's sleep. when i flop down on the bed, and it's just like, 'ah, this is perfect." wherever you put your body it just supports you. like little support elfs are just holding you. i can sleep now! through the night! (vo) change your sleep. change your life. change to tempur-pedic. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we learned today that a what if that might have changed history. the months before osama bin laden raid he was house hunting, looking for a new hideout for him and his family. long enough for him to be found. and giving us the clearest look into his years on the rund and the attacks he was plotting. tom foreman reports on more. >> the new declassified bin laden papers. >> targets sent to the united kingdom and russia with the em fasity on hitting americans whenever possible. and why did it fail? it was bad luck and god wasn't on our side. the papers show that in all of the years since 9/11, bin laden's invasion said these big eating invaders and their royal dogs are too scared of us and we do not have the ability to counter their technology. he feared drones. warning commanders to change location only under cloudy skies to avoid detection and we should be careful not to send big secrets by e-mail because the enemy can monitor it. computer science is not our science. and he saw any plan to establish an islamic state as premalture and risky and should be prepared for a long struggle for things like food and water struggle. and he said i'm sure you're aware that climate change is causing problems. he had 40 books in english, clawing the obama wars and the rise and fall of the great powers. and this an application form for would-be jihadis and do any family or friends work with the government? would they be willing to help us. do you wish to execute a suicide operation and who should we contact in case you become a martyr. tom foreman, cnn, washington. >> well job applications and recruiters but the outfit that succeeded them isis,s that raised recruiting to a whole new level. it has received some resistance in the story grew griffin uncovered about a mother with a mission. >> chris may not look like it but right now she is batting isis. >> the recruiters are really slick and they make you believe that it is something different than what it is. and they kept stalking her online and a couple of times she would ignore him and he would blow up. >> a 23-year-old woman from the u.s. is being stalked, close to joining isis and traveling to syria. the woman's family contacted boudreau and an intervention began. >> in less than two hours in her calgary home three separate families reach out to her, desperate for help. they call they find her, for one reason. she has lived this nightmare. >> i tried to convince my son to come back. i didn't know what i was doing. >> there is damien raiding the pantry again. >> three years ago her son became the target of a radical islam recruit ear, chris had no idea. >> we thought he was going to egypt to study linguistics. i didn't question it. >> he was raised a catholic and got into trouble as a teen and attempted suicide at 17 and then found islam. his mother looked upon his conversion as a blessing and it would soon become a curse. canadian authorities believe claremont and several other young islams were recruited out of a downtown calgary mosque and led to the battlefield without their families suspecting a thing. chris's son damien would be dead in months, killed fighting for isis just outside of aleppo syria. >> do you think damien died wanting to come back? >> no. >> he wanted to be there, up until the actual day he died? >> as far as i know the last message i got, from him, through facebook was how strong his faith was now and his ideas were completely twisted. it was not the same person that i knew. >> she grieved, kept private, then got angry. >> how can somebody take such a bright mind and twist it and convince them that they are doing the right thing, they believe they're doing right. >> the story that you have is being told all across the world by people calling you right now looking for help. >> yeah. >> how do you stop it? >> we have to lift the taboo. we have to reach out to our youth. make them realize what this is before they get approached. only then can we stop this from happening. >> through her organization she is trying to lift the veil on isis recruiting and send a message to parents to look for warning signs and convince families to openly talk about what isis really is. >> it all boils down to one thing, the guys at the top who are greeding and egotistical who want power and money and those guys are the pupper masters that are able to manipulate all of these people and how sick and twisted is that. >> cnn, calgary. >> and still ahead, new details in the d.c. murder investigation and what they endured before they were killed. the american dream is terrifying. american history is the history of the scary thing being the exact thing we have to do. cross that ocean. walk on that moon. fly. none of this makes rational sense. it only makes american sense. here, the hard things show us who we are. leaving your job to start your own thing. having a kid when you still feel like a kid. signing a 30-year mortgage on a home. scary sure but no match for our colossal self-belief. we're supposed to do scary. without scary, we don't get to be brave. buy in. quickenloans/home buy. refi. power. hey, what are you doing? 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...why settle for this? enter sleep number... don't miss the memorial day special edition mattress with sleepiq technology. sleepiq tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! now we can all choose amazing sleep, only at a sleep number store. save $500 on the memorial day special edition mattress with sleepiq technology. know better sleep with sleep number. new developments in the quadruple murder mystery. whoever set this porsche on fire after ditching it is part of the question. and new information about what the four victims endured, pamela brown has the latest. >> investigators of the mystery inside of this washington, d.c. mansion believe money was a motive motive. a law enforcement source said a separate source said the couple and their 10-year-old son philip and the house keeper were bound and held captive and signs of torture to one of the victims. and while this was going on law enforcement tell "the washington post" that an employee of the husband delivered a package containing 40,000 dollars to the house and assailants are believed to have gotten away with that amount of money. the housekeeper's husband went to the home the morning after the incident began and knew something was wrong and saw the family's porsche as the getaway car. >> i saw the porsche, it was on the street and then i was knocking and knocking and ringing the bell and my feeling was that somebody was inside. >> but no one answered. then he received a phone caught from mr. save appo laos. >> i forgot to call you, she had to stay with my wife and she was feeling bad and asked vera to go to her. >> it is likely it was the -- that call was made when he was a hostage. three hours later the mansion next to joe biden's home went up in flames. they believe the victims were killed before it was intentionally set on fire and investigators say three of the four victims received blunt force trauma. >> somebody that is a pro doesn't want to hurt anybody, they want the items and this shows me they are politically cruel. >> and they believe this person drove the porsche before setting it on fire in broad daylight. >> and pamela brown joins me now. what happened to this family and the housekeeper are brutal. have they found out who did this. >> they have been following up on leads since the person of interest was released to the public and investigators are following up and trying to track them down and interviewing people who knew the family and who may have delivered anything to the home including a pizza delivery driver who delivered pizza to the house when it is believed the family was being held hostage inside and the investigators are also pulling through evidence recovered from the family home and since it is a large house and such large fire damage they will be there for several days collecting evidence. and police are saying there is no signs of forced entry to the home indicating that the suspect or suspects knew the family anderson. >> palm ella brown, thank you. let's get the latest on the other stories. randi kaye has a 360 bulletin. >> investigators now have brandon broadcasty an's cell phone to see whether he made calls or text messages before the train he was conducting derailed. the florida man who piloted a gyrocopter before landing on the lawn of the u.s. capitol was indicted and faced six felonies. if conducted, he could get more than nine years in prison. >> off the coast of santa barbara raw, a oil pipeline has ruptured. up to 105 gallons of krut oil has spilled into the pacific ocean. and here is something to make everyone smile. our first look at the kwud rupe let cubs born at a tacoma washington zoo. they were born eight days ago and they each weigh between 11 and 12 ounces or roughly the weight of a box of corn flakes. aren't they adorable. little pink noses. they are so cute. >> thank you. up next david letterman, stars coming out for his last show and who came to say goodbye and a look back at the three decade career of this legendary late-night comedian. ortho home defense gives you year long control of all these household bugs - roaches, ants, and spiders. spectracide gives you year long control... of just roaches. their label says so. got more than roaches moving in? 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>> are you talking about my hair? all right. what is that a swim cap? what are you wearing? >> he has his favorites to be sure. >> everybody who comes on here pretending to be an actress, i say to myself. you aren't close. you couldn't carry julia roberts' jock. >> and joaquin, i'm sorry you can't bb&t here tonight. >> and more you see the sistine chapel. >> i'm not going for the 16th chapel lookic canadian high school. >> i was always thrilled just to be invited. each individual as exciting as the first. nothing felt better than getting a laugh from the master himself. >> i was there at the counter all myself. the loneliest, most pathetic person on the planet. >> you never knew where the conversation would end up. >> you wrote -- he wrote this book all about this person she hooked up with. >> i said did you know marlin brando. >> oh, yes. >> and number two, alice cooper 360. >> and letterman is like johnny carson before him, a uniquely american looking glass, someone whom the audience could see themselves whether after his heart surgery. >> it was five years ago today that these men and women saved my life. >> or when the country was struck by tragedy. >> you can feel it. you can feel it. you can see it. it's terribly sad. >> as he prepares to sign off for the last time after more than 6,000 shows and decades of ground-breaking comedy we just want to say thank you, dave you are an original and we'll always remember all of the laughs all of the moments you gave us. >> good night, everybody. >> joining me now is bill carter the authority on late night tv and has wrote the late shift and the last night and his hair is as white as mine. and first of all, tonight, tons of stars on the foo fighters are performing. >> top ten list jerry seinfeld steve martin. >> i heard it went long. >> it went 17 minutes long and there was an issue. could they accommodate that. cbs is trying to get some advertising in. >> no one is going to complain about that. and one of the things i found fascinating about that a lot of them would come and see you before you went on the show he only existed at that desk. and even julia rob erpts who was on multiple times, she never saw him outside of being on television? >> no. he was a different creature on television. he didn't want to talk to the guests he wanted it to be spontaneous and you could possibly blow an anecdote ahead of time and he wasn't a socialable guy. >> and he would come on the air and say i have this social awkward disorder. and it was amazing, but he does. >> and he said minutes before to paul i'm going to retire. >> yes. and moon ves told me it would be in the feature and he got a call in the middle of the day, it is happening tonight and that is it. >> and the thing i liked about him is he kept his private life private. there were glimpses of it when things happened and he has a son and he showed him tonight. >> yes. >> but actually i think what is interesting about him if something did happen to him and it often did, he had a stalker, he had a sex scandal, had had -- he had his heart problem and he would talk about it on the air, and he would sit at the desk and he wouldn't give an interview, but he would just let it all hang out. >> and in the age of instagram and tweeting. >> oh, no no. >> and i liked that. and i found fascinating and a lot of the shows you do preinterviewed and jay leno stuck with the preinterview and letterman, we were supposed to talk about iraq and he talked about clean coal. >> because he had those interested. he wasn't limited by i'm in joe business and i'm interested in cars or whatever. he was interested in all kinds of things. and sometimes he would have unusual guests on, you and he wanted to have real discussions. because he wouldn't talk to people outside of the show and if he wanted the information he would book you. >> but it wasn't all about setting up for a joke he would have real discussions. >> yes. and that was an evolution for him. because when he started out, he was not a good interviewer, but as the time went on he had guests that would fulfill a need in him. i don't know about this topic and so i'm going to have this guy on. >> and when he started, there weren't viral moments and you would talk about something the next day. >> he had word of mouth and that was potent because the college crowd would follow that guy. >> and i would stay up sand have bagged under my eyes. bill carter thank you. and someone you knows get hood-winked by a satirical website. who kind of idiot would get hood-winked by a satirical website? 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(vo): discover how tempur-pedic can move you. and now through may 31st save hundreds on a tempur-breeze mattress and adjustable base. the network that monitors her health. the secure cloud services that store her genetic data the servers and software on a mission to find the perfect match. and the mom who gets to hear her daughter's heart beat once again. we're helping organizations transform the way they work so they can transform the lives of the people they serve. time for the ridiculous. and tonight i'll let you in on something going on vis-a-vis with the fickle mistress that is twitter. a few days ago i found a quote attributed to me something i said at a commencement speech. and i quote. graduation is a big deal bigger than getting a hole-in-one when you are golfing. people might think you are lying about the whole in one, but when you get a hole-in-one, you get a diploma. and i never said that and i quote um, do you make this stuff up and i never said this and i never spoke to this college and they pointed out that it is quoted by the union. they said click hole should have been my first clue. yeah i know it should have. some say i should have done a teeny bit of clicking around said hole and been tipped off by the other headlines. nine things james taylor wouldn't understand and my daughter is running a fever and keems coughing up pieces of evidence from the o.j. simpson trial but needless to say i didn't read any of those, and in my defense, none of those have any name in them and why would i have read them. that is the kind of guy i am. it is particularly humiliating given the fact i am a fan of the onion and i have moderated a panel with the onion staff, i show you evidence. >> oh, that is good. let's get to that. >> people on the extreme right took it seriously and were completely outraged that planned parenthood would open this abortion clinics. >> but they weren't surprised. >> silly people. falling for a satire site. but that was a good discussion. and i get the humor. i promise you, i get their humor. >> anybody you won't pick on? >> no. >> because you are a moderator. >> oh, come on. that is clearly about the war. >> i'm starting to resign. >> he was a gentle lover. >> see, i'm a seeker so i wonder what can this click hole miss step teach me. maybe this is a tale of hubar is flying too close to the red hot sun of social media attention and i just pondered this when someone called to ask many my refrigerator was running and i'll just close with a gentle reminder mostly to myself don't believe everything you read in life on line and on the ridulist. and i corrected myself a few minutes later. and i'm going to explain. i'm a loser. that does it enough. anthony bourdain parts unknown starts right now. my grandparents teach that there are some people who have been in madagascar before. they were very little people and they live in forests and they respect their environment.
doubts about the meeting that could bring him a nobel peace prize and where would that leave the nuclear program. we'll talk with a correspondent inside of north korea. and explosive lava eruption and forcing evacuation on the big island. the video of the molten lava vaporizing everything in its path with the fears that a power plant might be next. almost to "the lead," i'm jake tapper. we'll begin with the politics lead an the white house minutes ago addressing the president's maximum pressure campaign on the department of justice, breaking with norms and pushing for an investigation into the very people investigating him and his campaign team. this comes after the revelation that a confidential fbi source in 2016 had conversations with trump campaign staffers. the president responding to that news today saying, quote, if they had spies in my campaign during the campaign for political purposes, that would be unprecedented in the history of our country. sarah sanders revealing that the meeting with lawmakers about that confidential source will take place on thursday of this week and the individuals expected to attend are devin nunes sand trey gowdy. fbi director christopher wray and dan coates and attorney general edward o'callaghan. no democrats invited but while democrats and some republicans are concerned over how the president is characterizing this fbi confidential source and some are chagrinned as the president's rhetorical disregard for prosecutorial independence to say nothing of the description of robert mueller, a widely respected former fbi director and republican as a fear former obama employee, more than a dozen house republicans calling for a second special counsel into the justice department itself. to investigate the investigators as it were. cnn laura jarrett begins our coverage today with this report. >> we've become -- >> reporter: president trump weighing in on a controversy he helped start. >> if they had spies in my campaign, during my campaign for political purposes, that would be unprecedented in the history of our country. >> reporter: a confidential intelligence source used by the fbi and cia for years, now in the middle of a political fire storm and the white house saying lawmakers will get the information they want after weeks of the justice department refusing to hand over details about the individual and pressure from house republicans. >> we're just not going to take this nonsense of every time we peel something back and need information and we get ignored and we get stalled or stonewalled and then low and behold we get accused, we'll destroy the nation's ability to keep it secure. >> reporter: while current and former officials say the source was not planted inside of the trump campaign -- >> they were not. they were spying on -- on a term i don't like, but on what the russians were doing. >> reporter: reports about the sources discussions with former trump campaign advisers have fueled accusations about a campaign mole. a notion adopted by the president who ordered the justice department over the weekend to launch an investigation into the fbi. >> some man got paid based on what i read in the newspapers and on what you reported, some person got paid a lot of money. that is not a normal situation. the kind of money you're talking about. >> reporter: and even former trump campaign advisers say the conversations with the individual were hardly cloak and dagger or otherwise eventful. >> the meeting was very high level and it is like two faculty members sitting down in the faculty lounge talking about research and there was no indication or inclination that this was anything other than just wanting to offer up his help to the campaign if i needed it. >> i never felt grimed -- so if he's a -- if he's good at doing that, then perhaps that is part of the game. >> reporter: top officials in the trump administration had tried to protect the sources identity and records, fearing his life could be placed at risk but the white house brokered an agreement for lawmakers to review the highly classified information they sought. only raising more questions than answers about precisely what lawmakers will now receive and leaving democrats worried trump has crossed a red line. >> i think little by little and sometimes not so little we are seeing an erosion of the independence of the justice department that is gravely concerning. >> reporter: when asked today why no democrats are planning to attend this highly classified briefing on thursday, white house press secretary sarah sanders said it is simply because they haven't been the ones asking for the information. jake. >> the democrats have said they want to be there, laura jarrett, thank you. my panel here with me. phil mudd, let me start with you. i want to play part of what the president said when asked if he had confidence in deputy attorney general rod rosenstein. take a listen. >> do you have confidence in rod rosenste rosenstein. >> what is your next question, please. >> i'm -- >> i have the president of south korea here. he doesn't want to hear these questions if you don't mind. >> your interpretation of that answer. >> that is a no. but this is not just a question about rod rosenstein. you know who is on the hot seat is the attorney general. if the president removed rosin stein the first we is somebody who was with the president early on in the campaign and that is the attorney general jeff sessions has to step back and i think and say, i've got to go too. there is the law of unintended consequences, if the president wants to move, there will be other stuff that will roll if he cluzs to take out rosin stein. >> do you think it is possible that there should be oversight what the fbi did in allowing a confidential source to go and talk to people on a campaign? it is certainly an unusual thing and congress has an oversight role. >> i think the big challenge here is that the president's party looks like it's trying to shield the president -- and the president of the united states is going up against his own doj and the republicans are coming in to basically shield him from an investigation, at the end of the day the fbi was looking at russian interference in the election and there are people- -- russians have been indicted for their involvement in the election and the fact that republicans are basically trying to run interference for the president's investigation that is going on for months and the fact that rod rosenstein or wray are meeting with the president at all to discuss this investigation, i think it taints what is happening here and makes it look like the republicans are trying to undermine -- >> scott, do you have any issues with president trump reaching out to the justice department and suggesting that they investigate the investigators, as it were. >> no, as far as i know, the justice department is a still a cabinet agency existing under the president of the united states, according to our constitution. and so your first question, of course there should be oversight. nobody in the government is above oversight. and we have a situation now where i think in the latest survey, 43% of americans said i want this investigation to end. you have a rising number of people who lack confidence in it. no matter the outcome, collusion, no collusion, whatever happens, we need the american people to accept the outcome. they'll be a huge number of people who won't. if things like this are not investigated. politics were at play and text messages between two of the agents and comey admitted he had politics on the brain when he made certain decisions. this absolutely has to be looked at by the inspector general at the least and maybe special counsel. >> and the inspector general is looking at it. >> you are demonstrating the papt partisanship in this investigation. you're arguing this needs to be investigated by republicans. why aren't democrats part of this? if there should be an investigation, it should be bipartisan but that is not happening. only republicans who are trying to run cover for the president and the fact that your siding polling from the fact that -- the president has attacked the investigation from the beginning, those -- it is republicans who are questioning this investigation, not independents. >> do you think the democrats should be at this meeting? they want to be there. >> i do, actually. i think when we have congressional oversight both parties need to be represented. the republican want this information but there is no reason not to have people there. i suspect that at smibt sm po-- some point this is coming out any way so shielding it from parties won't make sense to me. >> phil, listen to sam clovis, a trump campaign official with whom the confidential source met. here he is describing the meeting. >> its with an academic meeting. it was not anything other than him talking about the research that he had done on china and that was essentially what the discussion was about. i didn't have any notes on the meeting because there must not have been anything substantial that took place. >> what would the meeting have been? >> if you are running -- by the way, i want to challenge something that was discussed earlier, this is unusual for an informant to be an investigation of political corruption and unusual at a presidential level but one of the top ten priorities for the fbi is political corruption and whether it is the city council or the president, if you want to understand as we saw in this case what is happening, you put an informant in -- >> and this wasn't political corruption, it was a counter intelligence investigation and that is different. >> sure. but you are talking about corruption and did something accept something of value from a foreign government and i would term that political corruption. did they get information related to wikileaks that helped them in the campaign. and in this case, you'll have somebody -- i'm not sure he's the only informant in the operation, going in and pretty softly, you don't want to spook the target and softly to say what are the conversations about russia and what are the conversations about china, you plight get to the level of passively trying to learn whether there are further conversations about what is showing up on here and whether people are making jokes as we heard from popadopoulos or not jokes about the foreknowledge of what wikileaks was showing so there is information from a human informant and even passively you can't get from a phone intercept. >> when the fbi asks a confidential source like this one to go in there and talk to trump campaign sources, are they trying to find out what the russians are up to or trying to find out what the trump campaign is up to? or both? >> the pred case for the investigation is whether there is a violation of law. they are trying to find out whether nobody did something stupid or an ethical violation, they trying to determine what the russians did, but whether that led to illegal activity by somebody in the campaign. the whole purpose of the investigation is not strictly to learn what russians did, it is to learn whether a law was violated. >> there is an issue here to be explored on the question you just asked. text messages are heavily redacted but there is a message that said -- >> these are the fbi agents. >> yes. it says the white house is running this. now there is a lot of redaction so we don't know what they meant by this but the mere presence of that statement alone must be looked at to answer the question that you asked, which is are they looking at what the russians are doing or what the trump campaign is doing. if you run a campaign and been elected or defeated in a campaign and found out later that people were probing the people ma work for you, you would want to know if political shenanigans were at play. >> stick around. we have more to talk about. we'll take a quick 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[ drum roll ] ...emily lapier from ames, iowa. this is emily's third nomination and first win. um...so, just...wow! um, first of all, to my fellow nominees, it is an honor sharing the road with you. and of course, to the progressive snapshot app for giving good drivers the discounts -- no, i have to say it -- for giving good drivers the discounts they deserve. safe driving! today more than a dozen republican lawmakers demanded that a second special counsel be appointed to investigate the investigators. the republicans say there are enough questions about the conduct of the fbi and justice department regarding the probe into russian interference and into the 2016 election and the possible role of anyone affiliated with the trump campaign in that interference to warrant an entire second special counsel. joining me is one of the house republicans, congressman matt gates of florida and thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me, jake. >> and you spend time investigating the investigators. do you agree with the premise of the original counter intelligence investigation that russia interfered in the election and it is worth getting to the bottom of any possible american assistance. >> absolutely. russia engaged in a malign influence campaign all around the world. they seek to undermine democracy by undermining democratic institutions and they will continue to do that in the united states and there are a number of ways that our supervisors of elections and heads of our departments of state around the country are fighting to ensure that we're sufficiently resilient to combat that threat. >> i want to know what you thought about. >> that today you demanded a second special counsel be appointed. just -- point of fact, independent council are for violation of law. what crime are you suggesting might have taken place here? >> well here we see the potential collection of intelligence on the trump campaign and we also see the misrepresentation of information before the fisa court which would violate woods procedures and something that we would absolutely want to get to the bottom of it and we've seen a number of personnel changes at the fbi and the department of justice that seem to indicate something is not right. when have you to demoat and reassign the top of intelligence and top lawyers in lisa page and andrew mccabe fired and bruce orr not disclosing his own wife was working for fusion gps and all of a sudden he goes from a counter narcotics professional to working on counter intelligence, it seems like a lot of information that could lead to hopefully some good bipartisan reform of these entities. >> so i wondered if you would bring up the issue of what was presented before the fisa court, because i don't know how you know that. you're not on the house intelligence committee and you haven't seen the underlying intelligence. how do you know that anything improper was done in the fisa court. >> we have received information and read the memo from the house intelligence committee that all -- thein entire house voted to declassify and that laid out clearly that the principle piece of evidence laid out was thises doeyer that was paid for by -- >> no, that memo -- that memo made it very clear that it was papadapoulos' meeting with the australian diplomat in which he acknowledged that he had talked to somebody with kremlin connections about dirt on hillary clinton and hillary clinton e-mails -- >> that is one element. >> they said that -- >> the first piece of evidence. >> the devin nunes memo said that is the reason the investigation was launched. >> that is a memo from peter struck that did launch the investigation. but that didn't lead to the application before the fisa court. my allegation is that the woods procedures were not followed before the fisa court there wouldn't have been any preparation of the fisa court in the absence of that very dossier and that is not -- don't take my word for it, that is the testimony of andrew mccabe. >> i have talked to people at the justice department and say you keep saying this and you don't know what you are talking about because you are you're not on the -- you're not ount house intelligence -- >> and they are briefing the house judiciary committee and they have oversight over the fisa process. that is not exclusively the purview of the intelligence committee, frankly i wish the judiciary would be more active in interviewing witnesses regarding the procedures that were followed and the eftds that wasn't presented. these prosecutors before a fisa court did not have a defense attorney in the room. they had an obligation to present the evidence favorable to their position but the evidence that wasn't favorable and gave no indication that the dnc was involved in paying for this and no indication that christopher steele was involved only a vague reference to glenn simpson. >> they said it was paid for by politic political opponents of the -- >> and that was christopher steele who the fbi deemed uncredible because he lied to the fbi about other disclosure to the media. >> let's step back to the issue to talk about this call for -- for a second special counsel. to investigate the investigators. to investigate the fbi, to investigate the justice department. have you spoken directly with president trump or any officials inside of the white house about this legislation, are they on board? >> i have not spoken to any of them about this legislation. >> has anyone else in your group of members of congress who introduced this legislation, meadows or desantis, have they talked to anybody in the white house? i'm looking to find out in f the white house supported this. >> mr. zeldin was the principal author and he said at a press conference he's not spoken to the white house and mr. meadows indicated he's not spoken to the white house about this resolution and i've not spoken about the resolution so i don't know if other members of congress have but the principle author of the work product filed today have not spoken with the president or the white house about the specifics. obviously there is a lot of information referenced regarding the status of the hillary clinton e-mail investigation, the double standard at the fbi and the level of bias at the fbi and over time i've had discussions with the white house with b those issues but not about this today. >> and you slammed jeff sessions over a decision to recuse himself, rooted in justice department guidelines. you said this before mr. sessions. let's roll the tape. >> over in the department of justice, he's got stockholm syndrome and -- >> and the entire justice department and intelligence apparatus and leadership was appointed by president trump. so who is the deep state you're referring to? is it the fbi director christopher wray or coats. >> my concern is with rod rosenstein. i think mr. rod rosenstein is deeply conflicted and that in many cases he is playing jeff sessions and i think jeff sessions is functionally set off into a corner at the justice department on these critical issues or a legal or factual basis for his recusal and i think it has hurt the country. >> you said the white house is not yet fully -- fully informed about the extent of the -- of the trump campaign and what information do you know that the white house and president do not. >> i cannot talk about that in an unclassified setting. but there is an additional fact pattern nothing to do with the individual been talked about in the media regarding the collection of intelligence on the trump campaign and that is in the possession of some congressional investigators and not others and it is my hope to have greater transparency about the facts. >> and you learned about this how? >> i'm not getting into that because it could disclose classified information. >> take a listen to the former republican governor of new jersey, chris christie, a former u.s. attorney continually advised president trump on the mueller investigation. take a listen. >> bob mueller himself is not a partisan. he's an onnest and hard working guy and he's smart and you can't argue the investigation is not effective so far. a number of guilty pleas and a couple -- of indictments in a year and that's pretty good work. >> is he wrong? >> i don't agree with that assessment. when you look at the indictments against the russian entities, this is information in response to your first question that it is widely none around the world there is an effort for russia interfering in democracy and this is not ground breaking endeavor and the team that robert mueller has assembled there is great bias against the president and tools used, that aren't fair, if the collection of evidence influenced the mueller investigation and we don't know that to be true but i want to find out more and that is why i support the appointment of a second special counsel. >> congressman gaetz, thank you. >> thank you. >> we have a lot to cover. my panel will be back with me next. david. what's going on? oh hey! ♪ that's it? yeah. that's it? everybody two seconds! 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moment. when we are in a democratic socie society we should be cautious having politicians decide who gets investigated. that is pollicization and that is dangerous. we should have investigated when trump tower was wiretapped because the president had a bee in his bonnet about that when susan rice unmasked people and the republicans had a bee in their bonnet and went to the white house and said that is a fraud. we should have investigated president obama because clearly as president trump has told us, he was not born in the united states. every time the president has a bad hair day, by the way which is often, we're not going to conduct an investigation and politicians shouldn't be directing who gets investigated by federal authorities. >> what i don't fundamentally understand, is this conspiracy that is being alleged -- the fbi hurt hillary clinton. now could you argue they did the right thing by having the press conference and reopening the investigation ten days before the election. or not. but either way, they were denying any investigation into trump and they were very publicly talking about hillary clinton investigations. where is tconspiracy here, i don't nor-- i don't understand >> i wouldn't call it conspiracy but this investigation is a year and you've had to live with a clout over it. if you think it would be upended by this cloud and by the end of which nothing may have been happened to you. you would be upset about. it i listened to mr. gtz and they want to know did the russians meddle or have a willing or unwilling partner and can we stop them in the future and were there any political shenanigans at doj regarding the investigations. mueller could get at the first three and we may need a layer of over sight to get to the four -- >> and you like the inspector general. >> yes. he nailed mccabe. who the trump people hate. so i think the i.g. might be the right answer here. >> i think you missed a fourth point which is -- the american people want to know if donald trump and his campaign did anything to actually help the russians -- >> that is a second point -- >> the proud point here honestly is -- what we're seeing over this last week is the president of the united states and his republican party basically work to undermine the investigation of himself. it is as if a person under investigation by prosecutors is using a bunch of people to go after the prosecutors. that is part of what is happening here and i think the american people understand. and what is disconcerting is people would claim to care about the national security of the american people, are perfectly happy to unveil people who are actually helping the fbi in order to meet their political ends. >> everyone stick around. maybe it will happen and maybe it won't. president trump casting doubt on the upcoming summit with kim jong-un on june 12th at the same time the rogue regime is preparing to put on a show. we'll go live inside north korea. stay with us. anyone can get you 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won't work out and that is okay. that doesn't mean it won't work out over a period of time but maybe not for june 12th. >> the president casting doubt on whether the summit with kim jong-un will happen on june 12th as north korea prepares to put on a big show inviting a small group of foreign journalists to watch them dismantle the nuclear test sites. we have reports in north korea and the white house ready to react. let's start with will ripley, one of the few invited to north korea and the 18th trip inside of the country. is this dismantling as big of a deal as north korea is making it out to be? >> well we really don't know until we get there. we have no information yet as to how much time we're going to spend at the nuclear test site which is almost a 20 hour journey here in won san and we hike to get to the location and the first time international press been allowed. there we've been asking to go for years. we expect to see the implosion of the tunnels used to conduct nuclear tests and the most recent triggered a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and the dismantles of facilities on-site but in terms of experts conducting a meaningful inspection, there aren't any in our group and we are just journalists with cams and eyes and eerns and report to the world what we experience and whether we could analyze the authenticity, we'll have to leave that up to the experts and they'll decide. >> and north korea did not invite any journalists from south korea. what do you read into that? >> reporter: well it shows that -- well things seem to be going very well after the inter-korean summit and there is obviously been a spike in tensions. part of that is because of the military exercises, these aerial drills taking place right now in south korea. the north koreans are very unhappy to see bombing jets and they say these are defensive in nature they feel this is another dress rehearsal for an invasion and not what they want to see ahead of peace talks with president trump in singapore and the rhetoric out of washington angering the north koreans and you heard from the vice president mike pence saying if kim jong-un doesn't make a deal, then iraq could fall by the way of libya. where gadhafi gave up his nuclear westchesters and deapon later and john bolton made similar comments saying that north korea could be a lippia model and said they won't accept that and might walk away from the summit if things don't go well. so south korea not on the trip, we'll do our best to what we see. thank you very much. and trump met with moon jae-in expressed annoyance of kim jong-un to an aggressive tone. pax ella brown reports on that side of the story. >> president trump meeting with south korean president moon at the white house today. >> mr. president, great honor. >> reporter: amid growing doubts the summit between trump and north korean leader kim jong-un will happen on june 12th in singapore as planned. >> it is a very substantial chance that it won't work out and that is okay. that doesn't mean it won't work out over a period of time. but it may not work out for june 12th. but there is a good chance that we'll have the meeting. >> reporter: president moon looking to reassure u.s. officia officials after statements where north korea threatened to withdraw from talks if the u.s. continues to insist it denuclearize. >> it is certain conditions that we want and if we don't, we don't have the meeting and frankly it has a chance to be a great, great meeting for north korea and a great meeting for the world. >> reporter: the south korean national security adviser telling reporters, we believe there is a 99.9% chance the north korean-u.s. summit will be held as scheduled but preparing for many different possibilities. trump today also blaming the change in north korea mood on china recent meeting with kim. >> i think that president xi is a world class poker player. and i probably may be doing the same thing that he would do. but i will say this, there was a somewhat different attitude after that meeting. i think things changed after that meeting. so i can't say that i'm happy about it. >> reporter: trump did offer an olive branch, promising the north korean leader -- >> we will guarantee his safety and we've talked about that from the beginning. le be safe, he will be happy. his country will be rich. his country will be hard working and very prosperous. >> reporter: but white house aides are skeptical the summit will happen and concerned the president is overly eager for the summit to take place, increasing kim's lever average and anticipation is building up for weeks, with crowds chanting for trump to win a nobel prize. >> that is very nice. thank you. >> reporter: in spite of the fragile situation, trump sounding cautiously optimistic. >> in the end it will work out. can't tell you exactly how or why, but it always does. it will work out. >> reporter: so the message coming from the trump administration today on whether this summit will happen is one of uncertainty. and jake, i asked the press secretary sarah sanders where -- why the president would guarantee the safety of a dictator whose regime is a serial civil rights abuser and she did not answer saying complete denuclearization is the goal of the conversations. jake. >> thank you so much. coming up, an incredible and disturbing site, a live look at molten lava shooting out of the cracks of the earth and heading toward a power plant in hawaii. that is ahead, stay with us. behr through it, in one coat. behr marquee, #1 rated interior paint. right now, get incredible savings on behr. exclusively at the home depot. so, howell...going? we had a vacation early in our marriage that kinda put us in a hole. go someplace exotic? yeah, bermuda. a hospital in bermuda. a hospital in bermuda. what? what happened? i got a little over-confident on a moped. even with insurance, we had to dip into our 401(k) so it set us back a little bit. sometimes you don't have a choice. 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[ inaudible ] [ technical difficulties ] >> we gave them on the first day -- the presidential level meeting and on the first day the u.s. suddenly had no more leverage and then going into the meetings, expecting that the north koreans would give up their nuclear weapons when they had no reason or desire to and now no pressure to, it was always unrealistic and that -- that problem, that core problem is what is playing out now. >> and let me bring it back to the panel in studio here. scott, it is not just democrats making this criticism, senator marco rubio tried to get at how president xi of china is playing president trump and in a tweet he said china is outnegotiating the administration and winning the trade talks and avoiding tariff and they got the zte deal and without giving up anything meaningful in return by using north korea talks an agricultural issues at leverage. this is #notwinning. that is from marco rubio. your response. >> there is a lot going on here. the economic negotiation with china and the north korea denuclearization talks. this is beyond four dimensional chess, this is 25 dimensional chess and there is going on in the background that we don't know and china is a central player. part of the president's uptick is his willingness to do something different on north korea to ratchet down tensions on the peninsula. so i think he's benefited politically from trying. what i would like to see now is if it falls apart, are the american people still going to credit him for trying or whether there will be a pull back -- and i think the polling said two-thirds of americans agree to this -- >> and president trump said he could ensure kim jong-un's safety if a deal is made. >> we'll guarantee his safety and we've talked about that from the beginning. he will be safe, he will be happy. his country will be rich. his country will be hard work and very prosperous. they are very great people. >> what do you think? >> i think he's responding to the libya point that -- that bolten said we want them to denuclearize like libya and when north korean's hear libya they think of a dead qadhafi and the president for trump in the situation is we have the iran deal, we just gave up on, and then the libya experience and so it is very easy for the north koreans to say we are not denuclearizing. and the president could set that up at the beginning saying we're only going to negotiate if you denuclearize, they probably won't be having the summit. it is better to be talking than not talking but the reality they could just pull away so quickly makes us look i think a little silly. >> what do you think? >> pretty simple,we're better off when the president was in front of the u.n. saying little rocket man. if we're under an impression that the country believes the self defense indered on chemical weapons is -- the north koreans saying i don't need you and the president saying well i'll double dog and tell you i really don't need you. and a lot of dancing going on. and the significant comment was the phrase he used, this might happen over a period of time. he understands this is not just a meeting. it is a long-term process i hope. >> but if the best deal we could possibly get would be the equivalent of the iran deal, and the president has already on record saying that that is not good enough, so if we're looking for any kind of denuclearization of north korea and that is not on the table, it is hard to see where there is any common ground. >> appreciate it. new volcanic eruptions sending lava spewing into the air and concern the lava could create a new threat in hawaii. stay with us. ns you get more because... you get another day in paradise. get a sunset on a sunday. get more stories to share. get more from your summer getaway with exclusive hilton offers. book yours, only at hilton.com one picky customer shouldn't take all your time. need something printed? the business advisors at office depot can assist with exactly what your business needs to grow. get your coupon for 20% off services, technology and more at office depot and officedepot.com. technology and more what's going on? oh hey! ♪ that's it? yeah. that's it? everybody two seconds! 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>> reporter: where we're standing, the trade winds are blowing in the favor and blowing the gas away and that is one of the americanm concerns th-- onef the many concerns that people here are living with. >> the sound and of lava and toxic gas bursting from 20 cracks in the ground. what signeds like the ocean is pressure from the earth forcing lava bombs into the air. a visual escorted us to the spot but we couldn't stay for long. >> the orange pieces launched out of this fish -- fissure in the sky with wave after wave of volcanic gas. >> and the lava stretching for miles finally reaching the ocean, creating laze. it is a thick layer of haze when hot lava mixed with ocean water and the resulting plume even carries tiny glass particles. they have forced 2,000 people to leave. walls of lava cutting many off from their homes. lava bombs threaten those who do return. during this interview with cnn scott mcclain, lava bombs were loud and powerful. rattling darrell clinton who returned briefly to check on his property. >> it is like catching a football. but you don't want to catch this football. >> reporter: the next day a lava bomb did hit clinton and now recovering in the hospital with a leg wound. for the most part, the kilauea eruption which began decades ago is impacting a small but growing portion of the big island. this latest phase is so dramatic because lava has burst through the ground away from the summit. not ome reaching the ocean, but also threatening a power convention plant. the risk there, exploding. and if lava mixes with steam and liquid in the plant well. >> the well could be plugged with special types of mud. >> reporter: officials say they have the upper hand but back at wil will -- kilauea sending more ash into the air and geologists warn despite all of the lava and ash, this phase of the kilauea eruption is in the early stage. and it does continue to ebb and flow and move almost like this volcano is alive the way the magma moves around and fissures once close are now opening up and spewing more lava. just another threat the people here are living with. >> stephanie elum in hawaii. that is it for "the lead." i turn you to over wolf blitzer in "the situation room.." happening now. breaking news. has trump suggests the fbi planted spies in his campaign and he won't say if he has confidence in rod rosenstein who supervised the russia probe and how the justice department will brief on highly classified information with no democrats invited. defending a dictator. the president casting a doubt on themi
country. >> he put new fire in mitt romney's campaign. >> it's an honor to announce my running mate and the next vice president of the united states, paul ryan. >> he gave new hope to the republican right. >> i'm a catholic deer hunter. i'm happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion. >> and he reenergized the president's liberal base. >> he's the ideological leader of the republicans in congress. but that vision is wrong. >> in tampa tonight, congressman paul ryan accepts the vice presidential nomination and helps lead the attack on the president's economic policies. >> the recovery starts november the 6th when president obama is not working in the white house any longer. >> will ryan defend his own record and his budget plan under fierce attack by democrats? >> you've heard the president has been talking about medicare a bit lately. we want this debate. we need this debate. and we are going to win this debate. >> now, cnn turns the spotlight on one of the biggest platforms in american politics. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. >> it's not enough to fix this country's problems. >> this is america's choice. >> we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we're here at the republican national convention in tampa, florida. we're expecting a lively hour. senator rand paul addresses the delegates shortly after a video honoring his father. the texas congressman, ron paul. also coming up this hour, tributes to a pair of former presidents, george w. bush and his father, george h.w. bush. here inside the convention hall, anticipation is building for tonight's acceptance speech by the vice presidential nominee, paul ryan. i'm wolf blitzer. we're here on the convention floor along with cnn's erin burnett. it's going to be an exciting night for these republicans who have gathered here. >> it is. they've just begun their night as well. you just heard the pledge of alien lee jans. let's go up to john king here. let's listen first. ♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ [ applause ] >> please welcome -- >> that was a beautiful, beautiful rendition of the national anthem by ella brown, she's the daughter of senator scott brown, the republican senator from massachusetts. she did a magnificent job. >> that's right. >> singing the national anthem. >> we knew she could sing. she just proved it. everybody's getting ready for rand paul. we're told his speak is going to be designed to, quote, unquote, deconstruct president obama's campaign agenda. a lot of americans are just getting to know him. a lot of people in this country aren't familiar with him at all. he is the chair of the house budget committee. our gloria borger has spoke within him in depth. gloria? >> ryan is a deficit hawk. everyone knows he's proposed these budgets that are going to drastically cut spending. they're going to reform programs like medicare, very controversial. but ryan has a compelling personal story. and he told me about it when i spoke with him last summer. ryan is a man in a hurry. in washington, he bunks in his congressional office. it's cheaper, near work and closer to the house gym, which is good, since he's a fitness buff who got some of his colleagues hooked on a grueling exercise routine called p90x. >> it's a great workout. >> reporter: in a way, he owes his devotion to fitness to his father. in particular, one day when the younger ryan was still a teen. your dad was 55 when he died and you were 16. >> 16, yeah. >> reporter: how did that affect you? you say you're more sensitive -- >> yeah. i was as a young kid working mcdonald's that summer. and my mom was visiting my sister who got a job in denver. i went to wake him up and he wasn't alive. >> reporter: you found him? >> so i basically had to learn to sink or swim. my grandmother who had alzheimer's moved in with us at the time. and my mom and i took care of her. my mom went back to school to learn a skill. i did a lot of growing up very fast. it made me very, i'd say, initiative-prone. live life to its fullest because you never know how long it's going to last. >> reporter: but you had the opportunity to run for president at the age of 41, if you're in a hurry. >> yeah. nice boomerang on that. >> reporter: and you said, no. >> sure, because i think there are other good people who can do this job but there are other good people who can't raise my kids. >> i'm john king. we're up in the cnn sky box. gloria borger is with me. david gergen as well. the thing that fascinates me about the paul ryan choice, it's a generational play by mitt romney. it's a younger, next-generation choice. conservatives say they love this choice because it frames the issues. can republicans and democrats both be right? >> so far, the conservatives have been right. the liberals may still accomplish this, they felt they can take his medicare proposal in particular and use it against the republicans. it's become the new third rail. so far it doesn't seem to be cutting in most states. here in florida, there's a poll out that shows that 65 and over, seniors, still prefer romney over obama. the medicare hasn't scared them yet. >> he's a member of the house of representatives, almost unprecedented to be put -- >> insider. >> a washington insider. he was a staff member. been in washington for almost all of his adult life. but for a member of the house, he has a lot of national political experience in defending the budget. he's debated president obama in a couple of public settings. is he ready to go into the campaign of ten states and make the case? >> i think he is. he's used to being in the arena. you know that, john. he's become the poster child for the democrats. they've run an ad with somebody who looks like him pushing an elderly person off a cliff with a wheelchair. >> let's go back down to the floor to wolf. >> they have video that's coming up right now. in fact, a video on ron paul, the texas congressman, the former republican presidential candidate. in fact, the video, i think, has just started. let's watch it. >> ron paul, 22 years in congress. he's never voted for a tax increase, never voted for a debt ceiling increase, never wavered, never backed down. >> the role of government ought to be for the protection of liberty, not for the intrusion into our private lives and economic affairs. you can't keep printing money. we have to cut spending. i believe in limited government. i believe in individual liberty. we've spent too much. it's bankrupting this country. >> i knew i did not want to be a politician all my life. as a matter of fact, i was surprised i ever won because this message i thought would not go well with the people because i'm not making wild promises. of course, my wife warned me this was a dangerous project because she said, you could end up getting elected. >> he said, no, no, ip not going to be elected. he said, you have to be like santa claus, you have to give them something. >> it's been a consistent theme since his first election that government's grown too large and as government grows larger, your freedoms grow smaller. >> when i first got to the house, i thought ron paul was nuts. he was out there talking about the federal reverse, the monetary system. more and more, i found myself voting with him. >> he's been talking about these things since the early 1970s. he hasn't wavered, he hasn't buckled. even when he's had to stand alone. >> i always put politicians into two categories. they're here to make a point or to make a difference. ron paul is the only one i know who made a different by making a point. >> we need lower taxes, less regulations and we need to free up the market. >> he's been one of the most fiscally conservative members in the history of the congress. >> we wouldn't have a $16 trillion debt if we had 435 ron pauls in congress. >> the more i think about him over the years, the more inspiring it is of what he's done. not being afraid of anything, but willing to stand for what he thought was right. ron paul was tea party before there was a tea party. >> if you want honesty, integrity, look to ron paul. that's based on his faith and based on his beliefs in the constitution. >> he's wanted to do things other people aren't willing to do because his convictions are so deep. >> as long as we live beyond our means, we are destined to live beneath our means. >> the lobbyists don't even come by his office. they don't even bother to come by because they know he can't be bought. >> he stands for freedom. he stands for liberty. he stands for a traditional american values that made this country great. >> the longer we go and the deeper in debt we get, the apparent it is that ron paul was right all those years. >> whether people want to admit it or not, ron paul changed the conversation. [ applause ] >> please give a warm welcome to senate republican leader, mitch mcconnell of kentucky. >> what a tribute to ron paul. it's a little surprising to see that kind of tribute here at the republican convention for ron paul. he's not speaking. the retiring united states congressman, he's not speaking at this convention because he didn't want them to have to vet his speech. he hasn't even fully endorsed mitt romney. his son is going to be speaking later tonight. but it's a little strange, that tribute, especially yesterday, as you remember, that he didn't even announce how many votes he was getting during the roll call. >> it was very awkward. you may not like that his delegates are still here voting for him. but bringing him into the fold, saying, welcome, vote for mitt romney, might have been a nice thing to do. >> nice little tribute. the republican senator from kentucky is going to be speaking later tonight. let's go back out to the skybox. john king is standing by. >> you saw the attempt of the republican national committee and the romney campaign to essentially thread a needle. ron paul will not speak tonight. but in that video, they're trying to pay tribute to him. a lot of his supporters grumpy about the way he's been treated. and some tea party lawmakers in there. you'll hear from rand paul. but you won't see a tea party celebration here tonight. yet the tea party was so imrtant to the republicans in 2010. let's continue our conversation, david gergen and gloria borger, also donna brazile. is the video enough to say, we appreciate your service, we want your voters, your supporters in the fold? >> it certainly helps. but the way to ron paul supporters is through their stomachs. and their stomachs is policy. they really want good economic policy. this election is in ron paul's wheelhouse. it's about economics. and getting the government out of your pocketbook. if it were about social issues where ron paul disagrees with the republican, if it were about foreign policy where ron paul disagrees with the republicans, there wouldn't be a way to bring things together. but there is. and frankly there may have been a bump in the road here, too. but this convention, the ron paul folks are pretty united with all republicans getting rid of barack obama. >> donna, you went through this as al gore's campaign manager. it happens. you're trying to manage a convention that's about your candidate. but there are people who ran against them or there are voices in the party that might be a little bit different. you heard senator demint say he thought ron paul was nuts and then came around to his way of thinking. bob casey often had a hard time at democratic conventions. when you know there are people on the floor who support the other guy, how do you get them into the fold without giving up too much of your convention? >> first of all, i would, i guess, believe that dissent is very important in a democracy, especially at a time like this when so many passionate supporters, they've worked hard, they tried to elect ron paul. they've been with ron paul for a number of years. they are strong believers in his flossphilosophy of limited government. all they want is a seat at the table. they want to say, i was at the convention, i heard ron paul. i'm fired up and ready to go and support mitt romney. what happened yesterday, i thought it left a bad taste in some of the mouths of the ron paul supporters. >> i'll tell you what, you notice in that movie, there was nothing substantive. it was all about how he's independent and for small government and they can all agree on that. >> he's not a normal candidate. he's a cause. that makes a difference. >> and he gets people voting. >> the question i have in a state that al gore lost by 537 votes, there is a libertarian candidate for president, do some of these leave the republican fold. >> especially if it is as close in florida as it's likely to be. thanks very much for that. michele bachmann says the gop doesn't have a problem with women. the president does. the former presidential candidate is about to sit down with our own piers morgan. stand by for that. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. we are here at the tampa bay times forum, as you can see, late afternoon here coming into evening at the republican national convention. all the delegates are convened. one of the big themes here has been sort of the establishment versus other groups, grassroots groups, whether it's the ron paul supporters, whether it be the tea party. piers morgan is joined by mb mb on the floor. piers ? >> you're here where all the action is. would you rather be up there on the stage. you feel a little bit left out? >> i don't feel left out. but of course i'd love to be up there. i'm enthusiastic about getting behind this ticket. >> are you a bit too dangerous, do you think, for mitt romney's administration? his team? >> i'm exactly in line with where the romney/ryan team is. they've embraced the tea party principles. we're taxed enough already. government shouldn't spend more money than what it takes in. and we believe the government should act within the limits of the constitution. that's where mainstream america is and that's where our republican party platform is. and mitt romney and paul ryan embrace that. >> what about last week with todd akin? he obviously came acrop last week. >> you're reading directly off the obama talking points because i am pro life. paul ryan is pro life and we are a pro life party and we're not ashamed of it. but we also believe that people have freedom of opinion. that's the kind of country that we are. and we believe that we respect other people's opinions. >> you've been saying this week that barack obama is more anti-women than mitt romney. you actually pemean that? >> i think mitt romney is going to be the one who allows more financial security for more women. clearly he's a guy who knows what he's talking about. he's been very successful. ann romney gave a wonderful speech last night. i think he would do very well for all american women. >> if he's so much more popular with american women than barack obama, why do the polls say he's a lot more popular than mitt romney? >> married women tend to support mitt romney more. single women tend to support barack obama more. but, again, single women are going to do a lot better under an obama administration because they'll pay half the price for gasoline if mitt romney is president because gasoline is more than doubled under barack obama. and we have a very aggressive energy plan from mitt romney. when women go to fill up their car and they're paying double for gasoline, that's not helping any women. the same with the skyrocketing cost of groceries and health care. mitt romney is going to make life a lot more affordable, going to bring prices down. that's good for women because women do a lot of shopping for the families. >> paul ryan has a very important speech tonight. what do you want him to say? >> i love paul ryan. he and i have worked shoulder to shoulder with each other for six years. i know him very well. what he's going to do is talk about the way forward and how we're going to make america a growth economy. that's what we need. we've been stagnant. and paul has a great plan for seeing us grow. i think his insider expertise of knowing the budget better than anyone else on capitol hill coupled with mitt romney who really knows how to be successful in private enterprise, you put that combination together, it's an undeniable winning ticket. that's why i think they're going to be very successful in november. >> many people thought last night with chris christie that he was making a pitch to be the next republican leader, possibly the next presidential candidate, rather than supporting his man, mitt romney. what did you think? >> i was he was talking about big ideas, talking about principles of who we are in this country and who we are as conservatives. and i think obviously he was lifting up mitt romney and he fully endorses mitt romney. but with all due respect to the governor and i love him, i think the night belonged to ann romney because she warmed everyone. she won us with her smile. the second she came out, she almost did a little curtsy and i think she is who she is. she's very comfortable in her skin. i know her. we were able to do at least 15 presidential debates together. i would speak to her before and after the debates. what you see on stage is what you get. that is ann romney. she's a delightful person. >> i find myself in a very unusual position. i agree with you entirely about ann romney. >> see. >> we have agreed on something. wolf, erin, back to you. miraculous encounter. >> what a nice picture, piers. piers morgan and michele bachmann on the same page. that's not going to happen every day. >> i love that. arm's length. it looked very nice. as we're listening to music here and the party is beginning, you have to imagine what's going on not far away in new orleans. some of the worst flooding since hurricane katrina. and the pictures there are completely different than what you're seeing here. anderson cooper is there. he's going to be with us right after this break. 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[ hikers laughing, commenting ] at&t introduces the htc one x. now $99.99. rethink possible. now $99.99. so what i'm saying is, people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. good evening. anderson cooper, we are in st. bernard parish right now. here's the late es on tropical storm isaac. a lot to tell you about. moving at only 6 miles an hour. could stay over till friday. some areas have close to two feet of rain. between that and the storm surge, parts of louisiana, mississippi are paralyzed by high water right now. rescue crews needed boats to reach people who ignored mandatory evacuation orders, trapped be rising waters. hundreds of homes damaged right now. close to 1 million people in the gulf region -- >> anderson, we're going to lose your signal here. we've had trouble now with anderson's signal since we moved his truck away from that building that he was on last night. he had a great shot last night, the truck was protected. now the truck's out in the open. let me get to this and tell you what the weather is going to be. then we'll get back to anderson if his signal is back. weather is all the way from the carolinas back into the louisiana. the eye of the center still very prompt on radar, still a very bright storm with colors here on the radar, 70-mile-per-hour winds. it's going to stay with us for most of the night. we'll zoom into where anderson is in plaquemines parish. there's bell chase across the river, that's the east bank. every squall that comes by, winds will be 50 to 60 miles per hour. anderson, we have your signal back. so go ahead if you can hear me. >> reporter: we're in st. bernard parish right on the opposite side of this levee gate is plaquemines parish. it is under water. you've been seeing a lot of rescues all day. >> absolutely. it's amazing when you think about the power of that wall because we're standing on dry cement here. but that wall -- behind that wall is something like 16 to 20 feet of water in plaquemines parish. that's the big problem. further back are the levees. the levees have been overtopped from the gulf. that water went pouring into plaque mrins parish. that is part of the -- >> yeah. same problem again. i can see -- it breaks up and it comes and it goes, wolf. we're going to have to put that truck behind some building so that anderson's live shots can stay because this storm is simply not moving. the winds continue to blow, one squall after another. five minutes later, it's great. five minutes from now, may be blowing again at 60. this is going to be with this team, with all of our teams, with all the people of louisiana for the next 30 hours, believe it or not. wolf? >> i'm always amazed at the extreme weather we get as much on the air logistically as possible as we possibly can. behind me, senator rand paul of kentucky, the son of ron paul, is speaking. i want to listen in. >> believes that road creates business success and not the other way around. anyone who so fundamentally misunderstands american greatness is uniquely unqualified to lead this great nation. [ applause ] the great and abiding lesson of american history, particularly the cold war, is that the engine of capitalism, the individual, is mightier than any collective. [ applause ] american inventiveness and desire to build developed because we were guaranteed the right to own our success. for most of our history, no one dared tell americans, you didn't build that. in bowling green, kentucky, the tang family owns the great american doughnut shop. their family fled war-torn cambodia to come to this country. we go there frequently. the tang work long hours. mrs. tang told us the family works through the night to make doughnuts. the tang family have become valedictorians and national merit scholars. the tangs from cambodia are an american success story. so, mr. president, don't you go telling the tang family that they didn't build that. [ applause ] when you say they didn't build it, you insult each and every american who ever got up at the crack of dawn. you insult any american who ever put on overalls or a suit. you insult any american who ever studied late into the nigh to become a doctor or a lawyer. you insult the dishwasher, the cook, the waitress. you insult anyone who's ever dragged themselves out of bed to strive for something better for themselves and their children. my great grandfather, like many, came to this country in search of the american dream. no sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died. he arrived in pittsburgh as a teenager with nothing, not a penny. he found the american dream, not great wealth, but a bit of property in a new land that gave him hope for his children. in america, as opposed to the old country, success was based on merit. probably america's greatest asset was that for the first time, success was not based on who you were but what you did. [ applause ] my grandfather who lived to see his children become doctors and ministers, accountants and professors, he would even live to see one of his sons, a certain congressman from texas, run for the presidency of the united states. [ applause ] immigrants have flocked to our shores seeking freedom. our forebearers came full of hopes and dreams, so consistent and prevalent were these aspirations that they crystallized into a national yearning we call the american dream. no other country has a dream so inextricably associated with the spirit of its people. in 1982, an american sailor john mooney wrote a letter to his parent that is captures the essence of the american dream. he wrote, dear mom and dad, today we spotted a boat in the water and we rendered assistance. we picked up 65 vietnamese refugees. as they approached the ship, they were all waving and trying as best they could to say, hello, american sailor, hello freedom man. it's hard to see a boat full of people like that and not get a lump somewhere between chin and belly button and it really makes one proud and glad to be an american. it reminds us of all what america's been, a place a man or woman can come to for freedom. friends of mine came to american on one of those leaky boats. they were attacked at sea by pirates. their family's wealth was stolen. twan spent a year on a south pacific island existing on rice and a cup of water until he was allowed to come to america. now both of these men and their families are proud americans. they are the american dream. so, mr. president, don't go telling the tring family you didn't build that. [ applause ] when the president says, you didn't build that, he's flat-out wrong. businessmen and women did build that. businessmen and women did earn their success. without the success of american business, we wouldn't have any roads, bridges or schools. mr. president, you say the rich must pay their fair share. but when you seek to punish the rich, the jobs that are lost are those of the poor. and the middle class. [ applause ] when you seek to punish mr. exxonmobil, you punish the secretary who owns exxonmobil stock. when you block the keystone pipeline, you punish the welder who works on the pipeline. [ applause ] our nation faces a crisis. america wavers. unfortunately we are one of a select group of countries whose debt now equals their gross domestic product. the republic of washington in jefferson is now in danger of becoming the democracy of debt and despair. our great nation is coming apart at the seams. and the president just seems to point fingers and blame others. president obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. and i'm hoping it's just one term. [ applause ] this explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. mr. president, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation. [ applause ] republicans and democrats alike, though, must slay their sacred cows. republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well spent. [ applause ] democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reformed. [ applause ] republicans and democrats must replace fear with confidence. confidence that no terrorist and no country will ever conquer us if we remain steadfast to the principles of our founding documents. [ applause ] we have nothing to fear except our own unwillingness to defend what is naturally ours, our god-given rights. [ applause ] we have nothing to fear that should cause us to forget or relinquish our rights as free men and women. [ applause ] to thrive, we must believe in ourselves again and we must never, never trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security. [ applause ] author paul kinger writes of a brisk evening in a small town in illinois. returning home from a basketball game at the ymca, an 11-year-old boy is stunned by the sight of his father, sprawled out in the snow on the front porch. he was drunk, his son would later remember. dead to the world, crucified. the dad's hair was soaked with melted snow, matted against his reddened face. the boy stood over his father for a minute or two. he simply wanted to let himself in the door and pretend his dad wasn't there. i stead he grabbed a fist full of overcoat and he heaved his dad into the bedroom away from the weather's harm and the neighbors' attention. this young boy would become the man, ronald reagan. [ applause ] the man we know as ronald reagan whose sunny optimism and charisma shined so brightly that it cured the malaise of the late '70s, a confidence that beamed so broadly that it pulled us through a serious recession, and a faith that tugged so happily at the hearts of all that a generation of democrats became republicans. [ applause ] the american dream is that any among us could become the next thomas edison, the next henry ford, the next ronald reagan. but to lead us forward away from this looming debt crisis, it will take someone who believes in america's greatness, who believes in and can articulate the american dream, someone who has created jobs. someone who understands and appreciates what makes america great. someone who will lead our party and our nation forward. i believe that someone is our nominee, governor mitt romney. [ applause ] as reagan said, our freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. if our freedom is taken, the american dream will wither and die. to lead, we must transform the coldness of austerity into the warm, vibrant embrace of prosperity. to overcome the current crisis, we must appreciate and applaud american success. we must step forward, unabashedly and proclaim, you did build that. [ applause ] you earned that. you worked hard. you studied. you labored. you did build that. [ applause ] and you deserve america's undying gratitude, for you, the individual, are the engine of america's greatness. thank you. [ applause ] >> there you have it. senator rand paul of kentucky, the son of ron paul, the presidential candidate. we're getting ready now for a tribute to both president bushs, president bush 41 and 43. here it is. >> i had a guest and that was president 41. >> i was in the bathtub at the white house residence and ramsey came in and said, your son is over in the oval office. >> i recall the conversation something like this, welcome, mr. president. it's good to see you, mr. president. and that's all we said. >> it was fun just walking in and seeing your own son be the president of the united states. >> and i remember visiting dad in the oval office when he was president and how much reverence he treated the office. and i tried to do the same thing. the oval office is a place where you make decisions and welcome dignitaries and welcome some friends. but it's a place that always has to be treated with respect and dignity. >> the visit to the white house, we'd sort of been involved with him in poland and gotten to know him. and he came to the white house, and he really spoke no english. but he mentioned freedom and stooped down as he was getting the award you give a foreigner and kissed the ground. and i must say, that was very emotional. >> the first time vladimir putin came to visit washington and the sun was pouring through the windows -- the oval office just sparkled. and the door opened up, and in came president putin. and his first words were, my god. when dad was president, he kindly would invite all of us up to the white house. he actually invited me to the state denner with the queen. you took a huge risk, a diplomatic gamble. but it worked out okay. >> what did she say? >> something about black sheep. of course, mother said, well, you're looking at him, that would be me. and we moved him as far away as possible for the luncheon. >> not going to do it. wouldn't be prudent. dana carvey, we were coming into the east room, he said, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. and in walked dana carvey. >> first thing i notice is the podium for the other guy over there. love to be up here but i'm down here. >> we didn't really have any issues with family. but our dog did bite a reporter. but right after that, i got a big stack of correspondence to sign and go through and in the correspondence was a letter from barney. and he wrote and said he was so embarrassed, he was really sorry, he'd made a mistake. he thought that reporter was with "the new york times." i hope people will remember george. and i think they will, for having the determination and the toughness and the persistence to be able to see us through in our country, through such a very difficult time after the terrorist attack. i'm so proud of george. >> integrity, honesty, never a scandal around his presidency. i think we forget the importance of that. they'll remember him for being a good, honest president. got a lot of things done. but i think the thing i take pride in is integrity. >> history will remember him. as a great president, not only was he well-prepared for the job. but when the unexpected took place, he handled it with vision, a clear strategy and calm nerves. >> he is thehe's the most decen honorable, wonderful -- nobody's ever been as lucky as i've been. i want people to remember him as courageous. i want them to remember him as he is. >> dad eni both know what it takes to be president and there's no doubt in our mind that mitt romney will be a great president. >> he's a good man. >> and i hope that all the people at the convention work really, really hard, because i think the romneys are prepared. i think ann romney will be great, and i think mitt romney will do a fabulous job. >> this gives me a chance also to thank everybody gathered in tampa and to send our very best wishes to everybody at the convention. we've been to lots of conventions in the past. we want to thank everyone there for their very, very strong report for all of our republican candidates. >> absolutely. >> your local ones to our candidate for president, mitt romney. >> touching tribute there from george h.w. bush and george w. bush. barbara bush and laura bush involved. let's continue our conversation. a fascinating moment there. mitt romney gets along well with both presidents bush. but in this hall, mostly party regulars, respect, a lot of affinity and personal relationships with both former presidents bush. but w.h. bush, conservatives still grumble about him breaking his promise, and when george w. bush left office, part of the big obama victory in 2008 was the country's dissatisfaction, a lot of conservative dissatisfaction with president bush. you hear a lot of talk about ronald reagan at conventions. why don't you hear more about the bushes? >> for the reason you stated. i do think it's one of the most moving moments in the convention so far. one historian wrote that presidents' reputations rise and fall over time. among republicans, the reputation of both bushes i think has gone up over the last couple of years. george h.w. bush is now older. you can see that in the film. but there's a lot of affection for him here in the hall. and george w. bush is out on the circuit speaking. and he's very popular out on the circuit these days. >> when george h.w. bush broke that promise, he knew what he was doing. make a deal with the republicans to bring the deficit down. if a republican national candidate says that now, if a republican candidate for congress says that now, they are reviled and pushed out of the movement. >> right. and don't forget, his son is also -- a lot of republicans complain about george w. bush because of the spending that went up under george w. bush. they say spending got out of control. prescription drug benefits, for example, when he was president. interesting thing about george w. bush is that he stayed out of politics so much. he has been so silent. you see dick cheney out there all the time. and george w. bush, not at the convention. keeping a very, very low profile. >> he likes retirement. >> he does. >> also, he learned from his dad. he said there's one president at a time and he does not believe you should interfere with a current president. we want to remind you, though, this saturday night, you have the nomination of mitt romney moving on to the democratic convention and the renomination of barack obama. special documentary that will air, a tribute to the 41st president of the united states, george h.w. bush. wolf, back to you now on the floor. >> an excellent documentary and i recommend to our viewers. we're about to hear from the man who defeated mitt romney for the presidential nomination in 2008, senator john mccain. what will he say about mitt romney tonight? we're all going to find out. stand by. music: "make someone happy" music: "make someone happy" ♪it's so important to make meone happy.♪.♪it's so e ♪make just one heart to heart you - you sing to♪ ♪one smile that cheers you ♪one face that lights when it nears you.♪ ♪and you will be happy too. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. this is america's choice. >> i'm wolf blitzer here at the republican national convention. erin burnett is here. we're about to hear a major address by the man who was the republican nominee four years ago. >> he had the choice at the time to pick mitt romney to be his vp. didn't do it. can candy, tell us what he's going to speak about. >> well, this is going to be a very interesting speech for a couple of reasons. first, the backdrop. defense issues, national security issues, as we see john mccain coming out now, actually. used to be a huge republican advantage. it no longer is. but yet that is what john mccain will be talking about. he's been one of the creasest kr -- fiercest critics of the obama administration on this. let's take a listen. >> thank you. thank you. thank you very much. it's an honor as always my fellow republicans to join you at the national convention and add my voice to yours as we nominate the next president of the united states, my friend, governor mitt romney. [ applause ] i had hopes once of addressing you under different circumstances but our fellow americans had another plan four years ago and i accept their decision. i have been blessed for so long to play a role in our nation's affairs that i'm conscious only of the debt i owe america, and i thank you for the honor. when we nominate mitt romney, we do so with a greater purpose than winning an advantage for our party. we charge him with the care of a higher cause. his election represents the best hopes for our country and the world. it is said that this election will turn on domestic and economic issues, but what mitt romney knows and what we know is success at home also depends on our leadership in the world. it is our willingness to shape world events for the better that has kept us safe, increased our prosperity, preserved our liberty and transformed human history. at our best, america has led. we have led by example as our shining city on the hill. we have led as patriots of both parties. we have led shoulder to shoulder with steadfast friends and allies. we have led by giving voice to the voiceless, insisting that every human life has dignity and aiding those brave souls who risk everything to secure the inalienable rights that are endowed to all by our creator. >> we have led with generous hearts, moved by an abiding love of justice. to help otherings eradicate disease, lift them from poverty, live under laws of their own making and determine their own destinies. we have led when necessary with the armed might of freedom's defenders, and always we have led from the front, never from behind. >> it's not just a matter of who we are, it's a record of what we've done. it's a responsibility that generation after generations of americans has affirmed and carried forward. it is a cause that many americans have sacrificed everything, absolutely everything to defend. and when they've gone into battle as they do today, they have done so with conviction that the country that sent them there is worth their sacrifice, that it stands for something more than the sum of our individual interests. may god bless all who have served, all who serve today, as he has blessed up with their service. >> we are now being tested by an array of threats that are more complex, more numerous and just as deeply and deadly as i recall in my lifetime. we face a consequential choice, and make no mistake, it's a choice. we can choose to follow a declining path towards a future that is dimmer or more dangerous than our past or reform our government, revitalize our ailing economy and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world. that is what's at stake in this election. unfortunately for four years, we' drifted away from our pro proudest traditions of global leadership. we've let the challenges we face both at home and abroad much harder to solve. we can't afford to stay on that course any longer. we can't afford to cause our friends and allies from latin america to europe to asia, to the middle east, especially in israel, a nation under existential threat to doubt america's leadership. >> usa! usa! usa! >> we haven't afford to give governments in russia and china a veto over how we defend our interest and the progress of our values in the world. we can't afford to have the security of our nation. we can't afford to have the security of our nation and those who bravely defend it endangered because the government leaks the secrets of their heroic operations to the media. cybill we can't substitute a timetable to a political strategy. the president has discouraged our friends and emboldened our enemies, which is why our commanders did not recommend these decisions and why they have said it puts our mission at much greater risk. we can't afford another $500 billion in cuts in our defense budget on top of the nearly $500 billion the president is already making. his own secretary of defense has said that cutting our military by nearly $1 trillion would be devastating. and yet the president is playing no leadership role in preventing this crippling blow to our military. a wise congressman from wisconsin said, our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a commission course, and that man is our next vice president, paul ryan. but most of all, we can't afford to abandon the cause of human freedom. when long suffering feel demand liberation from their jailers and torturers and tyrants, the leaders of the free world must stand with them. unfortunately, this is not happening. when iranians rose up by the millions against their oppressive rulers, when they beseeched our president, chanting in english, are you with us or are you with them? when the entire world watched as a brave young woman named netta was shot and bled to death in the street in tehran, the president missed an historic opportunity to throw america's full moral support behind an iranian revolution that shared one of our highest interest -- ridding iran of a brutal dictatorship that terrorized the middle east and threatens the world. the situation is far worse in syria. what began as peaceful protests has now become 18 months later a savage and unfair fight. with the fullbacking of iran and hezbollah and russia, with tanks and helicopters and fighter jets, bashar assad is murdering men, women and children. more than 20,000 people have perished. extremists are gaining ground, and the conflict is becoming more dangerous by the day for our allies and for us. in other times, when other courageous people fought for their freedom against sworn enemies of the united states, american presidents, both republicans and democrats have acted to help them prevail. sadly for the lonely voices of decendents, syria and iran and elsewhere in the world will feel forgotten in their darkness and sadly for us as well. our president is not being true to our values. for the sake of the cause of freedom, for the sake of people who are willing to give their lives so their fellow citizens can determine their own futures and for the sake of our nation, the nation founded on the idea that all people everywhere have the right to freedom and justice, we must return to our best traditions of american leadership and support those who face down the brutal tyranny of their oppressors and our enemies. >> usa! usa! usa! >> friends across the world, people are seizing their own destinies, liberating themselves from oppressive rulers and they want america's support. they want america's assistance as they struggle to live in peace and security, to expand opportunity for themselves and their children, to replace the injustices of despots with the institutions of democracy and freedom, america must be on the right side of history. [ applause ] >> the demand for our leadership in the world has never been greater. people don't want less of america. they want more. everywhere i go in the world, people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to affirm our nation's exceptional character and responsibilities. i trust him to know that our security and economic interests are inextricably tied to the progress of our values. i trust him to know that if america doesn't lead our adversaries will. and the world will go darker, poorer and much more dangerous. i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justices for all people. i trust mitt romney to know that good can triumph of over evil, that justice can vanquish tyranny, that love can conquer hate, that the desire for freedom is eternal and universal. and that america is still the best hope of mankind. and now, my fellow americans, let's elect our next commander-in-chief and the next leader of the free world, my friend, governor mitt romney. ♪ >> so there he is, the republican presidential nominee of four years ago, warmly endorsing mitt romney, outlining what he thinks are some differences between mitt romney and president obama on national security. not sure all those differences are all those real right now. we can get into that in a moment. you saw cindy mccain, by the way, watching her husband deliver that address. >> absolutely. as wolf said, are those differences real? i hear on how mitt romney would handle iran. tighten sanctions, speak on democracy and have a military option. that's identical to president obama. >> let's go up to jn. john, you made a good point earlier, normally the republicans have an advantage. maybe not this time for one specific reason. >> i think that's right. the number one reason is that osama bin laden happened on this president's watch. and he ended the war, which was very unpopular. will national security matter in the election and will president obama's current advantage hold up through november? let's go to you. as i said earlier in the evening, i remember my first convention was 19 8. the republicans tried it then. in 1992, 1996, on and so on, they were the strong party, democrats were the weak party. harder to make that case this year and ultimately will it matter? >> i was surprised even in this hall tonight of moneys who are foreign policy fanatics, frankly at the subdued reaction senator mccain got as he ticked through obama's failings on foreign policy. it's not going to matter at the end. both campaigns, i think, but especially the campaign wants to move on economy. and barack obama now has experience, four years as commander-in-chi commander-in-chief. so i put that as a plus for the democrats in the fall. >> so what is the test? is if the economy is going to be issue one, two, three, four and five, when it comes to national security and the conversation at this convention, is it just so the american people look at governor romney and congressman ryan and say okay, they cross the credibility threshold, they can be commander-in-chief? >> i think when it comes to foreign policy, an area where democrats have been criticized for years as being sort of the weak and wobbly, it's an area where president obama has exc excelled. he helped re-establish the united states' position in the world. the ranks of al qaeda fuelled because of president obama's leadership. he's exercised good judgment in the middle east and other areas. he ended the war in iraq safely and in a responsible way. and the war he inherited in afghanistan has a strategy and a timetable. with. >> we'll heard from senator mccain. a bit later we'll hear from national security adviser condoleezza rice. and mitt romney left tampa for a bit to go speak to the american legion convention and he was sharply critical of the incumbent president. let's season. >> a year ago, president obama told the national convention, quote, we cannot, ewith must not, we will not balance the budget on the backs of our veterans. i thought i finally agreed with him on something. but now he's on the vernal of breaking that promise. the obama administration is set to cut defense spending by nearly $1 trillion. my administration will not. >> strong words david gergen from mitt romney. but he left something out. those cuts are coming as part of the deal the president negotiated with congress, sequestration. we won't get into the language of washington. paul ryan, the presidential candidate who is among the republicans who voted aye. >> on sequestration. >> yes. >> be the republicans thought it would be resolved now and they're trying to lead the charge not to make those extra -- >> can't it be said, at least in paul ryan's case, he was before it before he was against it? >> yes, they have their fingerprints on it. sing president obama has earned a lot of the credit he got on foreign policy. he got bin laden, got us out of afghanistan and iraq. but the republicans are trying to neutralize his advantage on that front. that's what john mccain was doing. i think erin is right, when you hear the language, they sound the same on iran. but the republicans have a very, very big difference with president obama on iran. they don't think he means it. >> we'll end the conversation for now and get back to wolf on the floor. i'm always wary of what candidates say about foreign policy because running and being president is very different. obama promised to close down git moe. president clinton said he wouldn't deal with the butchers in syria and beijing. >> a lot of times you make promises as commander-in-chief or president you can't deliver on. i want to go to jim accosta on the floor. she's got a special guest. jim? >> that's right, wolf. i'm joined now by cindy mccain, the wife of u.s. senator john mccain, just up on stage a few moments ago. he made that remark at the very beginning. we know senator mccain has a unique sense of humor. he said he once had hopes of addressing this crowd under different circumstances. is this kind of after bittersweet moment to see your husband not running for reelection. >> no. well, yes, and no. he would have made a marvelous president and we would not be in the shape we're in right now if my husband had been elected. we're here for mitt romney whole heartedly. john made the clear distinction to to the night about what a mitt romney administration would look like and obama administration looks like. >> he once had tough words for mitt romney. he said he would take every position on every issue. >> campaigns are tough. mitt was the very first person to come out and campaign for us after the primary was over. we're very good friends with the romneys. >> and what did you make of mrs. romney's speech last night. everyone is calling it a blockbuster. >> she knocked it out of the park. she was just amazing. and wouldn't she be a remarkable first laid day? she showed all this. you know, not only grace and poise but a great determination and steeled person. so -- >> thank you. good talking to you. i'm going to toss it over to candy crowley who is with your husband john mccain. hi, candy. >> thanks, jim. senator john mccain. thanks for joining us. first of all, happy birthday. >> thank you very much. >> let me ask you a personal question. you thought you might come back to a convention four years later under different circumstances. we're looking out, we're seeing ryan ia ryan, paul ryan, rand paul, a lot of the younger folks. do you see a passing of the baton? >> i think it's obvious and i think it's important to do so. the one thing i've dmited myself to for quite a while now is try to recruit and campaign for another generation of leadership. >> tough to do? >> no, it's fun. that's the kind of next generation of republican we need. >> let me ask you when you talk about foreign policy. when you look at what most people see is the biggest foreign policy coming up, and that's iran. can you give me the major difference between mitt romney's position on how to approach iran and its need or desire to develop nuclear weaponry and president obama? because when you look at it on paper, there's not much. >> sure. one is the relationship with israel. israelis don't trust us. we all know that. the reception mitt got when he was in israel. the president sends his national security adviser and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, not to tell the iranians -- excuse me, not to del the israelis that we're with them. to try to convince them not to attack iran. it's clear that there's no trust between the united states and israel. it's just a fact. you know, he -- it is a fact and a reality. and so the israelis are faced with a very tough decision because they can't depend on the united states of america. >> i think that some israeli leaders have disagreed with that, but let me ask you -- >> not the prime minister. the prime minister has repeatedly said we are not going to wait for the united states of america. he repeatedly said israel is a sovereign nation and has to make its own decisions. so at least the top -- the top leader says that. >> but when you look at what the president is doing now in terms of sort of wrach chetting up sanctions, not taking an attack off the table, how is that different from mitt romney, setting aside -- i understand you think he has bad relationships with israel. but in an approach to iran, how's that different? >> it's all based on american credibility which there's none in the middle east. every place i go, america is withdrawing. when was the last time you heard the president of the united states stand up for the people of israel that are being slaughtered? when was the last time the president talked about victory or success. all he talks about is withdrawal. where did the piston egypt just go? china and iran. not the united states. >> let me ask you about mitt romney. big night for him tomorrow night. how will you measure his speech tomorrow night. what's success? >> i think that we will know that in the ensuing days and weeks buzz many americans already looking at him for the first time. junkies like you and me will see many times. but many americans will observe him for the first time. we'll know that later on. obviously it has to do with jobs and the economy and it's also got to do with likability. it's a despicable campaign. hundreds of millions of attack ads have taken its toll. >> senator, how do you as a politician go about becoming more likable? >> i think last night was a good beginning with ann romney. and i think talking directly with the american people is the way to do that. >> senator john mccain, again thank you and happy birthday again. >> thanks again for having me and it's always good to do battle with you. >> thanks. >> back to you all. >> of course, john mccain turns 76 years old today. >> i must just add one little point. i interviewed mitt romney. the next day, though, i interviewed the president of israel, shimon peres and ehud barack, they both said military to military, intelligence to intelligence relationship was as strong as ever, if not stronger. it's a fact the president of the united states and the prime minister netanyahu have some problems but others see the relationship very closed. i was surprised to hear those strong words coming from the defense minister and the president. >> very interesting. in the spring, it was the other side. >> there's a split in the israeli government itself. >> condoleezza rice is going to be speaking. she's going to be speaking in just a few moments. but she also sat down with piers morgan to talk about why women and african-american voters in her view should consider mitt romney. and about her invitation to join the all-male augusta national golf club. i'm personally very curious about that. >> you might be a member of that club, too. >> no, i don't. but i was very excited when they finally pulled the trigger. great shot. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? 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[ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. lots happening. piers, you had a chance to speak to a headliner today. >> i did. a fascinating interview. never more fascinating than right now, wh enshe's come here like a bit of a rock star but doesn't really have a gig. i sat down with her earlier, talked about that, talked about america's place in the world that will be a fulcrum point, i think, of her speech later tonight. and also about this whole issue of augusta national club. as you know, she's become one of the two female members of the most exclusive male clubs on plan et earth. let's take a look at this. how are you? >> very well. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. you're one of the rock stars in the party. >> oh, my goodness. >> usyou shouldn't be so modest. everyone loves you. what's you primary intention. >> to speak about a robust american voice abroad. when we're going through the many shifts and the tech tonton plate wes o're seeing internationally, we need to be clear on where we stand. i'm also going to talk about the need to rebuild here at home. if we aren't strong here at home, then we're not going to lead. education is very near and dear to my heart. i'm worried about the state of k-12 education. i'm worried about this clock behind us, which is the debt clock. because when the world looks to america these days, they see an american government that can't live within its means. >> mitt romney has two big problems according to all the polls -- women and black voters. you are a very high profile woman and black voter. how do you feel about that? and this recent extraordinary poll it seemed to me, "the wall street journal" nbc poll that says mitt romney is basically polling zero among black voters. i found that staggering. >> it depends on how one asks the questions. i'm always a little suspicious of polls myself. what we have to do as a party is explain to people why these issues, which are so prevalent also speak to concerns of minorities and women. if you're a black person and you're not concerned about the fact that the unemployment rate among black men is more than twice the iat of the national average, you're not concerned with the issues. if you're concenot concerned ab schools failing minority children, then you're not aware of the minority issues. >> there's a point where mitt romney says i can't beat barack obama on the black vote. >> i shared great pride in america's first black president. everybody understands that. but ultimately, one has to ask, are these policies helping america, and in particular, are they helping some of the most vulnerable among minorities. kids in failing schools, unemployed youth. and the policies aren't helping those constituencies. and so i do think mitt romney is speaking to black voters, speaking to women voters who hold many of the same concerns, but it has to be receptivity on the other side, too. it can't just be a one-way transmission. >> are you disit.ed george bush isn't in town doing his bit? >> i think he would be the first to tell you that he's the former president and a very, very happy and content former president. look, he is snb who led the party, led the country at the most difficult of times. but this is mitt romney's convention as well it should be. >> what do you want him to do on thursday? when he makes the big speech. he will have to debate with barack obama, who as you know is a very, very good debater and can electrify an audience. what does mitt romney got to do. at the moment, the perception about him is nice guy, smart businessman, but doesn't apparently in public at least enough passion or emotion about him. >> he is passionate about america and who we are and what we can be and what we offer the world. and that's what has to come through, i think. it's coming through but needs to come through on thursday night in particular, because the world will be looking at that moment. americans know that we've got very hard times ahead of us if we're going to right this ship. i thought that governor christie was compelling last night when he said let's treat the american people like adults. let's not pretend these are easy choices. >> a bit of tough love is the message. >> americans know that. we can't keep spending money that we're bothering and mortgaging the future of our kids. we understand that. but somebody is going to say to us, all right, so here's how we're going to do it and is really to give that tough message. i think governor romney and paul ryan will make that the center of the debate. >> one of the problems the matter has is thf perception because of the extreme positions as many people see them on social issues like abortion and others. that adds to the fire that somehow the party is anti-women. what did you make of the todd akin thing? you yourself, not as hard line about abortion as many in the party. >> well, first of all, the way that the party leaders, mitt romney and others responded tells the people how the party feels about that. it was a statement that really bordered on ridiculous. i think everybody said that. now women. the party and women. you saw last night a parade of women who are leading this party. what more do you want? >> probably wanted you as vp to have a real position of power. >> first of all, nobody wanted, especially me. >> a lot of people wanted that. >> we really didn't need that. and weave got a great candidate for vice president in paul ryan. >> you said you had no desire to be in mitt romney's cabinet should he win in november. not many people believe you. >> well, they should. >> look me straight in the eye. are you 100% or 99.99? >> piers, i wrote a memoir called "no higher honor." there is no higher honor, but i've mad that honor. i'm happy to be teaching at stanford and that's where i'm going to be. he has plenty of people who can do those jobses. >> if you were asked to do a major job, can you imagine turning it down? >> i said i don't answer hypotheticals when i first appeared on your show. >> i was hoping you may have changed your position on hypotheticals. but i'm really happy. and i got to serve at a time of consequence, that's enough. >> far more important than anything has been your appointment as one of the first two female members of the augusta national golf club. >> i'm very honor that they want me to be among their number. it's a beautiful golf course with wonderful traditions. i said the face of america, the face of golf is changing. and i'm very grateful to enter with. >> they banned women for 100 years. it's not that big an honor. it should have happened years ago. >> i am honored. i've got to work a little on my short game. it's hard to hold the greens. >> have you chosen your first partner? >> are you ready? >> i banned myself until they allowed women. so i released my own ban. i'm available. >> i do have a long line. >> dr. rice, it's a great pleasure. >> thank you very much. >> what do you make of current claim and insistent claim she would never hold office again. i don't buy it. i just don't think it's an accurate picture, do you? >> absolutely. she's a very interesting and dynamic woman. she's a common sense conservative. she's a woman of valor, a very, very popular former public servant. she's enjoying her life back at stanford. she's enjoying traveling around the country, speaking on college campuses. she's been in concerts with aretha frank len. i think she's having the most incredible time of her life. >> let me rephrase the question to you alex, wouldn't the party drag her literally and appoint her tomorrow to a high-powered job if she gave any indication? >> that quick. she is so impressive. and republicans understand they're running against an historic prish accomplishment. the first black president of the united states. they understand that was an advance. what if you pacify history with history? a female vice president of the united states, black president of the united states. just a wonderful choice. having her as part of this convention does something for republicans. it says we're not the party of, you know, the country club republicans. we're a party of everybody. she's a huge plus. >> my guess is she will get very bored of golf at augusta very quickly and we're going to see her back in high office again. i would bet my life on it. actually, maybe not. i'll bet most of my life. i'll bet wolf blitzer's life. >> that's a little too much even for me. you never know. these are politicians. sometimes they change their minds. sometimes they don't change their minds. first of all, we'll see if mitt romney is elected president of the united states. that's still a big if. we have two months to go. later, piers is going to have an interview with a man who electrified a lot of these republicans here last night. but saw folks not necessarily so happy. here's his interview with chris christie, the governor of new jersey. that will be live here as our special coverage from the republican national convention in tampa continues. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! >> the storm isaac still being felt in louisiana. some of the flooding has been as bad as we saw in katrina. >> it's not moving for another 24 or 36 hours. anderson cooper is on the scene. what's going on? >> o'brien and i are right over here. on the other side of the levee is plaquemines parrish. there's at least ten feet of water or more on the other side of the levee. that's the only thing keeping the water from pouring in. >> this is part of the levee protection system that's really helping out st. bernard parrish. unfortunately for plaquemines parrish, that i don't have that right on this spot. that's a huge problem. the storm is overtopping a levee back there and it's really just poured water into plaquemines parrish. the amazing thing about this, of course, is that the 20 feet of protection on the other side, the estimates were 15 to 20 feet high. and you can see on the other side some subdivisions are submerged. >> we're seeing dramatic resc rescues. individual citizens were going out and rescuing people from the roofs of their buildings. we have video of an elder elder. it's 16 foot at the gate. you can see a little water pouring out underneath, which is where this water is coming from. but there's just a huge amount of water on the other side of the levee. last i heard, there were still need of rescue. >> those folks ignored the mandatory evacuation order in place. what we were told by some people who had to be pulled out is that 2:00 in the morning, they got a phone call that there was a breach in the levee. we understand it as an overtopping but they were told it was a breach. two hours later, all of a sudden, water poured in. and then people pannished, ran upstairs and some of them were lucky enough to be plucked right out of their windows. but they believe some people are still in there. unfortunately with weather like this, it's really, really hard to get rescue, not only the boats, but the coast guard can't put up any choppers. . they're having a difficult time because the weather is so awful. >> it's an err ma that did not flood during katrina. a lot of folks felt, look, katrina is a much more powerful storm. but every storm is different. even though this was a cat 1, there were gusts that were cat 2 strength gusts more than 100 miles an hour. and the storm surge for this area means this storm is even worse than katrina was just for this area in plaquemines parrish. we're going to continue to report on the ongoing rescues and the latest on this area. back to wolf. >> anderson, thanks very, very much. erin, they're doing an excellent job there, all of our team out there in bad circumstances. but the people here, the republican organizers are having a little difficult time. how do you deal with a conventi convention like this at a time of a national emergency like this on the gulf coast. the president is having a tough time as well. he's out there campaigning. it's always a tough balancing act. >> as you know, it takes a few days after a storm hits to know how bad it's going to be. we'll stay on top of that story as well. we also assembled a glup of undecided floridians. this is a group that everyone is interested in, democrats and republicans. they're going to be listening to the vice presidential nominee speech paul ryan. they have a meterer, what they like, what they don't like. tom foreman assembled this group and will explain what's going on. i think our viewers will be interested. nah. 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(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. >> we're bhak at the republican national convention in tampa. nay ear rock and rolling right now. they're stanning by. a special group he's assembled. explain what's going on? >> wolf, what we have here you know there aren't that many undecided voters left. they're all sitting here holding these devices. do they like what they hear or don't like what they hear. it will run into a bank of computers over here so with can process that information so we can see the reaction, whether the men liked it more or the group that did like it more. raise your hands if you are an undecided voter because that's what we're talking about tonight. look at this. both campaigns have desperately been looking for these very people. we want to see how the republicans do in trying to win some of them over. we'll be analyzing the information as it comes in. getting second by second reads on how they react to the messages tonight, wolf. we'll see those results later in the evening and talk to many of the voters why they feel the way they do. these are the republican the o republicans want to win and the democrats want to win. >> we'll get the results in the 11:00 eastern hour. i'm anxious to hear how they react. >> there are so few people, only 13% of the americans are undecided. >> some are switchable, as they say as well. most americans have made up their mind that they're all going after that 10% undecided vote. chris christie is standing by. he's going to join piers morgan live. we'll hear what the governor of new jersey had to say. he sgaif a pretty rousing speech on the floor of the convention last night. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... you expect something $40in return. billionaire oil tycoons charles and david koch and their special- interest friends are spending $400 million to buy this year's elections and advance their agenda. what's their payback? 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>> you heard the president has been talking about medicare a bit lately. >> we want this debate, we need this debate and we are going to win this debate. >> also at the podium in prime time, former secretary of state condoleezza rice lends a voice of foreign policy experience to the pitch of romney and ryan. >> the american voice abroad is really right at the core of what we have to accomplish and mitt romney and paul ryan are the people to do that. >> now cnn turns the spotlight on one of the biggest platforms in american politics. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. >> it's not too late to fix this country's problems! >> this is america's choice. >> we're here at the republican national convention in tampa, florida. we would like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. the kmiemt tonight is about to begin. we'll hear from one of the republican party's most prominent social social conservatives, mike huckabee. he will address this convention. and another important speech this hour, the former secretary of state, condoleezza rice, she will make her case against president obama's global policy. here inside the convention, excitement is clearly building as the delegates await the acceptance speech for the vice presidential nominee paul ryan. >> i'm wolf blitzer along with erin burnett. >> excitement building, you can feel it. it feels like more and more people are coming in. people are ready for this speech. during this hour, we're going to be joined by a very special guest, the keynote speaker. a speech a lot of people are torn on. was it wonderful or not? he answers criticism that the speech was more about himself and his state than the republican nominee. >> piers morgan will be interviewing him live coming up on this hour. our correspondents are also available throughout the arena. candy crowley is on the podium right next to tonight's speakers. jim accosta, dana bash are on the convention floor among the delegates and the vips. and dana bash joins us now. a special guest, someone who was supposed to speak at the last convention 37 hurricane gustav prevented him from speaking. a good friend of the vice presidential nominee. i'm joined by the house majority leader eric cantor. thank you very much. now, you are a fellow young gun. you and paul ryan and kevin mccarthy. you're dubbed the young guns. he's within one of your very good friends. describe paul ryan, a paul ryan we might not know. >> what i hope the american people are going to see tonight is what i know about paul ryan. he's a family man, he has a wonderful wife who is accomplished in her own right. he has three beautiful children, and he is dedicated to actually fixing the country for his kids' future. you hear a lot politicians make promises and talk the talk. but paul ryan walks the walk. he's a genuine individual who is working to cure the ills facing this country. i know that we're going to hear a very powerful speech tonight. one that will lay out a bold choice. >> can you tell us a personal story that might allude on what you're talking about? >> he may seem distracted with different things going on. the reason is he's plugged into his ipod. he's very much focused on physical fitness. he likes good music. he can kick back and have a good time, too. a lot of folks that have been talking about paul is saying ehe's a wompg and he's into the bean counting and numbers. which is absolutely true. he has a strong intellect and a real appetite to engross himself in the number, but he is a great guy and i think is going to make a great vice president for us and a great leader for the future. not only of our party but for the country. >> you talk about his fitness. i know he's big into p990x, which i can't even imagine doing. you did it with him for a while? >> listen, i think he throughout the years that he came up, mefs actually a fitness instructor. he's very cognizant of that. and p90x is something that kevin mccarthy brought to the house gym and there are a lot of members that actually try and stay in shape. if you've ever done those videos, that's a tough workout. it's all about the theory of muscle confusion that's a real challenge. >> confusion is the key word there. let's talk about the speech. what do you hope your friend paul ryan does in terms of the election. maybe you know what he's going to do tonight. >> i think what you're going to hear is paul laying out the choice that the country's got to make and laying out that it is urgent the skoun tri step up and make a decision are we going to continue to be the country where sufficient big american dreams that are laid out rein people can go out there and chase them. are we going to be the country that tilts towards economic and individual freedom? or are we going to choose a path much more akin to the likes of greece and others in europe where you see a much larger presence of the government telling people a lot of things that americans aren't used to the government telling them what to do in terms of their health care, in terms of the way they run their business and the way they hire their employees. and again, i think it's a very appropriate kind of discussion that we're having tonight. this is what's facing the country. and in the end, someday that, we're going to come out of here as a party with a ticket. mitt romney-paul ryan. republican candidates across the country that are dedicated to really making life work for people again. >> thank you so much. back to you, wolf. >> thank the majority leader for us. jim accosta has a special guest. who's with you, jim? >> i'm with one of the young guns that is to written or written by you and eric cantor and paul ryan. >> et let's talk about the strategy of having a vice presidential nominee. >> you have barack obama taking $700 billion with it. >> the same $700 billion. >> the president took $700 billion. romney says he'll put it back. that's a fundamental difference. >> you get the honesty. democrats don't say something mean about them. you have the brain power. that's different than you found in washington in quite some time. >> why do you think he's here at this moment. why? why do you think mitt romney tapped him? is it because he makes this ticket more palatable to conservatives? >> no, no. i think he picked him for his brain power. you have to think about this. what paul has gone through in this his life. he's been in a seat that's a democrat seat. he's able to win on policy. paul never demonizes the other side. he talks about policy and the difference is he solves problems. he takes a conservative principle but solves it. i never met a more humble, a bigger heart or a bigger brain power than anybody i've seen. >> getting back to what we're going to be hearing tonight, i know we're going to be hearing some biography. he's going to talk about miss family life, the struggles he's been through, but he's also going to be talking about policy as well. you know, who -- why do you think paul ryan is on this ticket. why do you think let's the guy that mitt romney wants to put up on this stage? you only get one vice president. >> the number one issue of economics, paul ryan is driven about economics. he knows more about it. most of his plans are bipartisan. he always usually has a democrat on him as well. erskin bowles, he'sarticulate, individual he's met. he says he runs circles around him. >> does paul ryan ever drive you crazy with the heavy metal muse snik. >> he usually puts that into his ear 230e7b phones, but we do p90 in the morning. but he's better at it than i. >> thanks, kevin mccarthy. back to you, wolf. >> thanks very, very much. we're learning a lot about paul ryan there. >> it's interesting. a lot of people in this country don't know much about him. the poll before the country, 16% of americans weren't familiar with him at all. so a lot of people are going to get to know him for the first time tonight. and dana i believe is joined by someone who knows paul ryan even better than the two people we've heard from. who do you have? >> well, who better to describe you for better or worse is your brother. and that's who i have. tobin ryan, thank you very much for joining us. and tobin's son is, paul ryan's nephew. mack ryan. just give us first of all a glimpse into who your brother is. people are just being introduced to him really on a national stage for the first time tonight. >> yeah. i think -- first of all, he's about the noes authentic guy i know. grew up in janesville, wisconsin. his story maybe unfold a bit tonight. and i think that story, there's going to be a plot of people particularly from the midwest and communities like ours where they're going to identify with this story. >> i heard a story that you all took, i think it was the four ryan children with your father. >> it was all six of us, the whole family, and my mom, you know, she leads the charge she's the one that would take us on these backpacking trips. of course at the final time, we didn't realize the foreshadowing, but we were summiting a mountain. we were all carrying our own packs. paul was only 7 or 8 years old. horrible day, we're in a blizza blizzard. and all of a sudden this beautiful meadow with sheep unfolds beneath us. we're all exhausted and sitting down. and paul creeps up and starts singing "america the beautiful." >> how old was he? >> i think 7 or maybe 8. i'm not sure he knew all the words at that time. and we're all watching this guy with tears in our eyes thinking what an amazing scene. perhaps there was some foreshadowing in there. >> now, your brother said he had to gro uh up fast because your father died suddenly. and he was the one that found him. he was the only one in the house. >> yes. >> describe what that was like for your family and him in particular. >> sure. it was obviously a very pivotal time for him and our whole family. paul was home, he was alone. just about to enter high school, and he found our father. he had to grow up very fast. our 80-year-old grand mother who had alzheimer's moved in with us at that time. i was in college. all the other siblings were away and my mom decides to go back to college and get a new skill and start her own business. and so paul is the man of the house and my mom's partner, he's working a job, he's doing everybody's lawns and he's -- he becomes class president the same year. so he's a guy that may have not had the normal 16-year-old life, but it really acted as a catalyst, i think, to put focus in his life and embrace life in a way that once again i don't think most teenagers would. >> and where does the philosophy he espouses comes from? >> i think our -- you know, dinner was at 6:00 every night, full family and i think there was encouragement of ideas in general. but we weren't a family that was espousing either republican virtues or conservative virtues or democratic virtues necessarily. there was support for many different politicians. ronald reagan did become a big influence. i think that became a topic around our dinner table. when you think about it, starting in 1980, you know, through to when paul ended up going to college, that was probably a main topic. >> before i let you go, i have to ask you, mack, i heard that you had a pretty important baby-sitter last night. who was it? >> it was my uncle paul. >> so your own family came here and he was back at the hotel with you? >> he was hanging out with me, charlie, sam and liza watching a movie. >> what's he like as a baby-sitter? >> he's fun, energetic and a great guy to be with. >> did he let you stay up late? >> well, we knew we had to get up early in the morning. >>'ll any candy? any sweets? >> nope. they're very healthy. >> i should have known better on that ask you that question about paul ryan. he's very healthy. >> bedtime stories? >> movie. >> what did you watch? >> "lilo & stitch." >> so he didn't make you watch the convention? >> nope. we did that during the day and at night we're together as a family. >> very good. appreciate your time. thanks, mack. >> thank you for having us on. >> one quick question while you have the brother of paul ryan there. i'm curious, because i read a lot about paul ryan. why did he decide to leave wisconsin and go to miami university of ohio when he wanted to go to college. what made him go to ohio. i know he's a big green bay packer fan. >> here's a question from wolf blitzer. he wants to know why your brother left wisconsin to go to miami of ohio especially since he's such a packers fan. >> that's right. paul is a huge badger fan. his two oolder brothers went to notre dame. i think paul wanted to make his own path. and knowing my mom, she grabbed him and they went on a tour around the midwest and saw a lot of schools. and he fell in love with miami of ohio. and ohio is one of those states i think that it's almost a second home for him. >> went to college in a swing state. imagine that. >> foreshadowing once again. >> i don't think anyone has ever been elected president. >> i love his nephew saying he wasn't allowed to have candy or soda. i have to admit, i dole it out because then you can always hand them back when they're wound up at the end of the night. >> that's your job as an aunt. we're about to be joined by one of the stars of last night's convention here. the new jersey governor chris christie, delivered the keynote address last night. he's going to be with piers morgan. >> we're giving you a chance to be a part of our cnn convention coverage. so please go to facebook.com/cnn and answer this question -- does representative paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket. we're going to give you the results just a little later tonight. we'll be right back. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. >> reporting live from, new orleans. now tropical storm isaac continues with winds and rain throughout the entire southern louisiana region. we're going to get a live update at the cnn weather center. the story is plaquemines parrish where we have seen a number of very dramatic rescues. dozens of people have been rescued. they've again going all day from early this morning even in high winds and heavy rain. citizens were out there trying to rescue their boats in need. how many more people may still be trapped in their homes. people decided not to evacuate. it was a region that had not seen flooding. a lot of people thought this storm is not going to be as strong therefore they didn't need to leave. in plaquemines parish, this storm meant very high water. let's check in with john zarella in gulfport, mississippi. what's the situation there? >> i have to tell you, it's been 20 straight hours of heavy rain and wind. this is literally the first break we've gotten since midnight. when i've been all the air all through tonight and today. first break we've seen. that back there is highway 90. the gulf of mexico at high tide today. the wind rose up. much of the roadway covered with sand, water and rising water at the time. we were told the governor had 35 boat rescues today. there's 35,000 people here without electricity. anderson? >> more than 800 krourks. >> we go to chad myers with an overview. >> it's trned into a tornado maker and a flash flood maker tonight. our john zarella is over there. there's erosion to the barrier islands and to the shore itself. let me zoom out just a couple of spots. you can see the core of the rain from baton rouge over to mobile. the storm is not making its way over there. that means the storm is dying, literally dieing a slow death. but in its death, it will still put down all of the rain. it will still make all of the tornadoes that we have always. expected with this storm. and now at least 20 parishes and counties with flash flootd warnings in florida to mississippi all the way over even into alabama now. and dolphin island area to the west of mobile. they have seen 20 inches of rain right across the river from where you are. 18.75 inches of rain in the rain bucket in 36 hours. anderson? >> yeah. it's so much rain. a lot of people have been surprised by it again. darkness has come southeast of here in the french quarter in new orleans. untold how many people still may be in need of rescue. how many people may still be in danger. there are high winds out there. a lot more rain out there. we were just out twl about an hour ago. we'll continue to update you throughout the evening and into tomorrow. right now, let's go back to wolf in tampa. >> in tampa, lots of people are talking about the governor chris christie's address last night. what does the governor think about all the commotion he's generated. we're going to find out. he's standing by to speak live with our own piers morgan. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. my brother doesn't look like a heart attack patient. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm a fighter and now i don't have that fear. i'm a fighter how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. welcome back to the republican national convention. the crowd is still here. ann romney is here, one of her sons sitting next to her and daughter-in-law. we're getting ready to hear from contender l condoleezza rice and paul ryan. piers morgan is also down there. he's got a special guest. tell our viewers who's sitting next to you. >> the one and only chris christie. >> happy to be here. >> i've beenest estesting your speech. i went from absolutely loved it to the most selfish speech in the history of conventions. >> everyone has an opinion. that's what makes america great. >> are you surprised by the reaction? pretty extreme. >> i'm not surprised pi bring out people's strong reactions? no. doesn't shock me in the least. but my job last night was to lay out what the difference is between republican govern ansan and republican ideals. >> but they weren't sure if you were doing it for your future presidential race or romney's current race. >> i don't know how people can be confused. i laid out the case for mitt romney as a former governor. if you do the things at the state level like we have done it in new jersey, you can do it at a national level. i don't think anybody was really confused at the end of the night. >> the confusion came because you didn't mention his name for 17 minutes. and you mentioned "i" 37 times and mi7 times. >> at the end of the day, i was building a case for mitt romney. do you think anybody here doesn't know his name? this is silly stuff. i understand that folks in the media have nothing better to do than that kind of stuff. they want to create controversy. i understand that. these are prepackaged shows and they all want something to talk about. but if you look at the substance of the speech last night, it lays out a very cloer case that that we need to tell people the truth, make hard choices and do that now. >> the thing i was surprised about, i thought you would be like the red meat on the barbecue when it came to barack obama. i thought you would be roasting and grilling h him. you went light on barack obama. >> i went heavy on the case for republican governance. i don't think anybody in america except the most left wing partisans believes that barack obama deserves a second term. what we now need to do is say why our way would be the better way. my jo b is not to tear down the president but to make the case for the republican brand and the republican party and that's what i did last night. >> if you were going to tear down the president, how would you do it? >> i've done that many times. in aspen last week, i said this is a guy in 3 1/2 years who is like in a dark room looking for the switch ore leadership. he hasn't found it in 3 1/2 year heshs's not going to find it in 69 days. i believe that case has already been made, piers. that case has been made against the president. we need -- there's nothing new anyone is going to figure out about the president in the next 69 days, but they need to find things about our philosophy and how our nominee reflects that philosophy. that's what we did last night. i work veried very closely with the romney campaign. they had my draft and knew what i wanted to say. they didn't change a word of my speech so i have to assume they're real happy with it. . >> when it comes to the president, do you think he's an honest man? >> yeah. >> you do? >> sure. >> you don't think he misleads the american public? >> well, listen, i think he misleads people in political commercials but i don't think that's breaking new ground. i generally think he's an honest person. i just think he's dead wrong on policy and i think he's led this country in the wrong direction. i don't think he has the first idea about how 20 use executive power, but i don't think that means he's generally a dishonest person. >> has he been dead wrong on everything? >> i think on certain areas of education policy i agree with him, trying to empower charter schools and choice around the country. i think he's been right on that. not every bit of his education policy, but some of it. >> foreign policy. >> i'm not going to go through the checklist with you. >> given that condoleezza rice up there tonight and one of the allegations is the lack of foreign policy experience on the romney-ryan ticket. i would imagine she would be pushing that agenda as she did in my interview earlier saying it's time of the frame work of foorn policy to be determined. are you concerned the romney-ryan ticket is lacking in experience there. >> i think that president romney will surround himself with an excellent cabinet. but also a lot of foreign policy in my view is the willingness of the president to make tough choices. and i think that, you know, mitt romney will make those tough dhoiss and not be confusing folks out there. he will stand with our friends one of the great things is he's not stuck on being the smart es person in the radio. . >> given that people have said, you know, why didn't chris christie talk more about mitt romney, given that's been the criticism and clearly you didn't intend that that from what you've told me. what else would you say ability the man. you know him better than many people now, what are some of the qualities we're not i a ware of. >> this is a man with an extraordinarily good heart. i've watched him interact with my children. you see politicians interact with children, especially ones that don't know the first thing about it. it's an abomination, right? they're patting them on the head like this. and not knowing how to deal with them. i've seen governor romney with my children, my 8-year-old and my 11-year-old and he's incredibly engaging with them and cares about them and makes them feel special when he's with them and wants to pay attention to them. he's an engaged father and grandfather .that tells you something about his heart. i don't think that necessarily comes through. >> do you want to see more of that on his speech tomorrow? i interviewed one of his five sons. one of them said the trouble with dad is he's also a ceo in public. he can't seem to remove that shackle of corporate existence. people don't see the real mitt romney that they see behind closed doors. is thursday the time for him to sort of metaphorically rip open his jacket and say this is the real me. >> i hope he does. because if he does, the american people are going to like him and trust him and make him the next president of the united states. i'm convinced of that. >> when it comes to trust, this election could come down to the dmi and to who believes who most about the future of solving the economy. you have an interesting experience in new jersey. you' lowered taxes and balanced the budget. unemployment has risen to the highest level since 1977. people will say look, that's a classic argument against the republican position. right? you've lowered taxes, balanced the budget but it's got you nowhere with unemployment. what do you say to that? >> the statistic that it's the highest in 35 years is wrong. it was higher in october, november, december of 2009 than it is now. so it's a bad statistic. but secondly, what we're doing in new jersey is lowing the number of people working for the government. we're making government smaller. that's part of what we're doing. that's going to help unleash the private sector and you're going to see those numbers go over during the course of time. >> who do you blame? yourself or barack obama? in new jersey. >> the national economy has a huge effect on what happens in new jersey. but i just told you, we made a concerted effort to lower the number of public employees. the government had gotten too big and too loaded and we needed to make it smaller. it's a short-term effect, but the long-term effect is we're going to make more money out of the government into the private sector. we've grown 90,000 new private sector job ps naen the last 12 months we're the fourth highest state in america in creation of private sector jobs. it's going to take us a while, but we're going to get there. >> people heard your speech last night and have been critical said this was entirely a pitch and a play for him to be president, you. did you have literally no aspirations to be leader of the free world? >> listen, since last october, i've traveled to 15 different states for mitt romney. i sat and allowed you to harass me in my office for an hour that somehow mitt romney was not going to win and rick santorum was going to be the nominee. and i steadfastedly stood by mitt romney because i believe he's the best person to be the president of the united states. the last year i've been working as hard as any outsider for mitt romney and for his election as president. i'm proud to have done it. >> governor, thank you for talking to me. i think you've made a few things very clear. back to wolf. >> thanks very much, piers. good interview, the former governor of arkansas, the former presidential candidate, mike huckabee. >> i heard folks say after hearing me speak, some folks said we can do better than huckabee and that's when they will unanimously nominate mitt romney to be the next president of the united states of america. i want to say tampa has been a wonderful and hospitable city and i'm grateful to all that they've done for us. but the anl hitch in an otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. turns out it was just debbie wasserman-shultz practicing her speech for the democratic national convention in charlotte next week. bless her heart. four years ago, mitt romney and i were opponents. we still are. but we're not opposing each other. no, we are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral. the united states of america was originally an experiment. but it was an experiment in recognizing god-given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another and in which all of us are equal. not equal in abilities, but equal in intrinsic worth and value. it is the essence, not just of who we are, but what we are. how once rivals can now be united. it's quite simple. we have barack obama to thank. it was barack obama who said you didn't build it. translation, it doesn't belong to you. an to uh business, reckless spending tax hiking party of barack obama, harry reid and nancy pelosi, versus an energized america who knows we can do better. for four years we've given after chance to a man with no experience governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly interested in campaigning, blaming and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the republicans, and people in business. oar has republicans like to call them, employers. we've stagnated sba an economy that has taken all of that hope right down the slope and has left millions without jobs. forced out of their homes by foreclosure, herded into dependency upon a government that promises us candy but gives us cavities. barack obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. mitt romney's focus is going to be on generating more jobs that will make food stamps unnecessary. we know full well we can do better. mitt romney turned around companies they were on the skids. he turned down a scandal-ridden olympics that was deep into the red into a high point of profit and patriotic pride, and he turned around a very liberal state when he erased the deficit and replaced it with a surplus. do you remember when barack obama said fa that if he couldn't turn things around in three years it would be a one-term proposition? well, it's been almost four years. i say let's make him a proposition he can't refuse. let's vote him out. i understand that the job of president is admittedly tougher than running a company, an olympic contest or a commonwealth, but when one sees what even bill clinton noted was a sterling record of problem solving that has marked the life of mitt romney, we are confident that we will do better. i am thrilled to say that romney has been loyal to his lovely wife who knocked it out of the park last night in this arena. he's been loyal to his sons, to his country, to his employees and to his church. well, i'm sure now that the press is going to tell you he isn't perfect. but, my friends for the past four years, we tried the one the press thought was perfect and that hasn't bourqued out all that well for us. we can do better. our founding fathers left taxation and sitirnny. what they created was a bold experiment in government believing that god gave us inalienable rights and the role of government is simply to make sure that those rights are protected. that even after crafting our magnificent constitution they said, we can do even better. they added amendments we all them the bill of the rights. those bill of rights limit what the government can do, and they guarantee what we the people have the unimpeded right to do. whether to speak, assemble, worsh worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes. many of those founders tied to pass on that heritage. they had lived under the boot of big government. and what they said was we can do better. >> as a kid growing new a household, my dad never finished high school. i grew up in a family which no male upstream of me had ever finished high school muchless gone to college. but i was staugt even though there was nothing i could do about what was behind me, i could change every about what was in front of me. my working poor parents told me i could do better. they taught me i was as good as anybody else and it never occurred to them to tell me i could rest comfortably and wait for good old uncle sugar to lead me, feed me and then bleed me. they told me to get off my backside, work hard, take risks and treat people honestly and honorably. and look at me today. i've become as the press like to label me, a failed candidate. oh, it's true. i have fallen from the high perch of politics and now i wallow in the mud of the media. but i still know as a country we can do better. and with mitt romney and paul ryan, we will do better. i want to clear the air about something that has been said. people wonder whether guys like me, an evangelical would only support a fellow evangelical. well, my friends, i want to tell you something, of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is barack obama, and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at anytime in the womb, even beyond the womb and he tells people of faith that they have to bow their knees to the god of government and vief late their faith and conscious in order to comply with what he calls health care. friends, i know we can do better. let me say this as clearly as possible. the attack on my catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me. the democrats have brought back that old dance, the lim limbo, to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice or faith. but this isn't a battle about contraceptives and catholics, but ability conscious and the creator. let me say to you tonight, i care far less as to where mitt romney takes his family to church than i do about where he takes this country. joe biden said, show me your budget and i'll tell you what you value. well in the senate, joe's party hasn't produced a budget in three years. what does that say about their values? and by the way, speaking of budgets, joe biden's budget shows that while he wants to be very generous with your money, for year, he gaveless than 0.2 of 1% of his own money to charity. he just wants you to give the government more so he and the democrats can feel better about themselves. mitt romney has given over 16% of his income to church and charity. and my friend, i feel a lot better about having a president who will give generously of his own money instead of mine or yours. my concern is not barack obama's past, but my concern is for the future. not his future, but for the future of my grandchildren. little chandler and scarlett. and under this president we imburden them with debt and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks we can prosper by punishing productivity and rewarding irresponsibility. people say we ought to give barack obama credit for trying. that sounds like the nonses of giving every kid a trophy for showing up. we're talking about leading the country. not playing on a third grade soccer team. look, i realize this is a man who got a nobel peace prize for what he would potentially do. but in the real world you get the prize for producing something. not just promising something. sometimes we get so close to the picture we really can't see it clearly. i've had the privilege of working with bono for the past few years in the one campaign to fight aids and hunger and disease around the world. bono is an irishman and a great humanitarian. and i remember him telling me of his admiration for america. he said america's more than just a country. we're an idea. and he reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations who are coming after us to leave them with an extraordinary legacy. but if we don't change the direction of our nation now, our bequests will be nothing but an extraordinary shame. but dear friends, we can do better. president obama is out of gas. and americans are out of patience. and our great republic is almost out of time. it's time that we no longer lead from behind, but that we get off our behinds and leave something for those after us instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses. tonight not because we're republicans, it's because we are americans that we proudly stand with mitt romney and paul ryan and we say we will do better. god bless you, thank you. god bless. ♪ >> four years ago he wanted the republican presidential nomination. he didn't get it. you saw mike huckabee there the former arkansas governor giving a red meat kind of speech going after the president of the united states. but he was really enthusiastic about mitt romney. >> he had a lot of good one liners in there. but he's the warm-up for the night. condoleezza rice is going to give a speech. and paul ryan going to make his debut. that's coming up after this. everyone has goals. take the steps to reach yours, with us with real advice, for real goals. the us bank wealth management advisor can help you. every step of the way. from big steps, to little steps. since 1863 we've helped guide our clients, so they can take the steps to help grow, preserve, and pass along their wealth. so their footsteps can help the next generation find their own path. all of us serving you. us bank in 2009, the u.s. took home over 75 medals in athletic competitions. today our students rank 25th in the world in math. there's no medal for that. let's get america back on track. the more we invest in teachers, the better our students will perform. let's solve this. former secretary of state condoleezza rice is getting a stand ovation. let's listen to her speech. >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you so much. good evening. good evening. good evening. good evening, distinguished delegates. good evening, fellow republicans. good evening, my fellow americans. we gather here at a time of significance and challenge. this young century has been a difficult one. i can remember as if it were yesterday when my young assistant came into my office at the white house to say that a plane had hit the world trade center. and then a second plane. and then a third plane, the pentagon. and later we would learn that a plane had crashed into a field in pennsylvania driven into the ground by brave souls who died so that others might live. from that day on, our sense of vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same again. then in 2008 the global and economic crisis would stun us. and it still reverberates as we deal with unemployment and economic uncertainty and bad policies that cast a pole over an american economy and recovery that is desperately needed at home and abroad. and we have seen that the desire for liberty is universal as people in the middle east rise up to seize it. yet the promise of the arab spring is ungulfed in uncertainty and hostile neighbors. are challenging the democracy of iraq. dictators in iran and syria threaten regional security, russia and china prevent a response, and everyone asks where does america stand? indeed that is the question of the hour. where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous place. since world war ii, the united states has had an answer to that question. we stand for free peoples and free markets. we will defend and support them. we will sustain a balance of power that favors freedom. now, to be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy. i know as you do the sacrifice of americans especially the sacrifice of many of our bravest in the ultimate sacrifice. but our armed forces are the sheer shield and foundation of liberty and we are so fortunately that we have men and women in uniform who volunteer, they volunteer to defend us at the front lines of freedom. and we owe them our eternal gratitude. i know, too, it has not always been easy. though it has been rewarding to speak for those who would not otherwise have a voice. the democracy advocate in venezuela. the political prisoner in iran. it has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and on behalf of the most desperate. the young woman who has been trafficked into the sex trade in southeast asia. it has been hard. yet this assistance together with the come passionate work of private charities, people of conscience and people of faith has shown the soul of our country. and i know, too -- i know, too, that there is a weariness. i know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long enough. but we can only know that there is no choice. because one of two things will happen if we don't lead. either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead. and you cannot lead from behind. >> mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well being at home and leadership abroad are linked. they know what to do. they know that our friends and allies must again be able to trust us. from israel to colombia from poland to the philippines. our allies and friends have to know that we will be reliable and consistent and determined. and our foes, our foes can have no reason to doubt our resolve because peace really does come through strength. our military capability and our technological advantage will be safe in mitt romney's hands. we must work for an open global economy and pursue free and fair trade to grow our exports and our influence abroad. if you are worried about the rise of china, just consider this. the united states has negotiated -- the united states has ratified only three trade agreements in the last few years. and those were negotiated in the bush administration. china -- china has signed 15 free trade agreements and is in the progress of negotiating as many as 18 more. sadly, we are abandoning the field of free and fair trade and it will come back to haunt us. we must not allow the chance for energy independence to slip from our grasp. we are blessed with resources here in north america and we must develop them. we can develop them sensitively. we can develop them securing our environment. but we must develop them. and we have the ingenuity to develop alternative energy sources too. but most importantly mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild the foundation of our strength, the american economy. stimulating private sector growth and stimulating small business entrepreneurship. when the world looks at us today, they see an american government that cannot live within its means. they see an american government that continues to borrow money, that will mortgage the future of generations to come. the world knows that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. that is not the america has inspired people to follow our lead. after all, when the world looks to america, they look to us because we are the most successful economic and political experiment in human history. that is the true basis of american exceptionalism. you see, the essence of america, what really unites us, is not nationality or ethnicity or religion. it is an idea. and what an idea it is. that you can come from humble circumstances and you can do great things. that it does not matter where you came from, it matters where you are going. >> my fellow americans, ours has never been a narrative of grievance and entitlement. we have never believed i am doing poorly because you are doing well. we have never been jealous of one another and never envious of each other's successes. no, ours has been a belief in opportunity. and it has been a constant struggle. long and hard, up and down, to try to extend the benefits of the american dream to all. but that american ideal is indeed in danger today. there is no country, no not even a rising china that can do more harm to us than we can do to ourselves if we do not do the hard work before us here at home. >> more than at any other time in history, greatness is built on mobilizing human potential and ambition. we have always done that better than any country in the world. people have come here from all over because they have believed our creed of opportunity and limitless horizons. they have come here from the world's most impoverished nations just to make a decent wage. and they have come here from advanced societies as engineers and scientists and fuel the knowledge-based revolution in the silicon valley of california. in the research triangle of north carolina. along route 128 in massachusetts. in austin, texas, and across this great land. >> we must continue to welcome the world's most ambitious people to be part of us. in that way, we stay young and optimistic and determined. we need immigration laws that protect our borders, meet our economic needs and yet show that we are a compassionate nation of immigrants. we have been successful, too, because americans have known that one status of birth is not a permanent condition. americans have believed that you might not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your response to your circumstances. and your greatest ally in controlling your response to your circumstances has been a quality education. but today, today when i can look at your zip code and i can tell whether you're going to get a good education, can i honestly say it doesn't matter where you came from, it matters where you're going. the crisis in k-12 education is a threat to the very fabric of who we are. my mom was a teacher. i respect the profession. we need great teachers, not poor ones, and not mediocre ones. we have to have high standards for our kids. because self-esteem comes from achievement, not from lack standards and false praise. and we need to give parents greater choice. particularly poor parents whose kids very often minorties are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. this is the civil rights issue of our day. >> if we do anything less, we condemn to joblessness and hopelessness and life on the government dole. if we do anything less, we will endanger our global imperatives for competitiveness. and if we do anything less, we will tear apart the fabric of who we are, and cement the turn toward entitlement and grievance. mitt romney -- mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild us at home. and they will help us lead abroad. they will provide an answer to the request where does america stand. the challenge is real. the times are hard. but america has met and overcome hard challenges before. whenever you find yourself doubting us, just think about all those times that america made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. our revolutionary founding against the greatest military power of the time, a civil war, brother against brother, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides. but we emerged a more perfect union. a second founding when impatient patriots were determined to overcome the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation. a long struggle against communism with the soviet union eventually in collapse and european whole, free, and at peace. and in the aftermath of 9/11, the willingness to take really hard, hard decisions that secured us and prevented the follow on attack that everybody thought preordained. and on a personal note -- and on a personal note, a little girl rose up in birmingham, the segregated city of the south where her parents can't take her to a movie theater or to a restaurant, but they have her absolutely convinced that even if she can't have a hamburger at the lunch counter she could be president of the united states and she wanted to be. and she becomes the secretary of state. >> yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, america has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. but we know it was never inevitable, it took leadership and it took courage and it took belief in our values. mitt romney and paul ryan have the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us. they know who we are. they know who we want to be. they know who we are in the world and what we offer. that is why -- that is why this is a moment in an election of consequence. because it just has to be that the freest and most compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to be the most powerful and a beacon for prosperity and liberty across the world. god bless you and god bless this extraordinary country, this exceptional country, the united states of america. >> from the state of new mexico, the first hispanic female governor in the history of the united states. please welcome governor susannah martinez. >> so we just heard kocondoleez rice say if she could whip up this crowd. she says she has no great political ambitions down the road. she's happy in ak deem academyi. >> she added to what rand paul tried to do, i thought. which was try to portray a party that was passionate on immigration as opposed to closed minded on that topic. candy, what do you think? >> you know, for a woman who says she has no passion for politics, she's pretty darn good at it. so obviously she's here in front of a friendly crowd. just interestingly, no prompter used in that. not in the one that i can see from here or the panels in front of her. she did have a script with her, but the words changed around. i don't know if you watched her, but she was connecting with this crowd all over the place. so i've heard a lot of these things from condi rice in other speeches. they really like her here. and i don't know. i always used to believe back when she would say i don't have the heart for politics. i don't have that fire for politics. but i don't know. i think after this speech, she has people talking. >> it certainly seems that way. what's interesting, we sit here and sometimes we have everyone precopies which we get right before the speech and we follow along. and on hers, we noticed that. there was a lot of ad libbing. the themes were the same. >> but she stuck to the speech. she knew the speech. she had written it. clearly she knew what she wanted to say. there were words here and there she deviated from. but the structure was there. >> some flowery, some passion. >> i will say this. so far the women at this republican convention have given better speeches than the men. ann romney gave a terrific speech last night. condoleezza rice. some of the men maybe not so much. >> does this surprise you wolf? >> no. >> we'll see how paul ryan does. we're getting ready. within a few minutes we'll hear from paul ryan. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. turn to senokot-s tablets. senokot-s has a natural vegetable laxative ingredient plus the comfort of a stool softener for gentle, overnight relief of occasional 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! we're back at the republican national convention in tampa. the first female governor of new mexico, the first female hispanic governor of the united states suzanna martinez introducing paul ryan. >> for those who missed the top, she began talking about carrying a gun. it's important to her. she carries a magnum .357. let's listen to the rest of her speech. >> we got in the car, i looked at chuck and said i'll be damned, we're republicans. >> this election should not be about political parties. too many americans are out of work and our debt is out of control. this election needs to be about those issues. and it is the responsibility of both parties to offer up real solutions and have an honest debate. in new mexico, i inherited the largest structural deficit in state history. and our legislature is controlled by democrats. we don't always agree. but we came together in a bipartisan manner and turned that deficit into a surplus. and we did it without raising taxes. but that's not the kind of leadership that we're seeing from president obama. he promised to bring us all together. to cut unemployment, to pass immigration reform in his first year. and even promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term. do you remember that? but he hasn't come close. they haven't even passed a budget in washington, d.c. in three years. if he can take credit for government building small businesses, then he can accept responsibility for breaking his promise and adding $5 trillion to the national debt. because he did build that. as the first hispanic female governor in the history, little girls, they often come up to me in the grocery store or in the mall. they look and they point and when they get the courage to come up, they ask are you sasana? and they run up and give me a hug. and i wonder, how do you know who i am? but they do. and these are little girls. it's in moments like these when i'm reminded that we each pave a path. and for me, it's about paving a path for those little girls to follow. they need to know no more barriers. in many ways mitt romney and i are very different. different starts in life, different paths to leadership, different cultures. but we've each shared in the promise of america. and we share a core belief that the promise of america must be kept for the next generation. [ speaking spanish ] it's success. it is success and success is the american dream. and that success is not something to be ashamed of or to demonize. there is one candidate in this election who will protect that dream. one leader who will fight hard to keep the promise of america for the next generation. and that's why we must stand up and make mitt romney the next president of the united states. thank you. >> today we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of america. as leadership begins with character and values. he's a person of great steadiness whose integry i did is unquestioned and his word is good. he understands the fiscal challenges facing america and the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we don't change course. today is a good day for america and there are better days ahead. >> when i look at all he's done, his life, his wife, his family, i'm just so proud. i know his father would be as well. especially tonight. >> i'm so proud to introduce my husband, the next vice president of the united states, paul ryan. ♪ >> hello, everybody. hello, everybody. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. hey, wisconsin. thank you. thank you. you guys are great. thank you so much. thank you. mr. chairman -- mr. chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens, i am honored by the support of this convention for vice president of the united states. i accept the duty to help lead our nation out of a jobs crisis and back to prosperity. and i know we can do this. i accept the calling of my generation to give our children the america that was given to us with opportunity for the young and security for the old. and i know that we are ready. our nominee is sure ready. his whole life -- his whole life prepared him for this moment. to meet serious challenges in a serious way. without excuses and idle words. after four years of getting the runaround, america needs a turnaround and the man for the job is governor mitt romney. i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money. and he's pretty experienced at that. you see, some people can't be dragged down by the usual cheap tactics because their character, ability, and plain decency are so obvious. and ladies and gentlemen, that is mitt romney. for my part your nomination is an unexpected turn. it certainly came as news to my family. and i'd like you to meet them. my best friend and wife jana, our daughter liza, and our boys charlie and sam. the kids are happy to see their grandma who lives in florida. there she is. my mom betty. my dad, a small town lawyer was also named paul. until we lost him when i was 16, he was a gentle presence in my life. i'd like to think he'd be proud of me and my sister and brothers. you know what? i'm sure proud of him and where i come from, janesville, wisconsin. i live on the same block where i grew up. we belong to the same parish where i was baptized. janesville is that kind of place. the people of wisconsin have been good to me. i've tried to live up to their trust. and now i ask those hard working men and women and millions like them across america to join our cause and get this country working again. when governor romney asked me to join the ticket, i said let's get this done. and that is exactly what we are going to do. president barack obama came to office during an economic crisis as he has reminded us a time or two. those are very tough days. and any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. my home state voted for president obama. when he talked about change, many people like the sound of it. especially in janesville. where we were about to lose a major factory. a lot of guys i went to high school with worked at that gm plant. right there at that plant, candidate obama said i believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another hundred years. that's what he said in 2008. well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. it is locked up and empty to this day. and that's how it is in so many towns. where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight. right now 23 million men and women are struggling to find work. 23 million people, unemployed or underemployed. nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? the first troubling sign came with the stimulus. it was president obama's first and best shot at fixing the economy. at a time when he got everything he wanted under one party rule. it cost $831 billion. the largest one-time expenditure ever by our federal government. they went to companies like solyndra with your gold plated connections, subsidized jobs, and make believe markets. the stimulus was a case of political patronage, corporate welfare, and cronism at their worst. you, you the american people of this country were cut out of the deal. what did taxpayers get out of the obama stimulus? more debt. that money wasn't just spent and wasted. it was borrowed, spent, and wasted. maybe the greatest waste of all was time. here we were faced with a massive job crisis so deep that if everyone out of work stood in single file, that unemployment line would stretch the length of the entire american continent. you would think that any president, whatever his party would make job creation and nothing else his first order of economic business. but this president didn't do that. instead, we got a long divisive all or nothing attempt to put the federal government in charge of health care. obama care comes to more than 2,000 pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees, and fines that have no place in a free country. >> that's right. that's right. you know what? the president has declared that the debate over government-controlled health care is over. that will come as news to the millions of americans who will elect mitt romney so we can repeal obama care. and the biggest, coldest power play of all in obama care came at the expense of the elderly. you see, even with all the hidden taxes to pay for the health care takeover, even with the new law and new taxes on nearly a million small businesses, the planners in washington still didn't have enough money. they needed more. they needed hundreds of billions more. so they just took it all away from medicare. $716 billion funneled out of medicare by president obama. an obligation we have to our parents and grandparents is being sacrificed all to pay for a new entitlement we didn't even ask for. the greatest threat to medicare is obama care, and we're going to stop it. in congress, when they take out the heavy books and the wall charts about medicare, my thoughts go back to a street in janesville. my wonderful grandma janet had alzheimer's. she moved in with mom and me. though she felt lost at times, we did all the little things that made her feel loved. we had help from medicare. and it was there just like it's there for my mom today. medicare is a promise, and we will honor it. a romney/ryan administration will protect and strengthen medicare for my mom's generation, for my generation, and for my kids and yours. >> so our opponents can consider themselves on notice. in this election, on this issue the usual posturing on the left isn't going to work. mitt romney and i know the difference between protecting a program and raiding it. ladies and gentlemen, our nation needs this debate. we want this debate. we will win this debate. >> obama care, as much as anything else explains why a presidency that began with such anticipation now comes to such a disappointing close. it began with a final crisis. it ends with a job crisis. it began with a housing crisis they alone didn't cause. it ends with a housing crisis they didn't correct. it began with a perfect aaa credit rating for the united states. it ends with a downgraded america. it all started off with stirring speeches, the thrill of something new. now all that's left is a presidency adrift surviving on slogans that already seem tired. grasping at a moment that is already passed. like a ship trying to sale on yesterday's wind. you know, president obama was asked not long ago to reflect on any mistakes he might have made. he said well, i haven't communicated enough. he said his job is to quote, tell a story to the american people. as if that's the whole problem here? he needs to talk more? and we need to be better listeners? ladies and gentlemen, these past four years we had suffered no shortage of words in the white house. what is missing is leadership in the white house. >> and the story -- and the story that barack obama does tell forever shifting blame to the last administration is getting old. the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? in this generation a defined responsibility of government is to steer our nation clear of a debt crisis while there is still time. back in 2008, candidate obama called a $10 trillion national debt unpatriotic. serious talk from what looked like a serious reformer. yet by his own decisions, president obama has added more debt than any other president before him. and more than all the troubled governments of europe combined, one president one term, $5 trillion in new debt. he created a new bipartisan debt commission. they came back with an urgent report. he thanked them, sent them on their way, and then did exactly nothing. republicans stepped up with good faith reforms and solutions equal to the problems. how did the president respond? by doing nothing. nothing except to dodge and demagogue the issue. so here we are. $16 trillion in debt and still he does nothing. in europe massive debts have put entire governments at risk of collapse. and still he does nothing. and all we have heard from this president and his team are attacks on anyone who dares to point out the obvious. they have no answer to this simple reality. we need to stop spending money we don't have. really simple. not that hard. my dad used to say to me son, you have a choice. you can be part of the problem or you can be part of the solution. the present administration has made its choices. and mitt romney and i have made ours. before the math and the momentum overwhelm us all, we are going to solve this nation's economic problems. and i'm going to level with you. we don't have that much time. but if we're serious and smart and we lead, we can do this. after four years of government trying to divide up the wealth, we will get america creating wealth again. with tax fairness and regulatory reform, we'll put government back on the side of men and women who create jobs. and the men and women who need jobs. my mom started a small business, and i've seen what it takes. mom was 50 when my dad died. she got on a bus every week day for years and rode 40 miles each morning to madison. she earned a new degree and new skills to start her small business. it wasn't just a new livelihood. it was a new life. and it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small business woman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. her work gave her hope. it made our family proud. and to this day, my mom is my role model. >> behind every small business there's a story worth knowing. all the corner shops in our towns and cities, the restaurants, cleaners, gyms, hair salons, hardware stores, these didn't come out of nowhere. a lot of heart goes into each one. and if small business people say they made it on their own, all they're saying is that nobody else worked seven days a week in their place. nobody showed up in their place to open the door at 5:00 in the morning. nobody did their thinking and worrying and sweating for them. after all that work and in a bad economy, it sure doesn't help to hear from their president that government gets the credit. what they deserve to hear is the truth. yes, you did build that. >> we have a plan for a stronger middle class with a goal of generating 12 million new jobs over the next four years. in a clean break from the obama years and frankly from the years before this president. we will keep federal spending at 20% of gdp or less because that is enough. the choice -- the choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth or hard limits on the size of government. and we choose to limit government. i learned a good deal about economics and america from the author of the reagan tax reforms. the great jack kemp. what gave jack that incredible enthusiasm was his belief in the possibilities of free people. in the power of free enterprise and strong communities to overcome poverty and despair. we need that same optimism right now. and in our dealings with other nations, a romney/ryan administration will speak with confidence and clarity. whenever men and women rise up for their own freedom, they will know that the american president is on their side. instead -- instead of managing american decline, leaving allies to doubt us and adversaries to test us, we will act in the conviction that the united states is still the greatest force for peace and liberty that this world has ever known. >> president obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record and then calls that the record. but we are four years into the presidency. the issue is not the economy that barack obama inherited. not the economy that he envisions. but this economy that we are living. college graduates should not have to live out our 20s in their childhood bedrooms staring up at fading obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life. >> everyone -- everyone who feels stuck in the obama economy is right to focus on the here and now. and i hope you understand this too. if you're feeling left out or passed by, you have not failed. your leaders have failed you. none of us -- none of us should have to settle for the best this administration offers. a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next. a country where everything is free but us. listen to the way we're already spoken to. listen to the way we're spoken to already. as if everyone is stuck in some class or station in life. victims of circumstances beyond our control with the government there to help us cope with our fate. it's the exact opposite of everything i learned growing up in wisconsin or at college in ohio. when i was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, i never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. i was on my own path. my own journey, an american journey where i could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. that's what we do in this country. that's the american dream. that's freedom, and i'll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. by themselves -- by themselves the failures of one administration are not a mandate for a new administration. a challenger must stand on his own merits. he must be ready and worthy to serve in the office of president. we're a full generation apart. governor romney and i. and in some ways we're different. there are the songs on his ipod which i've heard on the campaign bus and i've heard it on many hotel elevators. he actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. i said look, i hope it's not a deal breaker mitt, but my play list starts with ac/dc and ends with zeppelin. a generation apart -- a generation apart, but that doesn't matter. it makes us different, but not in any of the things that matter. mitt romney and i both grew up in the heartland. and we know what places like wisconsin and michigan look like when times are good. we know what these communities look like when times are good, when people are working, when families are going more than just getting by. and we know it can be that way again. we've had very different careers. mine mainly in public service. his mostly in the private sector. he helped start businesses and turn around failing ones. by the way, being successful in business, that's a good thing. >> mitt has not only succeeded, but he succeeded where others could not. he turned around the olympics at a time when a great institution was collapsing under the weight of bad management, overspending, and corruption. sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it? he was a republican governor of a state where almost nine in ten legislators are democrats. and yet he balanced the budget without raising taxes. unemployment went down, household incomes went up. and massachusetts under governor mitt romney saw its credit rating upgraded. mitt and i also go to different churches. but in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example. and i've been watching that example. the man who will accept your nomination tomorrow is prayerful and faithful and honorable. not only a defender of marriage, he offers an example of marriage at its best. not only a fine businessman, he's a fine man. worthy of leading this of mystic and good hearted country. our faiths come together in the same moral creed. we believe that in every life there is goodness. for every person there is hope. each one of us was made for a reason bearing the image in likeness of the lord of life. >> we have responsibilities one to another. we do not each face the world alone. and the greatest of all responsibilities is that of the strong to protect the weak. the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves. each of these moral ideas -- each of these moral ideas is essential to democratic government, to the rule of law, to life in a humane and decent society. they are the moral creed of our country. as powerful in our time as on the day of america's founding. they are self-evident and unchanging. and sometimes even presidents need reminding that our rights come from nature and god and not from government. the founding generation secured those rights for us, and in every generation since, the best among us have defended our freedoms. they are protecting us right now. we honor them and all of our veterans and we thank them. the right that makes all the difference now is the right to choose our own leaders. and you are entitled to the clearest possible choice. because the time for choosing is drawing near. so here is our pledge. we will not duck the tough issues. we will lead. we will not spend the next four years blaming others. we will take responsibility. we will not try to replace our founding principles. we will reapply our founding principles. the work ahead will be hard. these times demand the best of all of us. all of us. but we can do this. we can do this. together we can do this. we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again. we can make the safety net safe again. we can do this. whatever your political party, let's come together for the sake of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see this thing all the way through. let's get this done! thank you and god bless you all. thank you. ♪ >> so there he is, the republican vice presidential nominee and his beautiful family there. his mom is up there. this is exactly what this crowd of republicans here certainly republicans all across the country were hoping for. he delivered a powerful speech. erin, a powerful speech. although i marked seven or eight points i'm sure the fact checkers will have some opportunities to dispute if they want to go forward, i'm sure they will. as far as mitt romney's campaign is concerned, paul ryan on this night delivered. >> that's right. certainly so. we were jotting down points. there will be issues with some of the facts. but it motivated people. he's a man who says i care deeply about every single word. i want to do a good job. and he delivered on that. precise, clear, and passionate. >> and our coverage of this republican national convention continues right now. >> in tampa tonight, paul ryan officially claims his job as mitt romney's running mate. warming up the crowd for ryan, former secretary of state condoleezza rice. >> and we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we're watching this republican convention in tampa, florida. we've heard some powerful speeches tonight including from the vice presidential nominee. >> we certainly have. and condoleezza rice, great job too. paul ryan just wrapped up his acceptance speech. it was one of many memorable moments tonight. take a look. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third session of the 2012 republican national convention. the convention will come to order. >> our nation is in desperate need of leadership. we believe mitt romney is the man for this moment. after four long years, help is on the way. >> our great nation is coming apart at the seams and the president just seems to point fingers and blame others. president obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. and i'm hoping it's just one term. >> everywhere i go in the world, people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justice of all people. >> where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. we can only know that there is no choice. because one of two things will happen if we don't lead. either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. my fellow americans, we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead and you cannot lead from behind. mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well being at home and our leadership abroad are inextricably linked. they know what to do. they know that our friends and allies must again be able to trust us. >> i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record. and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money. and he's pretty experienced at that. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? what is missing is leadership in the white house. the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? >> and that was the highlight of this evening. paul ryan the vice presidential nominee clearly electrifying these people, these republicans here at the republican national convention in tampa. we all knew he had a lot of substantive background as a member of congress, chairman of the house budget committee. clearly i was surprised to hear how much of a speaker he would be although a few points will be disputed by his critics. john king is standing by. several points he made will be disputed, but no doubt he delivered a powerful speech. >> a powerful speech for the first time brought real convention intensity to this hall. paul ryan had this crowd engaged. they are now ready forrer in fight and he framed it that way. he framed it as much the republican waged back in 2010. about the size, the scope, the role of government and cast president obama as somebody who four years ago had a lot of promises but a failure in the presidency. let's get a quick impression here in the box. let me start with you. we'll have a longer conversation later, but paul ryan to you the headline, the major accomplishment or lack thereof. >> start with the proposition the conservatives tonight will think maybe they have a new reagan. he threw down the gauntlet. this audience loved ann romney and condi rice. we're going to have a great debate this fall. >> i think that paul ryan did a great job. he had to do a couple of things. he had to portray president obama as two things. divisive and a disappointment. to look at those persuadable voters and say give mitt romney a shot here and i think that's exactly what he did tonight. and he was the first person we really heard in this convention take on president obama directly and repeatedly and say this man has failed. >> volt of adrenaline. this was optimistic adrenaline that he delivered tonight. that's something the republican party needs. the decisions to take on the future. also keep your eye on health care. if it's a romney/ryan ticket can neutralize the historic advantage in health care and they may do it on this obama attack. huge changing issue in this election. >> james carville, after listening to paul ryan tonight will democrats be worried about this campaign? >> he's talking to you, james. never mind. i'll talk with him. >> just your impression. will democrats be worried after hearing this from paul ryan tonight? >> well, i think that democrats are worried right now. they were worried before this convention. it's a very tight race. if you look at it, obama's probably up one to three points. so who wouldn't be worried in that circumstance? but we're excited about our own convention too. i thought tonight it was really striking how much different he was tonight than he was in norfolk when he was announced. he was measured, determined, a much slower cadence. the style was a lot different tonight than it was back in norfolk. i thought that was kind of interesting. i'm sure that was obviously this speech was planned out and thought out to be that way. i just thought it was an interesting contrast between him and a month ago or whenever that was. >> wolf, interesting at the end. of course he's speaking in the hall here to republicans who needed a bit of red meat with the appeal at the end to all americans said at least give us a luck. i think that forbodes in an election. it needs to make sop converse in the weeks ahead. >> among those 10 percenters who are switchable. he was addressing them. let's go to the floor and switch around with the reporters. dana bash is down there. you've got a guest. >> i do. i've got the governor of wisconsin. what did you think of paul ryan's speech. >> even though he talks about tough numbers, he talks about it. that's why he's going to get it done. thrilled. >> the paul ryan i covered z back in washington is a wonk. >> he's a wonk at home but he's a guy that got into this it came out of reagan and kemp. i'm glad people saw the paul ryan i know tonight. >> governor, thank you very much. back to you, wolf. >> let's go to candy crowley on the podium. you've watched a lot of theess conventions over the years. what did you think of this paul ryan address? >> he brought it. he really did blow the roof off this place. this was the speech they were waiting for. ann romney was great, chris christie might have got mixed reviews but they loved him here. but the spark in the air when he started to talk. and i just thought actually just in terms of words and the speech writing, anytime you've got a speech that has your mother in tears, your governor in tears, you close to it mentions ac/dc and zeppelin then talks about the sanctimony of planners, was a speech with a lot in it. it was well crafted and certainly mostly for this audience. but at the end there was again this kind of powerful drive to push out and say come and join us no matter what party you're with. so this was the tee-up for mitt romney tomorrow. and he certainly gave him a board to jump off of for sure, wolf. >> and no doubt even though a lot of republicans are afraid of the medicare debate, what we heard from paul ryan, he said bring it on. you want to debate medicare, we want to debate medicare and we will win. >> look at the numbers. he and barack obama are not far off on medicare. but the people we want to know what they think tonight are the independents. there aren't many that are undecided. but there are some that will decide who will win the white house in november. a gro up of undecided voters came here and watched the speech along with our tom foreman and literally it was a touch of the dial. everything they thought they rated it. what was the verdict? >> it was fascinating to watch it here. i have to say these voters, we listened to them a bit beforehand. they have a tendency to be a little bit more on the republican side in temples of their view of things. but all of them unconvinced republicans. let me start with one big question if i can first. all of you here, after paul ryan's speech tonight, do you feel more positive about leaning toward the republican side with your vote? little bit? less positive? nobody. sort of in between a bit. take a look at this bite. one of the interesting things here if you look at the lines here. the pink represents the women, the blue represents the men. look how they reacted differently to an attack in the paul ryan speech. it's different than what you heard in the hall. take a look. >> nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency. ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? >> a big applause line there and you may have been able to see in the lines there that the men responded to the attacks better than the women did. how did you feel about the attacks in the speech? good thing or bad? >> any time there's any attack, i don't feel good about it. you've got to focus on the positive of stuff. but getting back to what you said about paul ryan, i really liked everything he said, but he's just going for v.p. he's not the main guy. >> what about you? did you like it when he talked tough about the economy and about the president? >> i think he spent a lot of time bashing president obama and not enough time talking about what they're going to do for this country. i really do. >> all right. let me grab a guy in the back row here. what about you? when he went after the president and pointed out what he thought was wrong with the president's programs, what did you think about that? >> i think he was spot on on what he pointed out there. i think he hasn't done enough in four years. if somebody gives him the opportunity, it's what they do with that opportunity. he was given the opportunity of being president of the united states and has not turned the country around. >> in the early parts of the speech, the women in your group here generally lagged below the men in terms of their approval of what was being said. but when he talked about his mother, rebuilding her life after the death of his father, everything turned around and stayed that way for quite some time. watch the lines on this. >> it wasn't just a new livelihood. it was a new life. and it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small businesswoman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. her work gave her hope. it made our family proud. and to this day, my mom is my role model. >> let me ask you about that. when he started talking about his mother and her struggles and her family struggles to make things better, the women in this group by and large said good thing, positive thing. why do you think? >> just because there's a lot of single moms out there that are going through that same thing, and they lead -- they give a good example and we try to instill that in our kids as we're raising them. and that he respects her so much. >> let me bring in alex here. alex, come in this way if you will. i want to ask you something about it. come over here. when you listen to and you watch what went on here tonight particularly with the response and the differences between the women in this group and the men in this group, what do you think worked and what didn't? >> i want to ask these people here if i raise my voice a bit, did you think this guy was a reasonable guy or did you guys think he was a scary too extreme guy? raise hands first for reasonable. tell me why. tell me why. >> i think he was calm, he was well spoken, and he made some very good points. i did not know a lot about him, but he impressed me. >> he didn't scare you? >> not at all. >> who did he scare? too extreme, cotoo conservatives? any hands? >> what does that tell you? >> that's usually one of the reasons you see a split in male/female things. we saw it on government spending and a couple of other issues where men diverge from women tonight. >> so in general by the end once the women came up and let me ask you about this. when the women came up on this thing on that issue of his mother and struggling along, they stayed up. that was interesting. did that represent a turning point for you? >> no. i like that he respected what his mother did to help set him up and what she did for her family. i felt more included when he recognized her that way. >> interesting. what about you? >>ty feel the same way. i had a favorable response because he was giving honor and respect to his mother for the work she's done. that's one thing the politicians really need to pay attention and realize that women are -- do carry the burden in the household and they do have a big say so in politics. >> all right. we're going to be back with more from our group here and alex as we go on. an awful lot. fascinating results here, wolf, from this group and their reaction. we want to talk to more of them later on. >> we're only starting getting reaction to paul ryan's speech. we're going to speak to some family members. there you see some members of his own family. who knows paul ryan better than members of his own family? when we come back, you'll hear what they have to say. great shot. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us 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ryan. jim, tell us what they're saying. let's hear from them. >> let's hear from them. i'm joined by two brothers and sister of paul ryan. and their respective wives and husbands and kids. and stan ryan, you were telling me a few moments ago. what was going through your find when you saw your brother up on stage there? >> well, it was paul, if you will. he's just so natural as what he does. he's all in committed. all in committed to the cause. all in committed to what he's doing. he believes, we believe. and he's going to follow through. >> okay. and janet let me ask you. you're the oldest. they told me that, i don't know. i didn't guess that. i'm just saying. janet, tell me was paul ryan always this way as a youngster? was he just as incorrigible as he is now? >> he was. but he's always done what he thought needed to be done. he's kind of -- he's led by his convictions. he's continued that today. >> and did you think one day my little brother is going to be vice president of the united states? >> no, i never did. >> this is a shocker for you? >> it was a surprise. >> was he good at ordering you around the house? what signs did you see at an early age? >> he was good at negotiating. he never ordered, he simply negotiated his way to what he thought he wanted. >> and he got on the ticket. >> he did. >> not too bad of a negotiator. toben, what is it about your brother that you think brought him to this moment? >> you know, paul is a guy who is an eternal optimist. there is no challenge, i think, that keeps him down that he doesn't think he can overcome. and that kind of leadership, i think, is probably what mitt romney saw in paul. and together i think combined is the kind of leadership that i think that's really going to help this nation. >> okay. and mack ryan is with us. this is paul ryan's nephew. is this inspiring you perhaps one day to get into politics? is this what you want to do? >> you know, it really is. it's fantastic here. there's a lot of energy going around. it's a great place to be. you learn a lot of stuff. it's lots of fun being with my family having a great time. >> are you proud of your uncle? >> i'm very, very proud of my uncle. he's going to put america on the right track. >> all right. okay. this is a family, a ryan family here that is beaming with smiles and pride tonight. and for good reason. wolf? >> thanks very much, jim acosta on the floor. we'll be getting more reaction from various folks down on the floor. we'll get some reaction from democrats as well. but john, you know, as you and i well know, the democrats and certainly the obama campaign, they were watching this speech. they were going through it line by line and you are getting and so i am, a lot of e-mail right now pointing out to what they claim are falsehoods, misleading statements, lies, if you will, that were made by paul ryan. and i guess those fact checking is just getting ready to begin. >> the fact checking is beginning. our cnn team is at it already. other news organizations will do it as well. that's how it goes in campaigns. some of it will be clear, you will say that was a stretch. other things will be debatable. one thing he talked about was the plant shut down in janesville. that was shut down under the bush administration. he spoke of president obama saying it may be reopened. but it was cloedsed under the bush administration. there was one about obama care. it does get savings from medicare and use them for their health care plan. there's a big debate about whether those savings come from the program, the administration says no they come from payments that would go to democracy and other things. so you're taking money, but that would be debated in the campaign. let's continue the conversation here. >> can i say to your medicare point, the ryan budget also assumed the same $716 billion in medicare savings not for, of course, the president's health care reform plan but assume those savings for something else. another thing with paul ryan and he talked about the bipartisan debt commission. he was a member of the bipartisan debt commission. he voted against the product there, yet tonight he chided the president for doing nothing about it saying they came back with an urgent report. he thanked them. well the they, part of the they was paul ryan who didn't sign on to it. >> wouldn't sign on because they would require higher taxes. if you're watching at home and remember that debate. it's a fascinating moment. he is the vice presidential candidate. erin, you wanted to make a point? >> i had a chance to talk to paul ryan the day his budget came out and asked him why did you vote against simpson bowles on that and his reason at the time was i didn't like how it was dealing with health care and health entitlement. it highlights the irony that gloria pointed out. that same $716 billion that the president would cut, so would paul ryan. their plans more similar in that sense than they are different. >> it highlights the choice of the next president. whether president obama is re-elected or mitt romney wins the election, you will have this debt and deficit crisis to deal with. and will we have what we've had the past four years. saying you must get some increased taxes from the wealthy and a republican party that says absolutely not. >> i think these factual checks are important. they should be held accountable and i think there were some misstatements in the facts. but let's not forget. this was a speech about big ideas. we haven't had that very much in this campaign. that's what i thought was helpful about it. throwing down the gauntlet, he's inviting major conversation in the debates ahead about confl t conflicticonflic conflicting views. >> i want to bring ari and james in. this is the 2008 map for president right here. i want to let the camera come around. this is the 2008 map for president. look at this part of the section here. paul ryan is from wisconsin. mitt romney was the governor of massachusetts. this is 2008. this is. 2010. these are the senate races. these are the governorships. illinois has held on. what they are counting on in this pick is that this part of the country is listening to take the big issues on. about the size of government, the role of government, whether these decisions should be made in washington or by your governor. 2010 was the midterm election, not a presidential election. they are apples and oranges, if you will. is that a safe bet or the only you can make? >> you nailed it. who's turn out to vote. a 2008 model, 2010 model or 2012 mod model. a lot of sampled on a 2008 model which boggles my mind. still a 50/50 race. if this race is between the 2004 and 2008 presidential races, which probably will be. bush won in '04 big turnout. obama wins in '08. chances are mitt romney wins and that's the big issue area. michigan is in play and wisconsin was a battle ground before paul ryan. real battle ground now. >> one thing he did make a big point. it's an accurate statement. under the obama administration, the national debt did increase by $5 trillion over these past nearly four years. what he didn't say is the national debt doubled during the eight years of the bush administration from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. and he didn't point out he as a member of congress voted for some of the biggest expenditures, biggest expansions of the federal government over those years including a prescription drug benefit for seniors including all the trillions of dollars spent in the wars in iraq and afghanistan, all those defense department spending as well. so this debate is only just beginning right now. on all of these issues. and there's no doubt that next week at the democratic convention in charlotte, we're going to hear a fierce response going after these republicans. >> but, you know, it's interesting. one thing i didn't hear from paul ryan was a huge call for tax cuts. paul ryan is really a fiscal conservative who likes to cut taxes. but we didn't hear that a lot to the audience tonight, wolf, because he was talking much more about his differences with president obama. but i think that's going to become a big issue. when you have somebody who says we've got to get control of that debt. you have the debt clock up there. what do you do about repealing the tax cuts for the wealthy? >> the big speech comes tomorrow night. that will be when mitt romney accepted the nomination. paul ryan setting the stage tonight. when we come back, more from those voters. you see florida, that's where we are for this convention. it's a tossup state. more on this when our coverage continues. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's largest 4g network. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. at&t. rethink possible. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways. on once empty fields. everyday you see all the ways all of us at us bank are helping grow our economy. lending more so companies and communities can expand, grow stronger and get back to work. everyday you see all of us serving you, around the country, around the corner. us bank. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. this place is emptying out very, very quickly. the tampa bay times forum. this is the scene of the republican national convention. tomorrow the speep speech by mitt romney. tom foreman has been with a group of undecided voters. what i really liked about the paul ryan speech tonight, at least it dealt with the most important issues of the day. the substantive economic issues, jobs, health care, medicare. he didn't skirt those issues. yes, there would be a serious debate. but at least the focus was on the number one issues facing the american voter right now. and we asked these groups ahead of time with these dial tone. they told us the economy is the big issue here. and watch how the men and women reacted to another one of the big moments in the speech tonight. >> i was on my own path, my own journey, an american journey where i could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. that's what we do in this country. that's the american dream. that's freedom and i'll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. >> alex, one of the things that excited you about this tonight was the reaction of this crowd to the idea that was also in the speech of will you be better off in four years or is it going to be the same. why? >> it's funny. this crowd seemed to react the same way when ronald reagan did. i'm wondering what do they think when they heard paul ryan say why are the next four years going to be better than the last. >> when paul ryan asked that question why will the next four years be any better, why would you believe that, what do you think? was that a fair question to ask? >> it was a good question to ask. i believed him. i don't think they're going to be better without a change. >> what about you? >> i have the same feelings. i think that he thought the question that he's asking us is what have we heard that will make us believe that it will be any different. so far we haven't heard anything different. >> i move to you with the last one. president obama did very well with young people. question is, you're a young person right now looking at this. do you when you hear that question from paul ryan, will you be better off in four years what would make you believe any better. is that a good question, a fair question, and how do you feel about it? >> i think it's a fair question. i didn't vote for obama last election, i don't think i'm going to vote for obama this election. >> are you ready to vote for mitt romney at this point? >> i think a lot of things i did hear tonight are swaying me that way. i like a lot of things that getting the country back on track, shouldn't be punished for being successful. that was appealing to me. i feel like got to have jobs and can't punish those people that make jobs. especially the small business owners. >> alex, one last quick thought here. you watch this group, you saw their reaction. you're in the business of deciding speeches like this had worked. do you think it worked with these undecided voters? >> i think b it began to plant a seed. one thing i'd love to ask these guys and we will maybe later is is he too young or did he speak about the future? did he say anything about the republican party moving forward? but i think was there optimism here? maybe in the beginning. >> i'm going to have you step this way. before we get back to you, wolf, let me ask you all. you came here undecided. how many of you feel that you're closer to a decision after hearing this speech tonight? well, a pretty good number there. some still holding out. and we'll see how it plays out, wolf. fascinating group here from southern methodist university they put them together. but voters from here around tampa undecided voters. this is the gold in this election, wolf. whoever can win these voters can win in november. >> over at the cnn grill, thanks very much. we're going to do that next week in charlotte at the democratic national convention. we're going to do exactly the same thing. listen to the speeches. we'll hear when mitt romney speaks we'll have the focus group of undecided voters. see how they go forward as well. interesting stuff that was going on. and at least he didn't get into all the junk out there, all the stupid issues that politicians like to raise about the opposition. at least paul ryan focused in on the real meat, the real importance of this election. >> it was a substantive speech. >> jobs, jobs, jobs. has different views of course than the democrats but at least he focused on issue number one. >> you talk about him as a person of substance and he is. and he does love policy. a lot of people may look at paul ryan and say especially with all the talk out there about his views on medicare, is he far to the right? one thing that may surprise people about his record in his willingness to go to the other side. he voted for the auto bailout. he voted for t.a.r.p. the bank bailout, everybody. and at the time he said i'm doing it to prevent a depression. so he cast both of those votes in that way. when i spoke to him this spring when he came out with his budget, he made it clear to me on repeated questions that he would allow taxes on the wealthy to go up. and their effective tax rates are going to be higher because i'm not going to allow them to shelter their income anymore. if you take those points you think is this the vice presidential nominee? but he is. this is the person who has shown the ability to compromise. >> and whether or not, john king, the critics out there will dispute his facts in the speech, there's no doubt he delivered for the republicans. it does set a high bar for mitt romney tomorrow night. can mitt romney deliver an even more powerful speech as he accepts the republican presidential nomination? >> and that is the defining question of this convention. governor romney comes in to win this race. it is a dead heat race. paul ryan still introducing himself to the country in many ways. he is the star attraction tonight. americans vote for presidents, not vice presidents. governor romney has the bigger challenge tomorrow night. james carville, when you worked for bill clinton and he picked al gore. that was sending a statement. that the democrats were going to be different, that they were a new generation, that this was not dukakis' party. to what degree was paul ryan -- does he help mitt romney send this signal it's a new or different republican party? >> yeah, i think he does. and i think that what you've seen in the campaign is that the campaign is basically about activating the base. that they believe that they're sufficient as 50 plus one if they had the turnout they had in 2010. clearly that was what was at work here. different generation. he looks different. if you watch him tonight, he's very different looking than anyone we've seen run for national office before. and whether that works or not, we'll see in november. but it is a very close race. people say are you nervous? of course i'm nervous. who wouldn't be in a race where you were two points up. anybody would. >> and incredibly likable guy. it's not an endorsement. the policies will be debated. romney has embraced much of that and as the romney budget of course that matters more than the ryan budget. but your thoughts on just what was he trying to do tonight and did he get there? >> i think he tried to set out a bolder more energetic and ari says a more optimistic vision of what the country could be. their theme as been we can do better than what we've been doing the last four years. i think he set up an indictment of president obama that is a spring board if you like for mitt romney tomorrow night. but mitt romney has got to take it. >> i also think what he did was he made this is generational argument, this issue of medicare. and he as somebody who's 42 years old said you know, i want this to be there. and i'm going to guarantee you if we win it's going to be there for my grandchildren. and i think what he did is say okay, i'm a young person and i want this to be there for my generation. and that's something we haven't heard. because it's risky. very risky. >> and wolf, we also learned tonight he listens to ac/dc to zeppelin. and romney listens to elevator music. >> i like elevator music. sometimes that elevator music is pretty good. i will say this about the republican convention, they have a great band here that's going. the band here has been fabulous as someone who loves music and you know i do. i think this band has been terrific. >> we need music. it's very important. >> even elevator music from time to time. all right, guys. thanks to social media, we're giving you our viewers a chance to be part of cnn's convention coverage. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer. this question. does representative paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we're going to give your results, that's coming up. stand by. but first, this convention flashback. >> first and foremost -- >> what was notable about reagan's speech in 1980 was it was filled with optimism. >> an american president told the generation of the depression it had a rendezvous with destiny. i believe this generation of americans today also has a rendezvous with destiny. >> he came across, i think in a way so much less scary than he'd been projected to seeing and full of sun, humor, and strength. rick! wow, you look terrific! 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! perform, compete and grow. and people are driving this change. that's the power of human resources. the society... for human resource management and its members know... how to harness that power, because we help develop it. from the next economy, to the next generation, we help get... the most out of business, by getting the best out of people. shrm. leading people, leading organizations. but that doesn't mean we should be penalized for it. that's why liberty mutual insurance policies come standard with accident forgiveness, if you qualify. learn more at libertymutual.com. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. obama care comes to more than 2,000 pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees, and fines that have no place in a free country. >> e rin, i want to get quick reactions from our reporters and analyst. let's go to candy crowley. >> well, you know, you can watch this convention as most conventions do build to the finale and that is tomorrow night and mitt romney. i mean, we really have seen two successive days of ratcheting up the excitement level on this floor. paul ryan, i mean, just talking to folks as they're going out they are ecstatic. we saw several top level romney advise advisers. i said what did you think? they said awesome, great. they are very happy. it may -- obviously if you're not inclined to like paul ryan and mitt romney, you won't find a lot to like. in fact it had a bit of everything, but i can tell you in this hall and on this day, he really did set the table for mitt romney. and that's what all this has been building for, after all, is to get their nominee out of here and on the road to what they hope are improved chances of beating president obama. >> yeah. there's no doubt about that. i think there's also -- for those who weren't familiar with paul ryan, didn't know who this congressman is and all of us news junkies know him. now millions of people will appreciate why mitt romney selected him to be his running mate. >> that's right. i think people who are familiar with him, i've been following him for years, people are getting a sense of the other side of him. people who knew him as a wonk, seeing his family and children gives a new picture. >> he likes music though. and he likes exercise. and has a beautiful family as you can see right there. >> i have to say i love how his daughter had that sparkly head band on. she gave a wave of her own which i thought was precious. >> i thought it was adorable, i don't know if that's the right word, how his mother was brought into this. she's on medicare herself. she's got quite a compelling story and he told it. he lost his dad when he was 16 years old. >> and he used the personal stories not only to introduce himself to the american people but to make key points for the republican argument and to rebut, if you will, or provide some insulation against the democratic criticism. this is a guy after all, paul ryan, who is the new karl rove. when it rained in the bush administration, they blamed karl rove. if the bus was late in the bush administration, they blamed karl rove. i'm being a little bit jokey. but paul ryan has been the synonym for scary. they say what he wants to do is scary. the challenge is we had that big debate about the ideas. wall ryan tonight as a person ari i think it's safe to say was not scary. >> that's right. that's one of his greatest strengths. that's what i love about him. they talk too often like accountants, the republicans. they need to speak like ronald reagan with a jolt of adrenaline and confidence in what they do. paul ryan exudes that. which i want to fact check the fact checkers who began this segment. this is from the milwaukee journal sentinel, the hometown paper, september 2011 for politics and paul ryan entered the national seen. the janesville plant stopped production of suvs in 2008 and was idled in 2009 after it completed production of duty trucks. paul ryan was right. the fact checkers are wrong. >> all right. >> we'll have to get on -- yeah. check it out. >> i'll just quote the milwaukee paper. what do i know? >> it's a legitimate point. hold your breath. we'll be back with tonight's takeaways. we'll give you a chance to be part of the conversation. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer this question. does paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we'll give you results coming up. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. exclusive to the military, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. erin, you remember just a little while ago we asked our
>> he put new fire in mitt romney's campaign. >> it's an honor to announce my running mate and the next vice president of the united states, paul ryan. >> he gave new hope to the republican right. >> i'm a catholic deer hunter. i'm happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion. >> and he reenergized the president's liberal base. >> he's the ideological leader of the republicans in congress. but that vision is wrong. >> in tampa tonight, congressman paul ryan accepts the vice presidential nomination and helps lead the attack on the president's economic policies. >> the recovery starts november the 6th when president obama is not working in the white house any longer. >> will ryan defend his own record and his budget plan under fierce attack by democrats? >> you've heard the president has been talking about medicare a bit lately. we want this debate. we need this debate. and we are going to win this debate. >> now, cnn turns the spotlight on one of the biggest platforms in american politics. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. >> it's not enough to fix this country's problems. >> this is america's choice. >> we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around world. we're here at the republican national conventiontampa, orida. we're expectg a lively hour. senator rand p addresses the delegas shory after a video honoring his father. the texas congressman, ron paul. also coming up this hour, tributes to a pair of former presidents, george w. bush and his father, george h.w. bush. here inside the convention hall, anticipation is building for tonight's acceptance speech by the vice presidential nominee, paul ryan. i'm wolf blitzer. we're here on the convention floor along with cnn's erin burnett. it's going to be an exciting night for these republicans who have gathered here. >> it is. they've just begun their night as well. you just heard the pledge of alien lee jans. let's go up to john king here. let's listen first. ♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what proudlye hail at the twilight's last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gally streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' reglare the bombs in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that ourlag was still ther♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ [ applause ] >> please welcome -- >> that was a beautiful, beautiful rendition of the national anthem by ella brown, she's the daughter of senator scott brown, the republican senator from massachusetts. she did a magnificent job. >> that's right. >> singing the national anthem. >> we knew she could sing. she just proved it. everybody's getting ready for rand paul. we're told his speak is going to be designed , quote, unquote, deconstruct president obama's campaign agenda. a lot of americans are just getting to know him. a lot of people in this country aren't familiar with him at all. he is the chair of the house budget committee. our gloria borger has spoke within him in depth. gloria? >> ryan is a deficit hawk. everyone knows he's proposed these budgets that are going to drastically cut spending. they're going to reform programs like medicare, very controversial. but ryan has a compelling personal story. and he told me about it when i spoke with him last summer. ryan is a man in a hurry. in washington, he bunks in his congressional office.it's cheap closer to the house gym, which is good, since he's a fitness buff who got some of his colleagues hooked on a grueling exercise routine called p90x. >> it's a great workout. >> reporter: in a way, he owes his devotion to fitness to his father. in particular, one day when the younger ryan was still a teen. your dad was 55 when he died and you were 16. >> 16, yeah. >> reporter: how did that affect you? you say you're more sensitive -- >> yeah. i was as a young kid working mcdonald's that summer. and my mom was visiting my sister who got a job in denver. i went to wake him up and he wasn't alive. >> reporter: you found him? >> so i basically had to learn to sink or swim. my grandmother who had alzheimer's moved in with us at the time. and my mom and i took care of her. my mom went back to school to learn a skill. i did a lot of growing up very fa. itdee very, i'd say, initiatirone. live life to its fullest because you neveowlong it's going to last. >> reporter: but you had the opportunity to run for president at the age of 41, if you're in a hurry. >> yeah. nice boomerang on that. >> reporter: and you said, no. >> sure, because i think there are other good people who can do this job but there are other good people who can't raise my kids. >> i'm john king. we're up in the cnn sky box. gloria borger is with me. david gergen as well. the thing that fascinates me about the paul ryan choice, it's a generational play by mitt romney. it's a younger, next-generation choice. conservatives say they love this choice because it frames the issues. can republicans and democrats both be right? >> so far, the conservatives have been right. the liberals may still accomplish this, they felt they can take his medicare proposal in particular and use it against the republicans. it's become the new third rail. so far it doesn't seem to be cutting in most states. here in florida, there's a poll out that shows that 65 and over, seniors, still prefer romney over obama. the medicare hasn't scared them yet. >> he's a member of the house of representatives, almost unprecedented to be put -- >> insider. >> a washington insider. he was a staff member. been in washington for almost all of his adult life. but for a member of the house, he has a lot of national political experience in defending the budget. he's debated president obama in a couple of public settings. is he ready to go into the campaign of ten states and make the case? >> i think he is. he's used to being in the arena. you know that, john. he's become the poster child for the democrats. they've run an ad with somebody who looks like him pushing an elderly person off a cliff with a wheelchair. >> let's go back down to the floor to wolf. >> they have video that's coming up right now. in fact, a video on ron paul, the texas congressman, the former republican presidential candidate. in fact, the video, i think, has just started. let's watch it. >> ron paul, 22 years in congress. he's never voted for a tax increase, never voted for a debt ceiling increase, never wavered, never backed down. >> the role of government ought to be for the protection of liberty, not for the intrusion into our private lives and economic affairs. you can't keep printing money. we have to cut spending. i believe in limited government. i believe in individual liberty. we've spent too much. it's bankrupting this country. >> i knew i did not want to be a politician all my life. as a matter of fact, i was surprised i ever won because this message i thought would not go well with the people because i'm not making wild promises. of course, my wife warned me this was a dangerous project because she said, you could end up getting elected. >> he said, no, no, ip not going to be elected. he said, you have to be like santa claus, you have to give them something. >> it's been a consistent theme since his first election that government's grown too large and as government grows larger, your freedoms grow smaller. >> when i first got to the house, i thought ron paul was nuts. he was out there talking about the federal reverse, the monetary system. more and more, i found myself voting with him. >> he's been talking about these things since the early 1970s. he hasn't wavered, he hasn't buckled. even when he's had to stand alone. >> i always put politicians into two categories. they're here to make a point or to make a difference. ron paul is the only one i know who made a different by making a point. >> we need lower taxes, less regulations and we need to free up the market. >> he's been one of the most fiscally conservative members in the history of the congress. >> we wouldn't have a $16 trillion debt if we had 435 ron pauls in congress. >> the more i think about him over the years, the more inspiring it is of what he's done. not being afraid of anything, but willing to stand for what he thought was right. ron paul was tea party before there was a tea party. >> if you want honesty, integrity, look to ron paul. that's based on his faith and based on his beliefs in the constitution. >> he's wanted to do things other people aren't willing to do because his convictions are so deep. >> as long as we live beyond our means, we are destined to live beneath our means. >> the lobbyists don't even come by his office. they don't even bother to come by because they know he can't be bought. >> he stands for freedom. he stands for liberty. he stands for a traditional american values that made this country great. >> the longer we go and the deeper in debt we get, the apparent it is that ron paul was right all those years. >> whether people want to admit it or not, ron paul changed the conversation. [ applause ] >> please give a warm welcome to senate republican leader, mitch mcconnell of kentucky. >> what a tribute to ron paul. it's a little surprising to see that kind of tribute here at the republican convention for ron paul. he's not speaking. the retiring united states congressman, he's not speaking at this convention because he didn't want them to have to vet his speech. he hasn't even fully endorsed mitt romney. his son is going to be speaking later tonight. but it's a little strange, that tribute, especially yesterday, as you remember, that he didn't even announce how many votes he was getting during the roll call. >> it was very awkward. you may not like that his delegates are still here voting for him. but bringing him into the fold, saying, welcome, vote for mitt romney, might have been a nice thing to do. >> nice little tribute. the republican senator from kentucky is going to be speaking later tonight. let's go back out to the skybox. john king is standing by. >> you saw the attempt of the republican national committee and the romney campaign to essentially thread a needle. ron paul will not speak tonight. but in that video, they're trying to pay tribute to him. a lot of his supporters grumpy about the way he's been treated. and some tea party lawmakers in there. you'll hear from rand paul. but you won't see a tea party celebration here tonight. yet the tea party was so important to the republicans in 2010. let's continue our conversation, david gergen and gloria borger, also donna brazile. is the video enough to say, we appreciate your service, we want your voters, your supporters in the fold? >> it certainly helps. but the way to ron paul supporters is through their stomachs. and their stomachs is policy. they really want good economic policy. this election is in ron paul's wheelhouse. it's about economics. and getting the government out of your pocketbook. if it were about social issues where ron paul disagrees with the republican, if it were about foreign policy where ron paul disagrees with the republicans, there wouldn't be a way to bring things together. but there is. and frankly there may have been a bump in the road here, too. but this convention, the ron paul folks are pretty united with all republicans getting rid of barack obama. >> donna, you went through this as al gore's campaign manager. it happens. you're trying to manage a convention that's about your candidate. but there are people who ran against them or there are voices in the party that might be a little bit different. you heard senator demint say he thought ron paul was nuts and then came around to his way of thinking. bob casey often had a hard time at democratic conventions. when you know there are people on the floor who support the other guy, how do youet em into the fold without giving up too much of your convention? >> first of all, i would, i guess, believe that dissent is very important in a democracy, especially at a time like this when so many passionate supporters, they've worked hard, they tried to elect ron paul. they've been with ron paul for a number of years. they are strong believers in his flossphilosophy of limited government. all they want is a seat at the table. they want to say, i was at the convention, i heard ron paul. i'm fired up and ready to go and support mitt romney. what happened yesterday, i thought it left a bad taste in some of the mouths of the ron paul supporters. >> i'll tell you what, you notice in that movie, there was nothing substantive. it was all about how he's independent and for small government and they can all agree on that. >> he's not a normal candidate. he's a cause. that makes a difference. >> and he gets people voting. >> the question i have in a state that al gore lost by 537 votes, there is a libertarian candidate for president, do some of these leave the republican fold. >> especially if it is as close in florida as it's likely to be. thanks very much for that. michele bachmann says the gop doesn't have a problem with women. the president does. the former presidential candidate is about to sit down with our own piers morgan. stand by for that. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuilscle and strength naturally lost over time. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplent rancan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. we are here at the tampa bay times forum, as you can see, late afternoon here coming into evening at the republican national convention. all the delegates are convened. one of the big themes here has been sort of the establishment versus other groups, grassroots groups, whether it's the ron paul supporters, whether it be the tea party. piers morgan is joined by mb mb on the floor. piers ? >> you're here where all the action is. would you rather be up there on the stage. you feel a little bit left out? >> i don't feel left out. but of course i'd love to be up there. i'm enthusiastic about getting behind this ticket. >> are you a bit too dangerous, do you think, for mitt romney's administration? his team? >> i'm exactly in line with where the romney/ryan team is. they've embraced the tea party principles. we're taxed enough already. government shouldn't spend more money than what it takes in. and we believe the government should act within the limits of the constitution. that's where mainstream america is and that's where our republican party platform is. and mitt romney and paul ryan embrace that. >> what about last week with todd akin? he obviously came acrop last week. >> you're reading directly off the obama talking points because i am pro life. paul ryan is pro life and we are a pro life party and we're not ashamed of it. but we also believe that people have freedom of opinion. that's the kind of country that we are. and we believe that we respect other people's opinions. >> you've been saying this week that barack obama is more anti-women than mitt romney. you actually pemean that? >> i think mitt romney is going to be the one who allows more financial security for more women. clearly he's a guy who knows what he's talking about. he's been very successful. ann romney gave a wonderful speech last night. i think he would do very well for all american women. >> if he's so much more popular with american women than barack obama, why do the polls say he's a lot more popular than mitt romney? >> married women tend to support mitt romney more. single women tend to support barack obama more. but, again, single women are going to do a lot better under an obama administration because they'll pay half the price for gasoline if mitt romney is president because gasoline is more than doubled under barack obama. and we have a very aggressive energy plan from mitt romney. when women go to fill up their car and they're paying double for gasoline, that's not helping any women. the same with the skyrocketing cost of groceries and health care. mitt romney is going to make life a lot more affordable, going to bring prices down. that's good for women because women do a lot of shopping for the families. >> paul ryan has a very important speech tonight. what do you want him to say? >> i love paul ryan. he and i have worked shoulder to shoulder with each other for six years. i know him very well. what he's going to do is talk about the way forward and how we're going to make america a growth economy. that's what we need. we've been stagnant. and paul has a great plan for seeing us grow. i think his insider expertise of knowing the budget better than anyone else on capitol hill coupled with mitt romney who really knows how to be successful in private enterprise, you put that combination together, it's an undeniable winning ticket. that's why i think they're going to be very successful in november. >> many people thought last night with chris christie that he was making a pitch to be the next republican leader, possibly the next presidential candidate, rather than supporting his man, mitt romney. what did you think? >> i was he was talking about big ideas, talking about principles of who we are in this country and who we are as conservatives. and i think obviously he was lifting up mitt romney and he fully endorses mitt romney. but with all due respect to the governor and i love him, i think the night belonged to ann romney because she warmed everyone. she won us with her smile. the second she came out, she almost did a little curtsy and i think she is who she is. she's very comfortable in her skin. i know her. we were able to do at least 15 presidential debates together. i would speak to her before and after the debates. what you see on stage is what you get. that is ann romney. she's a delightful person. >> i find myself in a very unusual position. i agree with you entirely about ann romney. >> see. >> we have agreed on something. wolf, erin, back to you. miraculous encounter. >> what a nice picture, piers. piers morgan and michele bachmann on the same page. that's not going to happen every day. >> i love that. arm's length. it looked very nice. as we're listening to music here and the party is beginning, you have to imagine what's going on not far away in new orleans. some of the worst flooding since hurricane katrina. and the pictures there are completely different than what you're seeing here. anderson cooper is there. he's going to be with us right after this break. 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[ hikers laughing, commenting ] at&t introduces the htc one x. now $99.99. rethink possible. now $99.99. so what i'm saying is, people like options. when you take geico, you can call them anytime you feel like saving money. it don't matter, day or night. use your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, whatever. the point is, you have options. oh, how convenient. hey. crab cakes, what are you looking at? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. good evening. anderson cooper, we are in st. bernard parish right now. here's the late es on tropical storm isaac. a lot to tell you about. moving at only 6 miles an hour. could stay over till friday. some areas have close to two feet of rain. between that and the storm surge, parts of louisiana, mississippi are paralyzed by high water right now. rescue crews needed boats to reach people who ignored mandatory evacuation orders, trapped be rising waters. hundreds of homes damaged right now. close to 1 million people in the gulf region -- >> anderson, we're going to lose your signal here. we've had trouble now with anderson's signal since we moved his truck away from that building that he was on last night. he had a great shot last night, the truck was protected. now the truck's out in the open. let me get to this and tell you what the weather is going to be. then we'll get back to anderson if his signal is back. weather is all the way from the carolinas back into the louisiana. the eye of the center still very prompt on radar, still a very bright storm with colors here on the radar, 70-mile-per-hour winds. it's going to stay with us for most of the night. we'll zoom into where anderson is in plaquemines parish. there's bell chase across the river, that's the east bank. every squall that comes by, winds will be 50 to 60 miles per hour. anderson, we have your signal back. so go ahead if you can hear me. >> reporter: we're in st. bernard parish right on the opposite side of this levee gate is plaquemines parish. it is under water. you've been seeing a lot of rescues all day. >> absolutely. it's amazing when you think about the power of that wall because we're standing on dry cement here. but that wall -- behind that wall is something like 16 to 20 feet of water in plaquemines parish. that's the big problem. further back are the levees. the levees have been overtopped from the gulf. that water went pouring into plaque mrins parish. that is part of the -- >> yeah. same problem again. i can see -- it breaks up and it comes and it goes, wolf. we're going to have to put that truck behind some building so that anderson's live shots can stay because this storm is simply not moving. the winds continue to blow, one squall after another. five minutes later, it's great. five minutes from now, may be blowing again at 60. this is going to be with this team, with all of our teams, with all the people of louisiana for the next 30 hours, believe it or not. wolf? >> i'm always amazed at the extreme weather we get as much on the air logistically as possible as we possibly can. behind me, senator rand paul of kentucky, the son of ron paul, is speaking. i want to listen in. >> believes that road creates business success and not the other way around. anyone who so fundamentally misunderstands american greatness is uniquely unqualified to lead this great nation. [ applause ] the great and abiding lesson of american history, particularly the cold war, is that the engine of capitalism, the individual, is mightier than any collective. [ applause ] american inventiveness and desire to build developed because we were guaranteed the right to own our success. for most of our history, no one dared tell americans, you didn't build that. in bowling green, kentucky, the tang family owns the great american doughnut shop. their family fled war-torn cambodia to come to this country. we go there frequently. the tang work long hours. mrs. tang told us the family works through the night to make doughnuts. the tang family have become valedictorians and national merit scholars. the tangs from cambodia are an american success story. so, mr. president, don't you go telling the tang family that they didn't build that. [ applause ] when you say they didn't build it, you insult each and every american who ever got up at the crack of dawn. you insult any american who ever put on overalls or a suit. you insult any american who ever studied late into the night to become a doctor or a lawyer. you insult the dishwasher, the cook, the waitress. you insult anyone who's ever dragged themselves out of bed to strive for something better for themselves and their children. my great grandfather, like many, came to this country in search of the american dream. no sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died. he arrived in pittsburgh as a teenager with nothing, not a penny. he found the american dream, not great wealth, but a bit of property in a new land that gave him hope for his children. in america, as opposed to the old country, success was based on merit. probably america's greatest asset was that for the first time, success was not based on who you were but what you did. [ applause ] my grandfather who lived to see his children become doctors and ministers, accountants and professors, he would even live to see one of his sons, a certain congressman from texas, run for the presidency of the united states. [ applause ] immigrants have flocked to our shores seeking freedom. our forebearers came full of hopes and dreams, so consistent and prevalent were these aspirations that they crystallized into a national yearning we call the american dream. no other country has a dream so inextricably associated with the spirit of its people. in 1982, an american sailor john mooney wrote a letter to his parent that is captures the essence of the american dream. he wrote, dear mom and dad, today we spotted a boat in the water and we rendered assistance. we picked up 65 vietnamese refugees. as they approached the ship, they were all waving and trying as best they could to say, hello, american sailor, hello freedom man. it's hard to see a boat full of people like that and not get a lump somewhere between chin and belly button and it really makes one proud and glad to be an american. it reminds us of all what america's been, a place a man or woman can come to for freedom. friends of mine came to american on one of those leaky boats. they were attacked at by pirates. their family's wealth was stolen. twan spent a year on a south pacific island existing on rice and a cup of water until he was allowed to come to america. now both of these men and their families are proud americans. they are the american dream. so, mr. president, don't go telling the tring family you didn't build that. [ applause ] when the president says, you didn't build that, he's flat-out wrong. businessmen and women did build that. businessmen and women did earn their success. without the success of american business, we wouldn't have any roads, bridges or schools. mr. president, you say the rich must pay their fair share. but when you seek to punish the rich, the jobs that are lost are those of the poor. and the middle class. [ applause ] exxonmobil, you punish the secretary who ownson stock. whenou block the keystone pipeline, you punish the welder who works on the pipeline. [ ap ] our nation faces a crisis. america wavers. select group of countries whose debt now equals their gross domestic product. the republic of washington in jefferson is now in danger of becoming the democracy of debt and despair. our great nation is coming apart at the seams. and the president just seems to point fingers and blame others. president obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. and i'm hoping it's just one term. [ applause ] this explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. mr. president, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation. [ applause ] republicans and democrats alike, though, must slay their sacred cows. republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well spent. [ applause ] democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reformed. [ applause ] republicans and democrats must replace fear with confidence. confidence that no terrorist and no country will ever conquer us if we remain steadfast to the principles of our founding documents. [ applause ] we have nothing to fear except our own unwillingness to defend what is naturally ours, our god-given rights. [ applause ] we have nothing to fear that should cause us to forget or relinquish our rights as free men and women. [ applause ] to thrive, we must believe in ourselves again and we must never,ever trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security. [ applause ] author paul kinger writes of a brisk evening in a small town in illinois. returning home from a basketball game at the ymca, an 11-year-old boy is stunned by the sight of his father, sprawled out in the snow on the front porch. he was drunk, his son would later remember. dead to the world, crucified. the dad's hair was soaked with melted snow, matted against his reddened face. the boy stood over his father for a minute or two. he simply wanted to let himself in the door and pretend his dad wasn't there. i stead he grabbed a fist full of overcoat and he heaved his dad into the bedroom away from the weather's harm and the neighbors' attention. this young boy would become the man, ronald reagan. [ applause ] the man we know as ronald reagan whose sunny optimism and charisma shined so brightly that it cured the malaise of the late '70s, a confidence that beamed so broadly that it pulled us through a serious recession, and a faith that tugged so happily at the hearts of all that a generation of democrats became republicans. [ applause ] the american dream is that any among us could become the next thomas edison, the next henry ford, the next ronald reagan. but to lead us forward away from this looming debt crisis, it will take someone who believes in america's greatness, who believes in and can articulate the american dream, someone who has created jobs. someone who understands and appreciates what makes america great. someone who will lead our party and our nation forward. i believe that someone is our nominee, governor mitt romney. [ applause ] as reagan said, our freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. if our freedom is taken, the american dream will wither and die. to lead, we must transform the coldness of austerity into the warm, vibrant embrace of prosperity. to overcome the current crisis, we must appreciate and applaud american success. we must step forward, unabashedly and proclaim, you did build that. [ applause ] you earned that. you worked hard. you studied. you labored. you did build that. [ applause ] and you deserve america's undying gratitude, for you, the individual, are the engine of america's greatness. thank you. [ applause ] >> there you have it. senator rand paul of kentucky, the son of ron paul, the presidential candidate. we're getting ready now for a tribute to both president bushs, president bush 41 and 43. here it is. >> i had a guest and that was president 41. >> i was in the bathtub at the white house residence and ramsey came in and said, your son is over in the oval office. >> i recall the conversation something like this, welcome, mr. president. it's good to see you, mr. president. and that's all we said. >> it was fun just walking in and seeing your own son be the president of the united states. >> and i remember visiting dad in the oval office when he was president and how much reverence he treated the office. and i tried to do the same thing. the oval office is a place where you make decisions and welcome dignitaries and welcome some friends. but it's a place that always has to be treated with respect and dignity. >> the visit to the white house, we'd sort of been involved with him in poland and gotten to know him. and he came to the white house, and he really spoke no english. but he mentioned freedom and stooped down as he was getting the award you give a foreigner and kissed the ground. and i must say, that was very emotional. >> the first time vladimir putin came to visit washington and the sun was pouring through the windows -- the oval office just sparkled. and the door opened up, and in came president putin. and his first words were, my god. when dad was president, he kindly would invite all of us up to the white house. he actually invited me to the state denner with the queen. you took a huge risk, a diplomatic gamble. but it worked out okay. >> what did s say? >> something about black sheep. of course, mother said, well, you're looking at him, that would be me. and we moved him as far away as possible for the luncheon. >> not going to do it. wouldn't be prudent. dana carvey, we were coming into the east room, he said, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. and in walked dana carvey. >> first thing i notice is the podium for the other guy over there. love to be up here but i'm down here. >> we didn't really have any issues with family. but our dog did bite a reporter. but right after that, i got a big stack of correspondence to sign and go through and in the correspondence was a letter from barney. and he wrote and said he was so embarrassed, he was really sorry, he'd made a mistake. he thought that reporter w with "the new york times." i hope people will remember george. and i think they ll, for having the determinationnd the toughness and the persistence to be a to see us throug in our untry, through such a very difficult time after the terrorist attack. i'm so proud of george. >> integrity, honesty, never a scandal around his presidency. i think we forget the importance of that. they'll remember him for being a good, honest president. got a lot of things done. but i think the thing i take pride in is integrity. >> history will remember him. as a great president, not only was he well-prepared for the job. but when the unexpected took place, he handled it with vision, a clear strategy and calm nerves. >> he is thehe's the most decen honorable, wonderful -- nobody's ever been as lucky as i've been. i want people to remember him as courageous. i want them to remember him as he is. >> dad eni both know what it takes to be president and there's no doubt in our mind that mitt romney will be a great president. >> he's a good man. >> and i hope that all the people at the convention work reallyreally hard,usi thk the romne are prepared. i think anney wl be t, and i thk mit romney will do a fabulous job. >> this gives mea chance also to thank every gathered in tampa and to send our very best wishes to everybody at the convention. we've been to lots of conventions in the past. we want to thank everyone there for their very, very strong report for all of our republican candidates. >> absolutely. >> your local ones to our candidate for president, mitt romney. >> touching tribute there from george h.w. bush and george w. bush. barbara bush and laura bush involved. let's continue o conversation. a fascinating moment there. mitt romney gets along well with both presidents bush. but in this hall, mostly party regulars, respect, a lot of affinity and personal relationships with both former presidents bush. but w.h. bush, conservatives still grumble about him breaking his promise, and when george w. bush left office, part of the big obama victory in 2008 was the country's dissatisfaction, a lot of conservative dissatisfaction with president bush. you hear a lot of talk about ronaldeagan atconventns. why don't you hear more about the bushes? >> for the reason you stated. i do thi t's onef the most moving momts in the convention so far. one historian wrote that presidents' reputations rise and fall over time. among republicans, the reputation of both bushes i think has gone up over the last couple of years. george h.w. bush is now older. you can see that in the film. but there's a lot of affection for him here in the hall. and george w. bush is out on the circuit speaking. and he's very popular out on the circuit these days. >> when george h.w. bush broke that promise, he knew what he was doing. make a deal with the republicans to bring the deficit down. if a republican national candidate says that now, if a republican candidate for congress says that now, they are reviled and pushed out of the movement. >> right. and don't forget, his son is also -- a lot of republicans complain about george w. bush because of the spending that went up under george w. bush. they say spending got out of control. prescription drug benefits, for example, when he was president. interesting thing about george w. bush is that he stayed out of politics so much. he has been so silent. you see dick cheney out there all the time. and george w. bush, not at the convention. keeping a very, very low profile. >> he likes retirement. >> he does. >> also, he learned from his dad. he said there's one president at a time and he does not believe you should interfere with a current president. we want to remind you, though, this saturday night, you have the nomination of mitt romney moving on to the democratic convention and the renomination of barack obama. special documentary that will air, a tribute to the 41st president of the united states, george h.w. bush. wolf, back to you now on the floor. >> an excellent documentary and i recommend to our viewers. we're about to hear from the man who defeated mitt romney for the presidential nomination in 2008, senator john mccain. what will he say about mitt romney tonight? we're all going to find out. stand by. music: "make someone happy" music: "make someone happy" ♪it's so important to make meone ppy.♪.♪ sportt toe ♪make just one heart to heart you - you sing to♪ ♪one smile that cheers you ♪one face that lights when it nears you.♪ ♪and you will be happy too. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. this is america's choice. >> i'm wolf blitzer here at the republican national convention. erin burnett is here. we're about to hear a major address by the man who was the republican nominee four years ago. >> he had the choice at the time to pick mitt romney to be his vp. didn't do it. can candy, tell us what he's going to speak about. >> well, this is going to be a very interesting speech for a couple of reasons. first, the backdrop. defense issues, national security issues, as we see john mccain coming out now, actually. used to be a huge republican advantage. it no longer is. but yet that is what john mccain will be talking about. he's been one of the creasest kr -- fiercest critics of the obama administration on this. let's take a listen. >> thank you. thank you. thank you very much. it's an honor as always my fellow republicans to join you at the national convention and add my voice to yours as we nominate the next president of the united states, my friend, governor mitt romney. [ applause ] i had hopes once of addressing you under different circumstances but our fellow americans had another plan four years ago and i accept their decision. i have been blessed for so long to play a role in our nation's affairs that i'm conscious only of the debt i owe america, and i thank you for the honor. when we nominate mitt romney, we do so with a greater purpose than winning an advantage for our party. we charge him with the care of a higher cause. his election represents the best hopes for our country and the world. it is said that this election will turn on domestic and economic issues, but what mitt romney knows and what we know is success at home also depends on our leadership in the world. it is our willingness to shape world events for the better that has kept us safe, increased our prosperity, preserved our liberty and transformed human history. at our best, america has led. we have led by example as our shining city onhe hill. we have led as patriots of both parties. we have led shoulder to shoulder with steadfast friends and allies. we have led by giving voice to the voiceless, insisting that every human life has dignity and aiding those brave souls who risk everything to secure the inalienable rights that are endowed to all by our creator. >> we have led with generous hearts, moved by an abiding love of justice. to help otherings eradicate disease, lift them from poverty, live under laws of their own making and determine their own destinies. e armedightf frdom's ssa with defenders, and always we have led from thont, ner from behind.at >> 's not just a matter of who we are it's record of what we've done. it's a responsibility that generation after generations of americans has affirmed and carried forward. it i a cause that many americans have sacrificed everything,bsoluly everything to defd. and when they've gon they do to haveone so with convictn that the country that sent them there is worth their cr that it stands for something more than th sum of our indi its. may god bless all whoave served, all who serve today,s he blsed up with their service. we are now being tesy an colex, more numerous and just as deeply and deadly as recall in my lifetime. we face a consequential choice, and make no mistake, it's a choice. we can choose to follow a declining path towards a future that is dimmer or more dangerous than our past or reform our government, revitalize our ailing economy and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world. that is what's at stake in this election. unfortunately for four years, we' drifted away from our pro proudest traditions of global leadership. we've let the challenges we face both at home and abroad much harder to solve. we can't afford to stay on that course any longer. we can't afford to cause our friends and allies from latin america to europe to asia, to the middle east, especially in israel, a nation under existential threat to doubt america's leadership. >> usa! usa! usa! >> we haven't afford to give governments in russia and china a veto over how we defend our interest and the progress of our values in the world. we can't afford to have the security of our nation. we can't afford to have the security of our nation and those who bravely defend it endangered because the government leaks the secrets of their heroic operations to the media. cybill we can't substitute a timetable to a political strategy. the president has discouraged our friends and emboldened our enemies, which is why our commanders did not recommend these decisions and why they have said it puts our mission at much greater risk. we can't afford another $500 billion in cuts in our defense budget on top of the nearly $500 billiothe president is already making. his own secretary of defense has said that cutting our military by nearly $1 trillion would be devastating. and yet the president is playing no leadership role in preventing this crippling blow to our military. a wise congressman from wisconsin said, our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a commission course, and that man is our next vice president, paul ryan. but most of all, we can't afford to abandon the cause of human freedom. when long suffering feel demand liberation from their jailers and torturers and tyrants, the leaders of the free world must stand with them. unfortunately, this is not happening. when iranians rose up by the millions against their oppressive rulers, when they beseeched our president, chanting in english, are you with us or are you with them? when the entire world watched as a brave young woman named netta was shot and bled to death in the street in tehran, the president missed an historic opportunity to throw america's full moral support behind an iranian revolution that shared one of our highest interest -- ridding iran of a brutal dictatorship that terrorized the middle east and threatens the world. the situation is far worse in syria. what began as peaceful protests has now become 18 months later a savage and unfair fight. with the fullbacking of iran and hezbollah and russia, with tanks and helicopters and fighter jets, bashar assad is murdering men, women and children. more than 20,000 people have perished. extremists are gaining ground, and the conflict is becoming more dangerous by the day for our allies and for us. in other times, when other courageous people fought for their freedom against sworn enemies of the united states, american presidents, both republicans and democrats have acted to help them prevail. sadly for the lonely voices of decendents, syria and iran and elsewhere in the world will feel forgotten in their darkness and sadly for us as well. our president is not being true to our values. for the sake of the cause of freedom, for the sake of people who are willing to give their lives so their fellow citizens can determine their own futures and for the sake of our nation, the nation founded on the idea that all people everywhere have the right to freedom and justice, we must return to our best traditions of american leadership and support those who face down the brutal tyranny of their oppressors and our enemies. >> usa! usa! usa! >> friends across the world, people are seizing their own destinies, liberating themselves from oppressive rulers and they want america's support. they want america's assistance as they struggle to live in peace and security, to expand opportunity for themselves and their children, to replace the injustices of despots with the institutions of democracy and freedom, america must be on the right side of history. [ applause ] >> the demand for our leadership in the world has never been greater. people don't want less of america. they want more. everywhere i go in the world, people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to affirm our nation's exceptional character and responsibilities. i trust him to know that our security and economic interests are inextricably tied to the progress of our values. i trust him to know that if america doesn't lead our adversaries will. and the world will go darker, poorer and much more dangerous. i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justices for all people. i trust mitt romney to know that good can triumph of over evil, that justice can vanquish tyranny, that love can conquer hate, that the desire for freedom is eternal and universal. and that america is still the best hope of mankind. and now, my fellow americans, let's elect our next commander-in-chief and the next leader of the free world, my friend, governor mitt romney. ♪ >> so there he is, the republican presidential nominee of four years ago, warmly endorsing mitt romney, outlining what he thinks are some differences between mitt romney and president obama on national security. not sure all thoseifferences are all those real right now. we can get into that in a moment. you saw cindy mccain, by the way, watching her husband deliver that address. >> absolutely. as wolf said, are those differences real? i hear on how mitt romney would handle iran. tighten sanctions, speak on democracy and have a military option. that's identical to president obama. >> let's go up to jn. john, you made a good point earlier, normally the republicans have an advantage. maybe not this time for one specific reason. >> i think that's right. the number one reason is that osama bin laden happened on this president's watch. and he ended the war, which was very unpopular. will national security matter in the election and will president obama's current advantage hold up through november? let's go to you. as i said earlier in the evening, i remember my first convention was 19 8. the republicans tried it then. in 1992, 1996, on and so on, they were the strong party, democrats were the weak party. harder to make that case this year and ultimately will it matter? >> i was surprised even in this hall tonight of moneys who are foreign policy fanatics, frankly at the subdued reaction senator mccain got as he ticked through obama's failings on foreign policy. it's not going to matter at the end. both campaigns, i think, but especially the campaign wants to move on economy. and barack obama now has experience, four years as commander-in-chi commander-in-chief. so i put that as a plus for the democrats in the fall. >> so what is the test? is if the economy is going to be issue one, two, three, four and five, when it comes to national security and the conversation at this convention, is it just so the american people look at governor romney and congressman ryan and say okay, they cross the credibility threshold, they can be commander-in-chief? >> i think when it comes to foreign policy, an area where democrats have been criticized for years as being sort of the weak and wobbly, it's an area where president obama has exc excelled. he helped re-establish the united states' position in the world. the ranks of al qaeda fuelled because of president obama's leadership. he's exercised good judgment in the middle east and other areas. he ended the war in iraq safely and in a responsible way. and the war he inherited in afghanistan has a strategy and a timetable. with. >> we'll heard from senator mccain. a bit later we'll hear from national security adviser condoleezza rice. and mitt romney left tampa for a bit to go speak to the american legion convention and he was sharply critical of the incumbent president. let's season. >> a year ago, president obama told the national convention, quote, we cannot, ewith must not, we will not balance the budget on the backs of our veterans. i thought i finally agreed with him on something. but now he's on the vernal of breaking that promise. the obama administration is set to cut defense spending by nearly $1 trillion. my administration will not. >> strong words david gergen from mitt romney. but he left something out. those cuts are coming as part of the deal the president negotiated with congress, sequestration. we won't get into the language of washington. paul ryan, the presidential candidate who is among the republicans who voted aye. >> on sequestration. >> yes. >> be the republicans thought it would be resolved now and they're trying to lead the charge not to make those extra -- >> can't it be said, at least in paul ryan's case, he was before it before he was against it? >> yes, they have their fingerprints on it. sing president obama has earned a lot of the credit he got on foreign policy. he got bin laden, got us out of afghanistan and iraq. but the republicans are trying to neutralize his advantage on that front. that's what john mccain was doing. i think erin is right, when you hear the language, they sound the same on iran. but the republicans have a very, very big difference with president obama on iran. they don't think he means it. >> we'll end the conversation for now and get back to wolf on the floor. i'm always wary of what candidates say about foreign policy because running and being president is very different. obama promised to close down git moe. president clinton said he wouldn't deal with the butchers in syria and beijing. >> a lot of times you make promises as commander-in-chief or president you can't deliver on. i want to go to jim accosta on the floor. she's got a special guest. jim? >> that's right, wolf. i'm joined now by cindy mccain, the wife of u.s. senator john mccain, just up on stage a few moments ago. he made that remark at the very beginning. we know senator mccain has a unique sense of humor. he said he once had hopes of addressing this crowd under different circumstances. is this kind of after bittersweet moment to see your husband not running for reelection. >> no. well, yes, and no. he would have made a marvelous president and we would not be in the shape we're in right now if my husband had been elected. we're here for mitt romney whole heartedly. john made the clear distinction to to the night about what a mitt romney administration would look like and obama administration looks like. >> he once had tough words for mitt romney. he said he would take every position on every issue. >> campaigns are tough. mitt was the very first person to come out and campaign for us after the primary was over. we're very good friends with the romneys. >> and what did you make of mrs. romney's speech last night. everyone is calling it a blockbuster. >> she knocked it out of the park. she was just amazing. and wouldn't she be a remarkable first laid day? she showed all this. you know, not only grace and poise but a great determination and steeled person. so -- >> thank you. good talking to you. i'm going to toss it over to candy crowley who is with your husband john mccain. hi, candy. >> thanks, jim. senator john mccain. thanks for joining us. first of all, happy birthday. >> thank you very much. >> let me ask you a personal question. you thought you might come back to a convention four years later under different circumstances. we're looking out, we're seeing ryan ia ryan, paul ryan, rand paul, a lot of the younger folks. do you see a passing of the baton? >> i think it's obvious and i think it's important to do so. the one thing i've dmited myself to for quite a while now is try to recruit and campaign for another generation of leadership. >> tough to do? >> no, it's fun. that's the kind of next generation of republican we need. >> let me ask you when you talk about foreign policy. when you look at what most people see is the biggest foreign policy coming up, and that's iran. can you give me the major difference between mitt romney's position on how to approach iran and its need or desire to develop nuclear weaponry and president obama? because when you look at it on paper, there's not much. >> sure. one is the relationship with israel. israelis don't trust us. we all know that. the reception mitt got when he was in israel. the president sends his national security adviser and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, not to tell the iranians -- excuse me, not to del the israelis that we're with them. to try to convince them not to attack iran. it's clear that there's no trust between the united states and israel. it's just a fact. you know, he -- it is a fact and a reality. and so the israelis are faced with a very tough decision because they can't depend on the united states of america. >> i think that some israeli leaders have disagreed with that, but let me ask you -- >> not the prime minister. the prime minister has repeatedly said we are not going to wait for the united states of america. he repeatedly said israel is a sovereign nation and has to make its own decisions. so at least the top -- the top leader says that. >> but when you look at what the president is doing now in terms of sort of wrach chetting up sanctions, not taking an attack off the table, how is that different from mitt romney, setting aside -- i understand you think he has bad relationships with israel. but in an approach to iran, how's that different? >> it's all based on american credibility which there's none in the middle east. every place i go, america is withdrawing. when was the last time you heard the president of the united states stand up for the people of israel that are being slaughtered? when was the last time the president talked about victory or success. all he talks about is withdrawal. where did the piston egypt just go? china and iran. not the united states. >> let me ask you about mitt romney. big night for him tomorrow night. how will you measure his speech tomorrow night. what's success? >> i think that we will know that in the ensuing days and weeks buzz many americans already looking at him for the first time. junkies like you and me will see many times. but many americans will observe him for the first time. we'll know that later on. obviously it has to do with jobs and the economy and it's also got to do with likability. it's a despicable campaign. hundreds of millions of attack ads have taken its toll. >> senator, how do you as a politician go about becoming more likable? >> i think last night was a good beginning with ann romney. and i think talking directly with the american people is the way to do that. >> senator john mccain, again thank you and happy birthday again. >> thanks again for having me and it's always good to do battle with you. >> thanks. >> back to you all. >> of course, john mccain turns 76 years old today. >> i must just add one little point. i interviewed mitt romney. the next day, though, i interviewed the president of israel, shimon peres and ehud barack, they both said military to military, intelligence to intelligence relationship was as strong as ever, if not stronger. it's a fact the president of the united states and the prime minister netanyahu have some problems but others see the relationship very closed. i was surprised to hear those strong words coming from the defense minister and the president. >> very interesting. in the spring, it was the other side. >> there's a split in the israeli government itself. >> condoleezza rice is going to be speaking. she's going to be speaking in just a few moments. but she also sat down with piers morgan to talk about why women and african-american voters in her view should consider mitt romney. and about her invitation to join the all-male augusta national golf club. i'm personally very curious about that. >> you might be a member of that club, too. >> no, i don't. but i was very excited when they finally pulled the trigger. great shot. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? 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[ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. lots happening. piers, you had a chance to speak to a headliner today. >> i did. a fascinating interview. never more fascinating than right now, wh enshe's come here like a bit of a rock star but doesn't really have a gig. i sat down with her earlier, talked about that, talked about america's place in the world that will be a fulcrum point, i think, of her speech later tonight. and also about this whole issue of augusta national club. as you know, she's become one of the two female members of the most exclusive male clubs on plan et earth. let's take a look at this. how are you? >> very well. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. you're one of the rock stars in the party. >> oh, my goodness. >> usyou shouldn't be so modest. everyone loves you. what's you primary intention. >> to speak about a robust american voice abroad. when we're going through the many shifts and the tech tonton plate wes o're seeing internationally, we need to be clear on where we stand. i'm also going to talk about the need to rebuild here at home. if we aren't strong here at home, then we're not going to lead. education is very near and dear to my heart. i'm worried about the state of k-12 education. i'm worried about this clock behind us, which is the debt clock. because when the world looks to america these days, they see an american government that can't live within its means. >> mitt romney has two big problems according to all the polls -- women and black voters. you are a very high profile woman and black voter. how do you feel about that? and this recent extraordinary poll it seemed to me, "the wall street journal" nbc poll that says mitt romney is basically polling zero among black voters. i found that staggering. >> it depends on how one asks the questions. i'm always a little suspicious of polls myself. what we have to do as a party is explain to people why these issues, which are so prevalent also speak to concerns of minorities and women. if you're a black person and you're not concerned about the fact that the unemployment rate among black men is more than twice the iat of the national average, you're not concerned with the issues. if you're concenot concerned ab schools failing minority children, then you're not aware of the minoritissues. >> there's a point where mitt romney says i can't beat barack obama on the black vote. >> i shared great pride in america's first black president. everybody understands that. but ultimately, one has to ask, are these policies helping america, and in particular, are they helping some of the most vulnerable among minorities. kids in failing schools, unemployed youth. and the policies aren't helping those constituencies. and so i do think mitt romney is speaking to black voters, speaking to women voters who hold many of the same concerns, but it has to be receptivity on the other side, too. it can't just be a one-way transmission. >> are you disit.ed george bush isn't in town doing his bit? >> i think he would be the first to tell you that he's the former president and a very, very happy and content former president. look, he is snb who led the party, led the country at the most difficult of times. but this is mitt romney's convention as well it should be. >> what do you want him to do on thursday? when he makes the big speech. he will have to debate with barack obama, who as you know is a very, very good debater and can electrify an audience. what does mitt romney got to do. at the moment, the perception about him is nice guy, smart businessman, but doesn't apparently in public at least enough passion or emotion about him. >> he is passionate about america and who we are and what we can be and what we offer the world. and that's what has to come through, i think. it's coming through but needs to come through on thursday night in particular, because the world will be looking at that moment. americans know that we've got very hard times ahead of us if we're going to right this ship. i thought that governor christie was compelling last night when he said let's treat the american people like adults. let's not pretend these are easy choices. >> a bit of tough love is the message. >> americans know that. we can't keep spending money that we're bothering and mortgaging the future of our kids. we understand that. but somebody is going to say to us, all right, so here's how we're going to do it and is really to give that tough message. i think governor romney and paul ryan will make that the center of the debate. >> one of the problems the matter has is thf perception because of the extreme positions as many people see them on social issues like abortion and others. that adds to the fire that somehow the party is anti-women. what did you make of the todd akin thing? you yourself, not as hard line about abortion as many in the party. >> well, first of all, the way that the party leaders, mitt romney and others responded tells the people how the party feels about that. it was a statement that really bordered on ridiculous. i think everybody said that. now women. the party and women. you saw last night a parade of women who are leading this party. what more do you want? >> probably wanted you as vp to have a real position of power. >> first of all, nobody wanted, especially me. >> a lot of people wanted that. >> we really didn't need that. and weave got a great candidate for vice president in paul ryan. >> you said you had no desire to be in mitt romney's cabinet should he win in november. not many people believe you. >> well, they should. >> look me straight in the eye. are you 100% or 99.99? >> piers, i wrote a memoir called "no higher honor." there is no higher honor, but i've mad that honor. i'm happy to be teaching at stanford and that's where i'm going to be. he has plenty of people who can do those jobses. >> if you were asked to do a major job, can you imagine turning it down? >> i said i don't answer hypotheticals when i first appeared on your show. >> i was hoping you may have changed your position on hypotheticals. but i'm really happy. and i got to serve at a time of consequence, that's enough. >> far more important than anything has been your appointment as one of the first two female members of the augusta national golf club. >> i'm very honor that they want me to be among their number. it's a beautiful golf course with wonderful traditions. i said the face of america, the face of golf is changing. and i'm very grateful to enter with. >> they banned women for 100 years. it's not that big an honor. it should have happened years ago. >> i am honored. i've got to work a little on my short game. it's hard to hold the greens. >> have you chosen your first partner? >> are you ready? >> i banned myself until they allowed women. so i released my own ban. i'm available. >> i do have a long line. >> dr. rice, it's a great pleasure. >> thank you very much. >> what do you make of current claim and insistent claim she would never hold office again. i don't buy it. i just don't think it's an accurate picture, do you? >> absolutely. she's a very interesting and dynamic woman. she's a common sense conservative. she's a woman of valor, a very, very popular former public servant. she's enjoying her life back at stanford. she's enjoying traveling around the country, speaking on college campuses. she's been in concerts with aretha frank len. i think she's having the most incredible time of her life. >> let me rephrase the question to you alex, wouldn't the party drag her literally and appoint her tomorrow to a high-powered job if she gave any indication? >> that quick. she is so impressive. and republicans understand they're running against an historic prish accomplishment. the first black president of the united states. they understand that was an advance. what if you pacify history with history? a female vice president of the united states, black president of the united states. just a wonderful choice. having her as part of this convention does something for republicans. it says we're not the party of, you know, the country club republicans. we're a party of everybody. she's a huge plus. >> my guess is she will get very bored of golf at augusta very quickly and we're going to see her back in high office again. i would bet my life on it. actually, maybe not. i'll bet most of my life. i'll bet wolf blitzer's life. >> that's a little too much even for me. you never know. these are politicians. sometimes they change their minds. sometimes they don't change their minds. first of all, we'll see if mitt romney is elected president of the united states. that's still a big if. we have two months to go. later, piers is going to have an interview with a man who electrified a lot of these republicans here last night. but saw folks not necessarily so happy. here's his interview with chris christie, the governor of new jersey. that will be live here as our special coverage from the republican national convention in tampa continues. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! >> the storm isaac still being felt in louisiana. some of the flooding has been as bad as we saw in katrina. >> it's not moving for another 24 or 36 hours. anderson cooper is on the scene. what's going on? >> o'brien and i are right over here. on the other side of the levee is plaquemines parrish. there's at least ten feet of water or more on the other side of the levee. that's the only thing keeping the water from pouring in. >> this is part of the levee protection system that's really helping out st. bernard parrish. unfortunately for plaquemines parrish, that i don't have that right on this spot. that's a huge problem. the storm is overtopping a levee back there and it's really just poured water into plaquemines parrish. the amazing thing about this, of course, is that the 20 feet of protection on the other side, the estimates were 15 to 20 feet high. and you can see on the other side some subdivisions are submerged. >> we're seeing dramatic resc rescues. individual citizens were going out and rescuing people from the roofs of their buildings. we have video of an elder elder. it's 16 foot at the gate. you can see a little water pouring out underneath, which is where this water is coming from. but there's just a huge amount of water on the other side of the levee. last i heard, there were still need of rescue. >> those folks ignored the mandatory evacuation order in place. what we were told by some people who had to be pulled out is that 2:00 in the morning, they got a phone call that there was a breach in the levee. we understand it as an overtopping but they were told it was a breach. two hours later, all of a sudden, water poured in. and then people pannished, ran upstairs and some of them were lucky enough to be plucked right out of their windows. but they believe some people are still in there. unfortunately with weather like this, it's really, really hard to get rescue, not only the boats, but the coast guard can't put up any choppers. . they're having a difficult time because the weather is so awful. >> it's an err ma that did not flood during katrina. a lot of folks felt, look, katrina is a much more powerful storm. but every storm is different. even though this was a cat 1, there were gusts that were cat 2 strength gusts more than 100 miles an hour. and the storm surge for this area means this storm is even worse than katrina was just for this area in plaquemines parrish. we're going to continue to report on the ongoing rescues and the latest on this area. back to wolf. >> anderson, thanks very, very much. erin, they're doing an excellent job there, all of our team out there in bad circumstances. but the people here, the republican organizers are having a little difficult time. how do you deal with a conventi convention like this at a time of a national emergency like this on the gulf coast. the president is having a tough time as well. he's out there campaigning. it's always a tough balancing act. >> as you know, it takes a few days after a storm hits to know how bad it's going to be. we'll stay on top of that story as well. we also assembled a glup of undecided floridians. this is a group that everyone is interested in, democrats and republicans. they're going to be listening to the vice presidential nominee speech paul ryan. they have a meterer, what they like, what they don't like. tom foreman assembled this group and will explain what's going on. i think our viewers will be interested. nah. 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(train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. >> we're bhak at the republican national convention in tampa. nay ear rock and rolling right now. they're stanning by. a special group he's assembled. explain what's going on? >> wolf, what we have here you know there aren't that many undecided voters left. they're all sitting here holding these devices. do they like what they hear or don't like what they hear. it will run into a bank of computers over here so with can process that information so we can see the reaction, whether the men liked it more or the group that did like it more. raise your hands if you are an undecided voter because that's what we're talking about tonight. look at this. both campaigns have desperately been looking for these very people. we want to see how the republicans do in trying to win some of them over. we'll be analyzing the information as it comes in. getting second by second reads on how they react to the messages tonight, wolf. we'll see those results later in the evening and talk to many of the voters why they feel the way they do. are tu the oneshe republicans wanto win and the democrats want to win. >> we'll get e ress in the 11:00 eastern hour. i'm anxious to hearow they react. >> there are so few people, only 13% of the americans are undecided. >> some are switchable, as they say as well. most americans have made up their mind that they're all going after that 10%ecided vote. chris christie is standing by. he's going to join piers morgan live. we'll hear what the governor of new jersey had to say. he sgaif a pretty rousing speech on the floor of the convention last night. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to pow our l... that's smarter power today. domestic, abundant, clean energy to pow our l... you expect something $40in return. billionaire oil tycoons charles and david koch and their special- interest friends are spending $400 million to buy this year's elections and advance their agenda. what's their payback? 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>> you heard the president has been talking about medicare a bit lately. >> we want this debate, we need this debate and we are going to win this debate. >> also at the podium in prime time, former secretary of state condoleezza rice lends a voice of foreign policy experience to the pitch of romney and ryan. >> the american voice abroad is really right at the core of what we have to accomplish and mitt romney and paul ryan are the people to do that. >> now cnn turns the spotlight on one of the bi ptforms in american politics. this is the republican national convention. this is paul ryan's night. >> it's not too late to fix this country's problems! >> this is america's choice. >> we're here at the republican national convention in tampa, florida. we would like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. the kmiemt tonight is about to begin. we'll hear from one of the republican party's most prominent social social conservaves,kabe mike ill address this convention. and another impoant ch is the former secretary of state, condoleezza rice, she wille her caga president obama's global policy. here inside the convention, excitement is clearly the deles wait the acceptance speech for the vice presidtial nominee paul ryan. >> i'm wolf blitzer along with er >> excitement building, you can feels like more and more people are coming in. people are ready for this speech. during this hour, we're going to be joined by a very special guest, the keynote speaker. a speech a lot of people are torn on. answers criticism that the speech was more about himself and his state than the republ nin. >> piers morgan will be intervwing him live coming up on this hour. our correspondents are also available throughout the arena. candy crowley is on the podium right next to tonight's speakers. jim accosta, dana bash are on the convention floor among the delegates and the vips. and dana bash joins us now. a special guest, someone who was supposed to speak at the last convention 37 hurricane gustav prevented him from speaking. a good friend of the vice presidential nominee. i'm joined by the house majority leader eric cantor. thank you very much. now, you are a fellow young gun. you and paul ryan and kevin mccarthy. you're dubbed the young guns. he's within one of your very good friends. describe paul ryan, a paul ryan we might not know. >> what i hope the american people are going to see tonight is what i know about paul ryan. he's a family man, he has a wonderful wife who is accomplished in her own right. he has three beautiful children, and he is dedicated to actually fixing the country for his kids' future. you hear a lot politicians make promises and talk the talk. but paul ryan walks the walk. he's a genuine individual who is working to cure the ills facing this country. i know that we're going to hear a very powerful speech tonight. one that will lay out a bold choice. >> c you tell us a personal story that might allude on what you're talking about? >> he may seem distracted with different things going on. the reason is he's plugged into his ipod. he's very much focused on physical fitness. he likes good music. he can kick back and have a good time, too. a lot of folks that have been talking about paul is saying ehe's a wompg and he's into the bean counting and numbers. which is absolutely true. he has a strong intellect and a real appetite to engross himself in the number, but he is a great guy and i think is going to make a great vice president for us and a great leader for the future. not only of our party but for the country. >> you talk about his fitness. i know he's big into p990x, which i can't even imagine doing. you did it with him for a while? >> listen, i think he throughout the years that he came up, mefs actually a fitness instructor. he's very cognizant of that. and p90x is something that kevin mccarthy brought to the house gym and there are a lot of members that actually try and stay in shape. if you've ever done those videos, that's a tough workout. it's all about the theory of muscle confusion that's a real challenge. >> confusion is the key word there. let's talk about the speech. what do you hope your friend paul ryan does in terms of the election. maybe you know what he's going to do tonight. >> i think what you're going to hear is paul laying out the choice that the country's got to make and laying out that it is urgent the skoun tri step up and make a decision are we going to continue to be the country where sufficient big american dreams that are laid out rein people can go out there and chase them. are we going to be the country that tilts towards economic and individual freedom? or are we going to choose a path much more akin to the likes of greece and others in europe where you see a much larger presence of the government telling people a lot of things that americans aren't used to the government telling them what to do in terms of their health care, in terms of the way they run their business and the way they hire their employees. and again, i think it's a very appropriate kind of discussion that we're having tonight. this is what's facing the country. and in the end, someday that, we're going to come out of here as a party with a ticket. mitt romney-paul ryan. republican candidates across the country that are dedicated to really making life work for people again. >> thank you so much. back to you, wolf. >> thank the majority leader for us. jim accosta has a special guest. who's with you, jim? >> i'm with one of the young guns that is to written or written by you and eric cantor and paul ryan. >> et let's talk about the strategyof having a vice presidential nominee. >> you have barack obama taking $700 billion with it. >> the same $700 billion. >> the president took $700 billion. romney says he'll put it back. that's a fundamental difference. >> you get the honesty. democrats don't say something mean about them. you have the brain power. that's different than you found in washington in quite some time. >> why do you think he's here at this moment. why? why do you think mitt romney tapped him? is it because he makes this ticket more palatable to conservatives? >> no, no. i think he picked him for his brain power. you have to think about this. what paul has gone through in this his life. he's been in a seat that's a democrat seat. he's able to win on policy. paul never demonizes the other side. he talks about policy and the differences he solves problems. he takes a conservative principle but solves it. i never met a more humble, a bigger heart or a bigger brain power than anybody i've seen. >> getting back to what we're going to be hearing tonight, i know we're going to be hearing some biography. he's going to talk about miss family life, the struggles he's been through, but he's also going to be talking about policy as well. you know, who -- why do you think paul ryan is on this ticket. why do you think let's the guy that mitt romney wants to put up on this stage? you only get one vice president. >> the number one issue of economics, paul ryan is driven about economics. he knows more about it. most of his plans are bipartisan. he always usually has a democrat on him as well. erskin bowles, he'sarticulate, individual he's met. he says he runs circles around him. >> does paul ryan ever drive you crazy with the heavy metal muse snik. >> he usually puts that into his ear 230e7b phones, but we do p90 in the morning. but he's better at it than i. >> thanks, kevin mccarthy. back to you, wolf. >> thanks very, very much. we're learning a lot about paul ryan there. >> it's interesting. a lot of people in this country don't know much about him. the poll before the country, 16% of americans weren't familiar with him at all. so a lot of people are going to get to know him for the first time tonight. and dana i believe is joined by someone who knows paul ryan even better than the two people we've heard from. who do you have? >> well, who better to describe you for better or worse is your brother. and that's who i have. tobin ryan, thank you very much for joining us. and tobin's son is, paul ryan's nephew. mack ryan. just give us first of all a glimpse into who your brother is. people are just being introduced to him really on a national stage for the first time tonight. >> yeah. i think -- first of all, he's about the noes authentic guy i know. grew up in janesville, wisconsin. his story maybe unfold a bit tonight. and i think that story, there's going to be a plot of people particularly from the midwest and communities like ours where they're going to identify with this story. >> i heard a story that you all took, i think it was the four ryan children with your father. >> it was all six of us, the whole family, and my mom, you know, she leads the charge she's the one that would take us on these backpacking trips. of course at the final time, we didn't realize the foreshadowing, but we were summiting a mountain. we were all carrying our own packs. paul was only 7 or 8 years old. horrible day, we're in a blizza blizzard. and all of a sudden this beautiful meadow with sheep unfolds beneath us. we're all exhausted and sitting down. and paul creeps up and starts singing "america the beautiful." >> how old was he? >> i think 7 or maybe 8. i'm not sure he knew all the words at that time. and we're all watching this guy with tears in our eyes thinking what an amazing scene. perhaps there was some foreshadowing in there. >> now, your brother said he had to gro uh up fast because your father died suddenly. and he was the one that found him. he was the only one in the house. >> yes. >> describe what that was like for your family and him in particular. >> sure. it was obviously a very pivotal time for him and our whole family. paul was home, he was alone. just about to enter high school, and he found our father. he had to grow up very fast. our 80-year-old grand mother who had alzheimer's moved in with us at that time. i was in college. all the other siblings were away and my mom decides to go back to college and get a new skill and start her own business. and so paul is the man of the house and my mom's partner, he's working a job, he's doing everybody's lawns and he's -- he becomes class president the same year. so he's a guy that may have not had the normal 16-year-old life, but it really acted as a catalyst, i think, to put focus in his life and embrace life in a way that once again i don't think most teenagers would. >> and where does the philosophy he espouses comes from? >> i think our -- you know, dinner was at 6:00 every night, full family and i think there was encouragement of ideas in general. but we weren't a family that was espousing either republican virtues or conservative virtues or democratic virtues necessarily. there was support for many different politicians. ronald reagan did become a big influence. i think that became a topic around our dinner table. when you think about it, starting in 1980, you know, through to when paul ended up going to college, that was probably a main topic. >> before i let you go, i have to ask you, mack, i heard that you had a pretty important baby-sitter last night. who was it? >> it was my uncle paul. >> so your own family came here and he was back at the hotel with you? >> he was hanging out with me, charlie, sam and liza watching a movie. >> what's he like as a baby-sitter? >> he's fun, energetic and a great guy to be with. >> did he let you stay up late? >> well, we knew we had to get up early in the morning. >>'ll any candy? any sweets? >> nope. they're very healthy. >> i should have known better on that ask you that question about paul ryan. he's very healthy. >> bedtime stories? >> movie. >> what did you watch? >> "lilo & stitch." >> so he didn't make you watch the convention? >> nope. we did that during the day and at night we're together as a family. >> very good. appreciate your time. thanks, mack. >> thank you for having us on. >> one quick question while you have the brother of paul ryan there. i'm curious because i read a lot about paul ryan. why did he decide to leave wisconsin and go to miami university of ohio when he wanted to go to college. what made him go to ohio. i know he's a big green bay packer fan. >> here's a question from wolf blitzer. he wants to know why your brother left wisconsin to go to miami of ohio especially since he's such a packers fan. >> that's right. paul is a huge badger fan. his two oolder brothers went to notre dame. i think paul wanted to make his own path. and knowing my mom, she grabbed him and they went on a tour around the midwest and saw a lot of schools. and he fell in love with miami of ohio. and ohio is one of those states i think that it's almost a second home for him. >> went to college in a swing state. imagine that. >> foreshadowing once again. >> i don't think anyone has ever been elected president. >> i love his nephew saying he wasn't allowed to have candy or soda. i have to admit, i dole it out because then you can always hand them back when they're wound up at the end of the night. >> that's your job as an aunt. we're about to be joined by one of the stars of last night's convention here. the new jersey governor chris christie, delivered the keynote address last night. he's going to be with piers morgan. >> we're giving you a chance to be a part of our cnn convention coverage. so please go to facebook.com/cnn and answer this question -- does representative paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket. we're going to give you the results just a little later tonight. we'll be right back. 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. >> reporting live from, new orleans. now tropical storm isaac continues with winds and rain throughout the entire southern louisiana region. we're going to get a live update at the cnn weather center. the story is plaquemines parrish where we have seen a number of very dramatic rescues. dozens of people have been rescued. they've again going all day from early this morning even in high winds and heavy rain. citizens were out there trying to rescue their boats in need. how many more people may still be trapped in their homes. people decided not to evacuate. it was a region that had not seen flooding. a lot of people thought this storm is not going to be as strong therefore they didn't need to leave. in plaquemines parish, this storm meant very high water. let's check in with john zarella in gulfport, mississippi. what's the situation there? >> i have to tell you, it's been 20 straight hours of heavy rain and wind. this is literally the first break we've gotten since midnight. when i've been all the air all through tonight and today. first break we've seen. that back there is highway 90. the gulf of mexico at high tide today. the wind rose up. much of the roadway covered with sand, water and rising water at the time. we were told the governor had 35 boat rescues today. there's 35,000 people here without electricity. anderson? >> more than 800 krourks. >> we go to chad myers with an overview. >> it's trned into a tornado maker and a flash flood maker tonight. our john zarella is over there. there's erosion to the barrier islands and to the shore itself. let me zoom out just a couple of spots. you can see the core of the rain from baton rouge over to mobile. the storm is not making its way over there. that means the storm is dying, literally dieing a slow death. but in its death, it will still put down all of the rain. it will still make all of the tornadoes that we have always. expected with this storm. and now at least 20 parishes and counties with flash flootd warnings in florida to mississippi all the way over even into alabama now. and dolphin island area to the west of mobile. they have seen 20 inches of rain right across the river from where you are. 18.75 inches of rain in the rain bucket in 36 hours. anderson? >> yeah. it's so much rain. a lot of people have been surprised by it again. darkness has come southeast of here in the french quarter in new orleans. untold how many people still may be in need of rescue. how many people may still be in danger. there are high winds out there. a lot more rain out there. we were just out twl about an hour ago. we'll continue to update you throughout the evening and into tomorrow. right now, let's go back to wolf in tampa. >> in tampa, lots of people are talking about the governor chris christie's address last night. what does the governor think about all the commotion he's generated. we're going to find out. he's standing by to speak live with our own piers morgan. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. my brother doesn't look like a heart attack patient. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i'm a fighter and now i don't have that fear. i'm a fighter how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. welcome back to the republican national convention. the crowd is still here. ann romney is here, one of her sons sitting next to her and daughter-in-law. we're getting ready to hear from contender l condoleezza rice and paul ryan. piers morgan is also down there. he's got a special guest. tell our viewers who's sitting next to you. >> the one and only chris christie. >> happy to be here. >> i've beenest estesting your speech. i went from absolutely loved it to the most selfish speech in the history of conventions. >> everyone has an opinion. that's what makes america great. >> are you surprised by the reaction? pretty extreme. >> i'm not surprised pi bring out people's strong reactions? no. doesn't shock me in the least. but my job last night was to lay out what the difference is between republican govern ansan and republican ideals. >> but they weren't sure if you were doing it for your future presidential race or romney's current race. >> i don't know how people can be confused. i laid out the case for mitt romney as a former governor. if you do the things at the state level like we have done it in new jersey, you can do it at a national level. i don't think anybody was really confused at the end of the night. >> the confusion came because you didn't mention his name for 17 minutes. and you mentioned "i" 37 times and mi7 times. >> at the end of the day, i was building a case for mitt romney. do you think anybody here doesn't know his name? this is silly stuff. i understand that folks in the media have nothing better to do than that kind of stuff. they want to create controversy. i understand that. these are prepackaged shows and they all want something to talk about. but if you look at the substance of the speech last night, it lays out a very cloer case that that we need to tell people the truth, make hard choices and do that now. >> the thing i was surprised about, i thought you would be like the red meat on the barbecue when it came to barack obama. i thought you would be roasting and grilling h him. you went light on barack obama. >> i went heavy on the case for republican governance. i don't think anybody in america except the most left wing partisans believes that barack obama deserves a second term. what we now need to do is say why our way would be the better way. my jo b is not to tear down the president but to make the case for the republican brand and the republican party and that's what i did last night. >> if you were going to tear down the president, how would you do it? >> i've done that many times. in aspen last week, i said this is a guy in 3 1/2 years who is like in a dark room looking for the switch ore leadership. he hasn't found it in 3 1/2 year heshs's not going to find it in 69 days. i believe that case has already been made, piers. that case has been made against the president. we need -- there's nothing new anyone is going to figure out about the president in the next 69 days, but they need to find things about our philosophy and how our nominee reflects that philosophy. that's what we did last night. i work veried very closely with the romney campaign. they had my draft and knew what i wanted to say. they didn't change a word of my speech so i have to assume they're real happy with it. . >> when it comes to the president, do you think he's an honest man? >> yeah. >> you do? >> sure. >> you don't think he misleads the american public? >> well, listen, i think he misleads people in political commercials but i don't think that's breaking new ground. i generally think he's an honest person. i just think he's dead wrong on policy and i think he's led this country in the wrong direction. i don't think he has the first idea about how 20 use executive power, but i don't think that means he's generally a dishonest person. >> has he been dead wrong on everything? >> i think on certain areas of education policy i agree with him, trying to empower charter schools and choice around the country. i think he's been right on that. not every bit of his education policy, but some of it. >> foreign policy. >> i'm not going to go through the checklist with you. >> given that condoleezza rice up there tonight and one of the allegations is the lack of foreign policy experience on the romney-ryan ticket. i would imagine she would be pushing that agenda as she did in my interview earlier saying it's time of the frame work of foorn policy to be determined. are you concerned the romney-ryan ticket is lacking in experience there. >> i think that president romney will surround himself with an excellent cabinet. but also a lot of foreign policy in my view is the willingness of the president to make tough choices. and i think that, you know, mitt romney will make those tough dhoiss and not be confusing folks out there. he will stand with our friends one of the great things is he's not stuck on being the smart es person in the radio. . >> given that people have said, you know, why didn't chris christie talk more about mitt romney, given that's been the criticism and clearly you didn't intend that that from what you've told me. what else would you say ability the man. you know him better than many people now, what are some of the qualities we're not i a ware of. >> this is a man with an extraordinarily good heart. i've watched him interact with my children. you see politicians interact with children, especially ones that don't know the first thing about it. it's an abomination, right? they're patting them on the head like this. and not knowing how to deal with them. i've seen governor romney with my children, my 8-year-old and my 11-year-old and he's incredibly engaging with them and cares about them and makes them feel special when he's with them and wants to pay attention to them. he's an engaged father and grandfather .that tells you something about his heart. i don't think that necessarily comes through. >> do you want to see more of that on his speech tomorrow? i interviewed one of his five sons. one of them said the trouble with dad is he's also a ceo in public. he can't seem to remove that shackle of corporate existence. people don't see the real mitt romney that they see behind closed doors. is thursday the time for him to sort of metaphorically rip open his jacket and say this is the real me. >> i hope he does. because if he does, the american people are going to like him and trust him and make him the next president of the united states. i'm convinced of that. >> when it comes to trust, this election could come down to the dmi and to who believes who most about the future of solving the economy. you have an interesting experience in new jersey. you' lowered taxes and balanced the budget. unemployment has risen to the highest level since 1977. people will say look, that's a classic argument against the republican position. right? you've lowered taxes, balanced the budget but it's got you nowhere with unemployment. what do you say to that? >> the statistic that it's the highest in 35 years is wrong. it was higher in october, november, december of 2009 than it is now. so it's a bad statistic. but secondly, what we're doing in new jersey is lowing the number of people working for the government. we're making government smaller. that's part of what we're doing. that's going to help unleash the private sector and you're going to see those numbers go over during the course of time. >> who do you blame? yourself or barack obama? in new jersey. >> the national economy has a huge effect on what happens in new jersey. but i just told you, we made a concerted effort to lower the number of public employees. the government had gotten too big and too loaded and we needed to make it smaller. it's a short-term effect, but the long-term effect is we're going to make more money out of the government into the private sector. we've grown 90,000 new private sector job ps naen the last 12 months we're the fourth highest state in america in creation of private sector jobs. it's going to take us a while, but we're going to get there. >> people heard your speech last night and have been critical said this was entirely a pitch and a play for him to be president, you. did you have literally no aspirations to be leader of the free world? >> listen, since last october, i've traveled to 15 different states for mitt romney. i sat and allowed you to harass me in my office for an hour that somehow mitt romney was not going to win and rick santorum was going to be the nominee. and i steadfastedly stood by mitt romney because i believe he's the best person to be the president of the united states. the last year i've been working as hard as any outsider for mitt romney and for his election as president. i'm proud to have done it. >> governor, thank you for talking to me. i think you've made a few things very clear. back to wolf. >> thanks very much, piers. good interview, the former governor of arkansas, the former presidential candidate, mike huckabee. >> i heard folks say after hearing me speak, some folks said we can do better than huckabee and that's when they will unanimously nominate mitt romney to be the next president of the united states of america. i want to say tampa has been a wonderful and hospitable city and i'm grateful to all that they've done for us. but the anl hitch in an otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. turns out it was just debbie wasserman-shultz practicing her speech for the democratic national convention in charlotte next week. bless her heart. four years ago, mitt romney and i were opponents. we still are. but we're not opposing each other. no, we are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral. the united states of america was originally an experiment. but it was an experiment in recognizing god-given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another and in which all of us are equal. not equal in abilities, but equal in intrinsic worth and value. it is the essence, not just of who we are, but what we are. how once rivals can now be united. it's quite simple. we have barack obama to thank. it was barack obama who said you didn't build it. translation, it doesn't belong to you. an to uh business, reckless spending tax hiking party of barack obama, harry reid and nancy pelosi, versus an energized america who knows we can do better. for four years we've given after chance to a man with no experience governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly interested in campaigning, blaming and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the republicans, and people in business. oar has republicans like to call them, employers. we've stagnated sba an economy that has taken all of that hope right down the slope and has left millions without jobs. forced out of their homes by foreclosure, herded into dependency upon a government that promises us candy but gives us cavities. barack obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. mitt romney's focus is going to be on generating more jobs that will make food stamps unnecessary. we know full well we can do better. mitt romney turned around companies they were on the skids. he turned down a scandal-ridden olympics that was deep into the red into a high point of profit and patriotic pride, and he turned around a very liberal state when he erased the deficit and replaced it with a surplus. do you remember when barack obama said fa that if he couldn't turn things around in three years it would be a one-term proposition? well, it's been almost four years. i say let's make him a proposition he can't refuse. let's vote him out. i understand that the job of president is admittedly tougher than running a company, an olympic contest or a commonwealth, but when one sees what even bill clinton noted was a sterling record of problem solving that has marked the life of mitt romney, we are confident that we will do better. i am thrilled to say that romney has been loyal to his lovely wife who knocked it out of the park last night in this arena. he's been loyal to his sons, to his country, to his employees and to his church. well, i'm sure now that the press is going to tell you he isn't perfect. but, my friends for the past four years, we tried the one the press thought was perfect and that hasn't bourqued out all that well for us. we can do better. our founding fathers left taxation and sitirnny. what they created was a bold experiment in government believing that god gave us inalienable rights and the role of government is simply to make sure that those rights are protected. that even after crafting our magnificent constitution they said, we can do even better. they added amendments we all them the bill of the rights. those bill of rights limit what the government can do, and they guarantee what we the people have the unimpeded right to do. whether to speak, assemble, worsh worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes. many of those founders tied to pass on that heritage. they had lived under the boot of big government. and what they said was we can do better. >> as a kid growing new a household, my dad never finished high school. i grew up in a family which no male upstream of me had ever finished high school muchless gone to college. but i was staugt even though there was nothing i could do about what was behind me, i could change every about what was in front of me. my working poor parents told me i could do better. they taught me i was as good as anybody else and it never occurred to them to tell me i could rest comfortably and wait for good old uncle sugar to lead me, feed me and then bleed me. they told me to get off my backside, work hard, take risks and treat people honestly and honorably. and look at me today. i've become as the press like to label me, a failed candidate. oh, it's true. i have fallen from the high perch of politics and now i wallow in the mud of the media. but i still know as a country we can do better. and with mitt romney and paul ryan, we will do better. i want to clear the air about something that has been said. people wonder whether guys like me, an evangelical would only support a fellow evangelical. well, my friends, i want to tell you something, of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is barack obama, and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at anytime in the womb, even beyond the womb and he tells people of faith that they have to bow their knees to the god of government and vief late their faith and conscious in order to comply with what he calls health care. friends, i know we can do better. let me say this as clearly as possible. the attack on my catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me. the democrats have brought back that old dance, the lim limbo, to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice or faith. but this isn't a battle about contraceptives and catholics, but ability conscious and the creator. let me say to you tonight, i care far less as to where mitt romney takes his family to church than i do about where he takes this country. joe biden said, show me your budget and i'll tell you what you value. well in the senate, joe's party hasn't produced a budget in three years. what does that say about their values? and by the way, speaking of budgets, joe biden's budget shows that while he wants to be very generous with your money, for year, he gaveless than 0.2 of 1% of his own money to charity. he just wants you to give the government more so he and the democrats can feel better about themselves. mitt romney has given over 16% of his income to church and charity. and my friend, i feel a lot better about having a president who will give generously of his own money instead of mine or yours. my concern is not barack obama's past, but my concern is for the future. not his future, but for the future of my grandchildren. little chandler and scarlett. and under this president we imburden them with debt and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks we can prosper by punishing productivity and rewarding irresponsibility. people say we ought to give barack obama credit for trying. that sounds like the nonses of giving every kid a trophy for showing up. we're talking about leading the country. not playing on a third grade soccer team. look, i realize this is a man who got a nobel peace prize for what he would potentially do. but in the real world you get the prize for producing something. not just promising something. sometimes we get so close to the picture we really can't see it clearly. i've had the privilege of working with bono for the past few years in the one campaign to fight aids and hunger and disease around the world. bono is an irishman and a great humanitarian. and i remember him telling me of his admiration for america. he said america's more than just a country. we're an idea. and he reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations who are coming after us to leave them with an extraordinary legacy. but if we don't change the direction of our nation now, our bequests will be nothing but an extraordinary shame. but dear friends, we can do better. president obama is out of gas. and americans are out of patience. and our great republic is almost out of time. it's time that we no longer lead from behind, but that we get off our behinds and leave something for those after us instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses. tonight not because we're republicans, it's because we are americans that we proudly stand with mitt romney and paul ryan and we say we will do better. god bless you, thank you. god bless. ♪ >> four years ago he wanted the republican presidential nomination. he didn't get it. you saw mike huckabee there the former arkansas governor giving a red meat kind of speech going after the president of the united states. but he was really enthusiastic about mitt romney. >> he had a lot of good one liners in there. but he's the warm-up for the night. condoleezza rice is going to give a speech. and paul ryan going to make his debut. that's coming up after this. everyone has goals. take the steps to reach yours, with us with real advice, for real goals. the us bank wealth management advisor can help you. every step of the way. from big steps, to little steps. since 1863 we've helped guide our clients, so they can take the steps to help grow, preserve, and pass along their wealth. so their footsteps can help the next generation find their own path. all of us serving you. us bank in 2009, the u.s. took home over 75 medals in athletic competitions. today our students rank 25th in the world in math. there's no medal for that. let's get america back on track. the more we invest in teachers, the better our students will perform. let's solve this. former secretary of state condoleezza rice is getting a stand ovation. let's listen to her speech. >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you so much. good evening. good evening. good evening. good evening, distinguished delegates. good evening, fellow republicans. good evening, my fellow americans. we gather here at a time of significance and challenge. this young century has been a difficult one. i can remember as if it were yesterday when my young assistant came into my office at the white house to say that a plane had hit the world trade center. and then a second plane. and then a third plane, the pentagon. and later we would learn that a plane had crashed into a field in pennsylvania driven into the ground by brave souls who died so that others might live. from that day on, our sense of vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same again. then in 2008 the global and economic crisis would stun us. and it still reverberates as we deal with unemployment and economic uncertainty and bad policies that cast a pole over an american economy and recovery that is desperately needed at home and abroad. and we have seen that the desire for liberty is universal as people in the middle east rise up to seize it. yet the promise of the arab spring is ungulfed in uncertainty and hostile neighbors. are challenging the democracy of iraq. dictators in iran and syria threaten regional security, russia and china prevent a response, and everyone asks where does america stand? indeed that is the question of the hour. where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous place. since world war ii, the united states has had an answer to that question. we stand for free peoples and free markets. we will defend and support them. we will sustain a balance of power that favors freedom. now, to be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy. i know as you do the sacrifice of americans especially the sacrifice of many of our bravest in the ultimate sacrifice. but our armed forces are the sheer shield and foundation of liberty and we are so fortunately that we have men and women in uniform who volunteer, they volunteer to defend us at the front lines of freedom. and we owe them our eternal gratitude. i know, too, it has not always been easy. though it has been rewarding to speak for those who would not otherwise have a voice. the democracy advocate in venezuela. the political prisoner in iran. it has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and on behalf of the most desperate. the young woman who has been trafficked into the sex trade in southeast asia. it has been hard. yet this assistance together with the come passionate work of private charities, people of conscience and people of faith has shown the soul of our country. and i know, too -- i know, too, that there is a weariness. i know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long enough. but we can only know that there is no choice. because one of two things will happen if we don't lead. either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead. and you cannot lead from behind. >> mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well being at home and leadership abroad are linked. they know what to do. they know that our friends and allies must again be able to trust us. from israel to colombia from poland to the philippines. our allies and friends have to know that we will be reliable and consistent and determined. and our foes, our foes can have no reason to doubt our resolve because peace really does come through strength. our military capability and our technological advantage will be safe in mitt romney's hands. we must work for an open global economy and pursue free and fair trade to grow our exports and our influence abroad. if you are worried about the rise of china, just consider this. the united states has negotiated -- the united states has ratified only three trade agreements in the last few years. and those were negotiated in the bush administration. china -- china has signed 15 free trade agreements and is in the progress of negotiating as many as 18 more. sadly, we are abandoning the field of free and fair trade and it will come back to haunt us. we must not allow the chance for energy independence to slip from our grasp. we are blessed with resources here in north america and we must develop them. we can develop them sensitively. we can develop them securing our environment. but we must develop them. and we have the ingenuity to develop alternative energy sources too. but most importantly mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild the foundation of our strength, the american economy. stimulating private sector growth and stimulating small business entrepreneurship. when the world looks at us today, they see an american government that cannot live within its means. they see an american government that continues to borrow money, that will mortgage the future of generations to come. the world knows that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. that is not the america has inspired people to follow our lead. after all, when the world looks to america, they look to us because we are the most successful economic and political experiment in human history. that is the true basis of american exceptionalism. you see, the essence of america, what really unites us, is not nationality or ethnicity or religion. it is an idea. and what an idea it is. that you can come from humble circumstances and you can do great things. that it does not matter where you came from, it matters where you are going. >> my fellow americans, ours has never been a narrative of grievance and entitlement. we have never believed i am doing poorly because you are doing well. we have never been jealous of one another and never envious of each other's successes. no, ours has been a belief in opportunity. and it has been a constant struggle. long and hard, up and down, to try to extend the benefits of the american dream to all. but that american ideal is indeed in danger today. there is no country, no not even a rising china that can do more harm to us than we can do to ourselves if we do not do the hard work before us here at home. >> more than at any other time in history, greatness is built on mobilizing human potential and ambition. we have always done that better than any country in the world. people have come here from all over because they have believed our creed of opportunity and limitless horizons. they have come here from the world's most impoverished nations just to make a decent wage. and they have come here from advanced societies as engineers and scientists and fuel the knowledge-based revolution in the silicon valley of california. in the research triangle of north carolina. along route 128 in massachusetts. in austin, texas, and across this great land. >> we must continue to welcome the world's most ambitious people to be part of us. in that way, we stay young and optimistic and determined. we need immigration laws that protect our borders, meet our economic needs and yet show that we are a compassionate nation of immigrants. we have been successful, too, because americans have known that one status of birth is not a permanent condition. americans have believed that you might not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your response to your circumstances. and your greatest ally in controlling your response to your circumstances has been a quality education. but today, today when i can look at your zip code and i can tell whether you're going to get a good education, can i honestly say it doesn't matter where you came from, it matters where you're going. the crisis in k-12 education is a threat to the very fabric of who we are. my mom was a teacher. i respect the profession. we need great teachers, not poor ones, and not mediocre ones. we have to have high standards for our kids. because self-esteem comes from achievement, not from lack standards and false praise. and we need to give parents greater choice. particularly poor parents whose kids very often minorties are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. this is the civil rights issue of our day. >> if we do anything less, we condemn to joblessness and hopelessness and life on the government dole. if we do anything less, we will endanger our global imperatives for competitiveness. and if we do anything less, we will tear apart the fabric of who we are, and cement the turn toward entitlement and grievance. mitt romney -- mitt romney and paul ryan will rebuild us at home. and they will help us lead abroad. they will provide an answer to the request where does america stand. the challenge is real. the times are hard. but america has met and overcome hard challenges before. whenever you find yourself doubting us, just think about all those times that america made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. our revolutionary founding against the greatest military power of the time, a civil war, brother against brother, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides. but we emerged a more perfect union. a second founding when impatient patriots were determined to overcome the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation. a long struggle against communism with the soviet union eventually in collapse and european whole, free, and at peace. and in the aftermath of 9/11, the willingness to take really hard, hard decisions that secured us and prevented the follow on attack that everybody thought preordained. and on a personal note -- and on a personal note, a little girl rose up in birmingham, the segregated city of the south where her parents can't take her to a movie theater or to a restaurant, but they have her absolutely convinced that even if she can't have a hamburger at the lunch counter she could be president of the united states and she wanted to be. and she becomes the secretary of state. >> yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, america has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. but we know it was never inevitable, it took leadership and it took courage and it took belief in our values. mitt romney and paul ryan have the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us. they know who we are. they know who we want to be. they know whoe are in the world and what we offer. that is why -- that is why this is a moment in an election of consequence. because it just has to be that the freest and most compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to be the most powerful and a beacon for prosperity and liberty across te world. god bless you and god bless this extraordinary country, this exceptional country, the united states of america. >> from the state of new mexico, the first hispanic female governor in the history of the united states. please welcome governor susannah martinez. >> so we just heard kocondoleez rice say if she could whip up this crowd. she says she has no great political ambitions down the road. she's happy in ak deem academyi. >> she added to what rand paul tried to do, i thought. which was try to portray a party that was passionate on immigration as opposed to closed minded on that topic. candy, what do you think? >> you know, for a woman who says she has no passion for politics, she's pretty darn good at it. so obviously she's here in front of a friendly crowd. just interestingly, no prompter used in that. not in the one that i can see from here or the panels in front of her. she did have a script with her, but the words changed around. i don't know if you watched her, but she was connecting with this crowd all over the place. so i've heard a lot of these things from condi rice in other speeches. they really like her here. and i don't know. i always used to believe back when she would say i don't have the heart for politics. i don't have that fire for politics. but i don't know. i think after this speech, she has people talking. >> it certainly seems that way. what's interesting, we sit here and sometimes we have everyone precopies which we get right before the speech and we follow along. and on hers, we noticed that. there was a lot of ad libbing. the themes were the same. >> but she stuck to the speech. she knew the speech. she had written it. clearly she knew what she wanted to say. there were words here and there she deviated from. but the structure was there. >> some flowery, some passion. >> i will say this. so far the women at this republican convention have given better speeches than the men. ann romney gave a terrific speech last night. condoleezza rice. some of the men maybe not so much. >> does this surprise you wolf? >> no. >> we'll see how paul ryan does. we're getting ready. within a few minutes we'll hear from paul ryan. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. turn to senokot-s tablets. senokot-s has a natural vegetable laxative ingredient plus the comfort of a stool softener for gentle, overnight relief of occasional constipation. go 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! we're back at the republican national convention in tampa. the first female governor of new mexico, the first female hispanic governor of the united states suzanna martinez introducing paul ryan. >> for those who missed the top, she began talking about carrying a gun. it's important to her. she carries a magnum .357. let's listen to the rest of her speech. >> we got in the car, i looked at chuck and said i'll be damned, we're republicans. >> this election should not be about political parties. too many americans are out of work and our debt is out of control. this election needs to be about those issues. and it is the responsibility of both parties to offer up real solutions and have an honest debate. in new mexico, i inherited the largest structural deficit in state history. and our legislature is controlled by democrats. we don't always agree. but we came together in a bipartisan manner and turned that deficit into a surplus. and we did it without raising taxes. but that's not the kind of leadership that we're seeing from president obama. he promised to bring us all together. to cut unemployment, to pass immigration reform in his first year. and even promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term. do you remember that? but he hasn't come close. they haven't even passed a budget in washington, d.c. in three years. if he can take credit for government building small businesses, then he can accept responsibility for breaking his promise and adding $5 trillion to the national debt. because he did build that. as the first hispanic female governor in the history, little girls, they often come up to me in the grocery store or in the mall. they look and they point and when they get the courage to come up, they ask are you sasana? and they run up and give me a hug. and i wonder, how do you know who i am? but they do. and these are little girls. it's in moments like these when i'm reminded that we each pave a path. and for me, it's about paving a path for those little girls to follow. they need to know no more barriers. in many ways mitt romney and i are very different. different starts in life, different paths to leadership, different cultures. but we've each shared in the promise of america. and we share a core belief that the promise of america must be kept for the next generation. [ speaking spanish ] it's success. it is success and success is the american dream. and that success is not something to be ashamed of or to demonize. there is one candidate in this election who will protect that dream. one leader who will fight hard to keep the promise of america for the next generation. and that's why we must stand up and make mitt romney the next president of the united states. thank you. >> today we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of america. as leadership begins with character and values. he's a person of great steadiness whose integry i did is unquestioned and his word is good. he understands the fiscal challenges facing america and the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we don't change course. today is a good day for america and there are better days ahead. >> when i look at all he's done, his life, his wife, his family, i'm just so proud. i know his father would be as well. especially tonight. >> i'm so proud to introduce my husband, the next vice president of the united states, paul ryan. ♪ >> hello, everybody. hello, everybody. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. hey, wisconsin. thank you. thank you. you guys are great. thank you so much. thank you. mr. chairman -- mr. chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens, i am honored by the support of this convention for vice president of the united states. i accept the duty to help lead our nation out of a jobs crisis and back to prosperity. and i know we can do this. i accept the calling of my generation to give our children the america that was given to us with opportunity for the young and security for the old. and i know that we are ready. our nominee is sure ready. his whole life -- his whole life prepared him for this moment. to meet serious challenges in a serious way. without excuses and idle words. after four years of getting the runaround, america needs a turnaround and the man for the job is governor mitt romney. i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money. and he's pretty experienced at that. you see, some people can't be dragged down by the usual cheap tactics because their character, ability, and plain decency are so obvious. and ladies and gentlemen, that is mitt romney. for my part your nomination is an unexpected turn. it certainly came as news to my family. and i'd like you to meet them. my best friend and wife jana, our daughter liza, and our boys charlie and sam. the kids are happy to see their grandma who lives in florida. there she is. my mom betty. my dad, a small town lawyer was also named paul. until we lost him when i was 16, he was a gentle presence in my life. i'd like to think he'd be proud of me and my sister and brothers. you know what? i'm sure proud of him and where i come from, janesville, wisconsin. i live on the same block where i grew up. we belong to the same parish where i was baptized. janesville is that kind of place. the people of wisconsin have been good to me. i've tried to live up to their trust. and now i ask those hard working men and women and millions like them across america to join our cause and get this country working again. when governor romney asked me to join the ticket, i said let's get this done. and that is exactly what we are going to do. president barack obama came to office during an economic crisis as he has reminded us a timor two. those are very tough days. and any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. my home state voted for president obama. when he talked about change, many people like the sound of it. especially in janesville. where we were about to lose a major factory. a lot of guys i went to high school with worked at that gm plant. right there at that plant, candidate obama said i believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another hundred years. that's what he said in 2008. well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. it is locked up and empty to this day. and that's how it is in so many towns. where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight. right now 23 million men and women are struggling to find work. 23 million people, unemployed or underemployed. nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? the first troubling sign came with the stimulus. it was president obama's first and best shot at fixing the economy. at a time when he got everything he wanted under one party rule. it cost $831 billion. the largest one-time expenditure ever by our federal government. they went to companies like solyndra with your gold plated connections, subsidized jobs, and make believe markets. the stimulus was a case of political patronage, corporate welfare, and cronism at their worst. you, you the american people of this country were cut out of the deal. what did taxpayers get out of the obama stimulus? more debt. that money wasn't just spent and wasted. it was borrowed, spent, and wasted. maybe the greatest waste of all was time. here we were faced with a massive job crisis so deep that if everyone out of work stood in single file, that unemployment line would stretch the length of the entire american continent. you would think that any president, whatever his party would make job creation and nothing else his first order of economic business. but this president didn't do that. instead, we got a long divisive all or nothing attempt to put the federal government in charge of health care. obama care comes to more than 2,000 pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees, and fines that have no place in a free country. >> that's right. that's right. you know what? the president has declared that the debate over government-controlled health care is over. that will come as news to the millions of americans who will elect mitt romney so we can repeal obama care. and the biggest, coldest power play of all in obama care came at the expense of the elderly. you see, even with all the hidden taxes to pay for the health care takeover, even with the new law and new taxes on nearly a million small businesses, the planners in washington still didn't have enough money. they needed more. they needed hundreds of billions more. so they just took it all away from medicare. $716 billion funneled out of medicare by president obama. an obligation we have to our parents and grandparents is being sacrificed all to pay for a new entitlement we didn't even ask for. the greatest threat to medicare is obama care, and we're going to stop it. in congress, when they take out the heavy books and the wall charts about medicare, my thoughts go back to a street in janesville. my wonderful grandma janet had alzheimer's. she moved in with mom and me. though she felt lost at times, we did all the little things that made her feel loved. we had help from medicare. and it was there just like it's there for my mom today. medicare is a promise, and we will honor it. a romney/ryan administration will protect and strengthen medicare for my mom's generation, for my generation, and for my kids and yours. >> so our opponents can consider themselves on notice. in this election, on this issue the usual posturing on the left isn't going to work. mitt romney and i know the difference between protecting a program and raiding it. ladies and gentlemen, our nation needs this debate. we want this debate. we will win this debate. >> obama care, as much as anything else explains why a presidency that began with such anticipation now comes to such a disappointing close. it began with a final crisis. it ends with a job crisis. it began with a housing crisis they alone didn't cause. it ends with a housing crisis they didn't correct. it began with a perfect aaa credit rating for the united states. it ends with a downgraded america. it all started off with stirring speeches, the thrill of something new. now all that's left is a presidency adrift surviving on slogans that already seem tired. grasping at a moment that is already passed. like a ship trying to sale on yesterday's wind. you know, president obama was asked not long ago to reflect on any mistakes he might have made. he said well, i haven't communicated enough. he said his job is to quote, tell a story to the american people. as if that's the whole problem here? he needs to talk more? and we need to be better listeners? ladies and gentlemen, these past four years we had suffered no shortage of words in the white house. what is missing is leadership in the white house. >> and the story -- and the story that barack obama does tell forever shifting blame to the last administration is getting old. the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? in this generation a defined responsibility of government is to steer our nation clear of a debt crisis while there is still time. back in 2008, candidate obama called a $10 trillion national debt unpatriotic. serious talk from what looked like a serious reformer. yet by his own decisions, president obama has added more debt than any other president before him. and more than all the troubled governments of europe combined, one president one term, $5 trillion in new debt. he created a new bipartisan debt commission. they came back with an urgent report. he thanked them, sent them on their way, and then did exactly nothing. republicans stepped up with good faith reforms and solutions equal to the problems. how did the president respond? by doing nothing. nothing except to dodge and demagogue the issue. so here we are. $16 trillion in debt and still he does nothing. in europe massive debts have put entire governments at risk of collapse. and still he does nothing. and all we have heard from this president and his team are attacks on anyone who dares to point out the obvious. they have no answer to this simple reality. we need to stop spending money we don't have. really simple. not that hard. my dad used to say to me son, you have a choice. you can be part of the problem or you can be part of the solution. the present administration has made its choices. and mitt romney and i have made ours. before the math and the momentum overwhelm us all, we are going to solve this nation's economic problems. and i'm going to level with you. we don't have that much time. but if we're serious and smart and we lead, we can do this. after four years of government trying to divide up the wealth, we will get america creating wealth again. with tax fairness and regulatory reform, we'll put government back on the side of men and women who create jobs. and the men and women who need jobs. my mom started a small business, and i've seen what it takes. mom was 50 when my dad died. she got on a bus every week day for years and rode 40 miles each morning to madison. she earned a new degree and new skills to start her small business. it wasn't just a new livelihood. it was a new life. and it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small business woman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. her work gave her hope. it made our family proud. and to this day, my mom is my role model. >> behind eve small business there's a story worth knowing. all the corner shops in our towns and cities, the restaurants, cleaners, gyms, hair salons, hardware stores, these didn't come out of nowhere. a lot of heart goes into each one. and if small business people say they made it on their own, all they're saying is that nobody else worked seven days a week in their place. nobody showed up in their place to open the door at 5:00 in the morning. nobody did their thinking and worrying and sweating for them. after all that work and in a bad economy, it sure doesn't help to hear from their president that government gets the credit. what they deserve to hear is the truth. yes, you did build that. >> we have a plan for a stronger middle class with a goal of generating 12 million new jobs over the next four years. in a clean break from the obama years and frankly from the years before this president. we will keep federal spending at 20% of gdp or less because that is enough. the choice -- the choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth or hard limits on the size of government. and we choose to limit government. i learned a good deal about economics and america from the author of the reagan tax reforms. the great jack kemp. what gave jack that incredible enthusiasm was his belief in the possibilities of free people. in the power of free enterprise and strong communities to overcome poverty and despair. we need that same optimism right now. and in our dealings with other nations, a romney/ryan administration will speak with confidence and clarity. whenever men and women rise up for their own freedom, they will know that the american president is on their side. instead -- instead of managing american decline, leaving allies to doubt us and adversaries to test us, we will act in the conviction that the united states is still the greatest force for peace and liberty that this world has ever known. >> president obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record and then calls that the record. but we are four years into the presidency. the issue is not the economy that barack obama inherited. not the economy that he envisions. but this economy that we are living. college graduates should not have to live out our 20s in their childhood bedrooms staring up at fading obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life. >> everyone -- everyone who feels stuck in the obama economy is right to focus on the here and now. and i hope you understand this too. if you're feeling left out or passed by, you have not failed. your leaders have failed you. none of us -- none of us should have to settle for the best this administration offers. a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next. a country where everything is free but us. listen to the way we're already spoken to. listen to the way we're spoken to already. as if everyone is stuck in some class or station in life. victims of circumstances beyond our control with the government there to help us cope with our fate. it's the exact opposite of everything i learned growing up in wisconsin or at college in ohio. when i was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, i never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. i was on my own path. my own journey, an american journey where i could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. that's what we do in this country. that's the american dream. that's freedom, and i'll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. by themselves -- by themselves the failures of one administration are not a mandate for a new administration. a challenger must stand on his own merits. he must be ready and worthy to serve in the office of president. we're a full generation apart. governor romney and i. and in some ways we're different. there are the songs on his ipod which i've heard on the campaign bus and i've heard it on many hotel elevators. he actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. i said look, i hope it's not a deal breaker mitt, but my play list starts with ac/dc and ends with zeppelin. a generation apart -- a generation apart, but that doesn't matter. it makes us different, but not in any of the things that matter. mitt romney and i both grew up in the heartland. and we know what places like wisconsin and michigan look like when times are good. we know what these communities look like when times are good, when people are working, when families are going more than just getting by. and we know it can be that way again. we've had very different careers. mine mainly in public service. his mostly in the private sector. he helped start businesses and turn around failing ones. by the way, being successful in business, that's a good thing. >> mitt has not only succeeded, but he succeeded where others could not. he turned around the olympics at a time when a great institution was collapsing under the weight of bad management, overspending, and corruption. sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it? he was a republican governor of a state where almost nine in ten legislators are democrats. and yet he balanced the budget without raising taxes. unemployment went down, household incomes went up. and massachusetts under governor mitt romney saw its credit rating upgraded. mitt and i also go to different churches. but in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example. and i've been watching that example. the man who will accept your nomination tomorrow is prayerful and faithful and honorable. not only a defender of marriage, he offers an example of marriage at its best. not only a fine businessman, he's a fine man. worthy of leading this of mystic and good hearted country. our faiths come together in the same moral creed. we believe that in every life there is goodness. for every person there is hope. each one of us was made for a reason bearing the image in likeness of the lord of life. >> we have responsibilities one to another. we do not each face the world alone. and the greatest of all responsibilities is that of the strong to protect the weak. the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves. each of these moral ideas -- each of these moral ideas is essential to democratic government, to the rule of law, to life in a humane and decent society. they are the moral creed of our country. as powerful in our time as on the day of america's founding. they are self-evident and unchanging. and sometimes even presidents need reminding that our rights come from nature and god and not from government. the founding generation secured those rights for us, and in every generation since, the best among us have defended our freedoms. they are protecting us right now. we honor them and all of our veterans and we thank them. the right that makes all the difference now is the right to choose our own leaders. and you are entitled to the clearest possible choice. because the time for choosing is drawing near. so here is our pledge. we will not duck the tough issues. we will lead. we will not spend the next four years blaming others. we will take responsibility. we will not try to replace our founding principles. we will reapply our founding principles. the work ahead will be hard. these times demand the best of all of us. all of us. but we can do this. we can do this. together we can do this. we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again. we can make the safety net safe again. we can do this. whatever your political party, let's come together for the sake of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see this thing all the way through. let's get this done! thank you and god bless you all. thank you. ♪ >> so there he is, the republican vice presidential nominee and his beautiful family there. his mom is up there. this is exactly what this crowd of republicans here certainly republicans all across the country were hoping for. he delivered a powerful speech. erin, a powerful speech. although i marked seven or eight points i'm sure the fact checkers will have some opportunities to dispute if they want to go forward, i'm sure they will. as far as mitt romney's campaign is concerned, paul ryan on this night delivered. >> that's right. certainly so. we were jotting down points. there will be issues with some of the facts. but it motivated people. he's a man who says i care deeply about every single word. i want to do a good job. and he delivered on that. precise, clear, and passionate. >> and our coverage of this republican national convention continues right now. >> in tampa tonight, paul ryan officially claims his job as mitt romney's running mate. warming up the crowd for ryan, former secretary of state condoleezza rice. >> and we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we're watching this republican convention in tampa, florida. we've heard some powerful speeches tonight including from the vice presidential nominee. >> we certainly have. and condoleezza rice, great job too. paul ryan just wrapped up his acceptance speech. it was one of many memorable moments tonight. take a look. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third session of the 2012 republican national convention. the convention will come to order. >> our nation is in desperate need of leadership. we believe mitt romney is the man for this moment. after four long years, help is on the way. >> our great nation is coming apart at the seams and the president just seems to point fingers and blame others. president obama's administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term. and i'm hoping it's just one term. >> everywhere i go in the world, people tell me that they still have faith in america. what they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves. i trust that mitt romney has that faith and i trust him to lead us. i trust him to know that an american president always, always, always stands up for the rights and freedoms and justice of all people. >> where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. we can only know that there is no choice. because one of two things will happen if we don't lead. either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. my fellow americans, we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead and you cannot lead from behind. mitt romney and paul ryan understand this reality. our well being at home and our leadership abroad are inextricably linked. they know what to do. they know that our friends and allies must again be able to trust us. >> i'm the newcomer to this campaign. so let me share a first impression. i have never seen opponents so silent about their record. and so desperate to keep their power. they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money. and he's pretty experienced at that. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? what is missing is leadership in the white house. the man assumed office almost four years ago. isn't it about time he assumed responsibility? >> and that was the highlight of this evening. paul ryan the vice presidential nominee clearly electrifying these people, these republicans here at the republican national convention in tampa. we all knew he had a lot of substantive background as a member of congress, chairman of the house budget committee. clearly i was surprised to hear how much of a speaker he would be although a few points will be disputed by his critics. john king is standing by. several points he made will be disputed, but no doubt he delivered a powerful speech. >> a powerful speech for the first time brought real convention intensity to this hall. paul ryan had this crowd engaged. they are now ready forrer in fight and he framed it that way. he framed it as much the republican waged back in 2010. about the size, the scope, the role of government and cast president obama as somebody who four years ago had a lot of promises but a failure in the presidency. let's get a quick impression here in the box. let me start with you. we'll have a longer conversation later, but paul ryan to you the headline, the major accomplishment or lack thereof. >> start with the proposition the conservatives tonight will think maybe they have a new reagan. he threw down the gauntlet. this audience loved ann romney and condi rice. we're going to have a great debate this fall. >> i think that paul ryan did a great job. he had to do a couple of things. he had to portray president obama as two things. divisive and a disappointment. to look at those persuadable voters and say give mitt romney a shot here and i think that's exactly what he did tonight. and he was the first person we really heard in this conntion take on president obama directly and repeatedly and say this man has failed. >> volt of adrenaline. this was optimistic adrenaline that he delivered tonight. that's something the republican party needs. the decisions to take on the future. also keep your eye on health care. if it's a romney/ryan ticket can neutralize the historic advantage in health ca and they may do it on this obama attack. huge changing issue in this election. >> james carville, after listening to paul ryan tonight will democrats be worried about this campaign? >> he's talking to you, james. never mind. i'll talk with him. >> just your impression. will democrats be worried after hearing this from paul ryan tonight? >> well, i think that democrats are worried right now. they were worried before this convention. it's a very tight race. if you look at it, obama's probably up one to three points. so who wouldn't be worried in that circumstance? but we're excited about our own convention too. i thought tonight it was really striking how much different he was tonight than he was in norfolk when he was announced. he was measured, determined, a much slower cadence. the style was a lot different tonight than it was back in norfolk. i thought that was kind of interesting. i'm sure that was obviously this speech was planned out and thought out to be that way. i just thought it was an interesting contrast between him and a month ago or whenever that was. >> wolf, interesting at the end. of course he's speaking in the hall here to republicans who needed a bit of red meat with the appeal at the end to all americans said at least give us a luck. i think that forbodes in an election. it needs to make sop converse in the weeks ahead. >> among those 10 percenters who are switchable. he was addressing them. let's go to the floor and switch around with the reporters. dana bash is down there. you've got a guest. >> i do. i've got the governor of wisconsin. what did you think of paul ryan's speech. >> even though he talks about tough numbers, he talks about it. that's why he's going to get it done. thrilled. >> the paul ryan i covered z back in washington is a wonk. >> he's a wonk at home but he's a guy that got into this it came out of reagan and kemp. i'm glad people saw the paul ryan i know tonight. >> governor, thank you very much. back to you, wolf. >> let's go to candy crowley on the podium. you've watched a lot of theess conventions over the years. what did you think of this paul ryan address? >> he brought it. he really did blow the roof off this place. this was the speech they were waiting for. ann romney was great, chris christie might have got mixed reviews but they loved him here. but the spark in the air when he started to talk. and i just thought actually just in terms of words and the speech writing, anytime you've got a speech that has your mother in tears, your governor in tears, you close to it mentions ac/dc and zeppelin then talks about the sanctimony of planners, was a speech with a lot in it. it was well crafted and certainly mostly for this audience. but at the end there was again this kind of powerful drive to push out and say come and join us no matter what party you're with. so this was the tee-up for mitt romney tomorrow. and he certainly gave him a board to jump off of for sure, wolf. >> and no doubt even though a lot of republicans are afraid of the medicare debate, what we heard from paul ryan, he said bring it on. you want to debate medicare, we want to debate medicare and we will win. >> look at the numbers. he and barack obama are not far f on medicare. but the people we want to know what they think tonight are the independents. there aren't many that are undecided. but there are some that will decide who will win the white house in november. a gro up of undecided voters came here and watched the speech along with our tom foreman and literally it was a touch of the dial. everything they thought they rated it. what was the verdict? >> it was fascinating to watch it here. i have to say these voters, we listened to them a bit beforehand. they have a tendency to be a little bit more on the republican side in temples of their view of things. but all of them unconvinced republicans. let me start with one big question if i can first. all of you here, after paul ryan's speech tonight, do you feel more positive about leaning toward the republican side with your vote? little bit? less positive? nobody. sort of in between a bit. take a look at this bite. one of the interesting things here if you look at the lines here. the pink represents the women, the blue represents the men. look how they reacted differently to an attack in the paul ryan speech. it's different than what you heard in the hall. take a look. >> nearly one in six americans is in poverty. millions of young americans have graduated from college during the obama presidency. ready to use their gifts and get moving in life. half of them can't find the work they studied for or any work at all. so here's the question. without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years? >> a big applause line there and you may have been able to see in the lines there that the men responded to the attacks better than the women did. how did you feel about the attacks in the speech? good thing or bad? >> any time there's any attack, i don't feel good about it. you've got to focus on the positive of stuff. but getting back to what you said about paul ryan, i really liked everything he said, but he's just going for v.p. he's not the main guy. >> what about you? did you like it when he talked tough about the economy and about the president? >> i think he spent a lot of time bashing president obama and not enough time talking about what they're going to do for this country. i really do. >> all right. let me grab a guy in the back row here. what about you? when he went after the president and pointed out what he thought was wrong with the president's programs, what did you think about that? >> i think he was spot on on what he pointed out there. i think he hasn't done enough in four years. if somebody gives him the opportunity, it's what they do with that opportunity. he was given the opportunity of being president of the united states and has not turned the country around. >> in the early parts of the speech, the women in your group here generally lagged below the men in terms of their approval of what was being said. but when he talked about his mother, rebuilding her life after the death of his father, everything turned around and stayed that way for quite some time. watch the lines on this. >> it wasn't just a new livelihood. it was a new life. and it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small businesswoman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. her work gave her hope. it made our family proud. and to this day, my mom is my role model. >> let me ask you about that. when he started talking about his mother and her struggles and her family struggles to make things better, the women in this group by and large said good thing, positive thing. why do you think? >> just because there's a lot of single moms out there that are going through that same thing, and they lead -- they give a good example and we try to instill that in our kids as we're raising them. and that he respects her so much. >> let me bring in alex here. alex, come in this way if you will. i want to ask you something about it. come over here. when you listen to and you watch what went on here tonight particularly with the response and the differences between the women in this group and the men in this group, what do you think worked and what didn't? >> i want to ask these people here if i raise my voice a bit, did you think this guy was a reasonable guy or did you guys think he was a scary too extreme guy? raise hands first for reasonable. tell me why. tell me why. >> i think he was calm, he was well spoken, and he made some very good points. i did not know a lot about him, but he impressed me. >> he didn't scare you? >> not at all. >> who did he scare? too xtreme, cotoo conservatives? any hands? >> what does that tell you? >> that's usually one of the reasons you see a split in male/female things. we saw it on government spending and a couple of other issues where men diverge from women tonight. >> so in general by the end once the women came up and let me ask you about this. when the women came up on this thing on that issue of his mother and struggling along, they stayed up. that was interesting. did that represent a turning point for you? >> no. i like that he respected what his mother did to help set him up and what she did for her family. i felt more included when he recognized her that way. >> interesting. what about you? >>ty feel the same way. i had a favorable response because he was giving honor and respect to his mother for the work she's done. that's one thing the politicians really need to pay attention and realize that women are -- do carry the burden in the household and they do have a big say so in politics. >> all right. we're going to be back with more from our group here and alex as we go on. an awful lot. fascinating results here, wolf, from this group and their reaction. we want to talk to more of them later on. >> we're only starting getting reaction to paul ryan's speech. we're going to speak to some family members. there you see some members of his own family. who knows paul ryan better than members of his own family? when we come back, you'll hear what they have to say. great shot. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. 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tell us what they're saying. let's hear from them. >> let's hear from them. i'm joined by two brothers and sister of paul ryan. and their respective wives and husbands and kids. and stan ryan, you were telling me a few moments ago. what was going through your find when you saw your brother up on stage there? >> well, it was paul, if you will. he's just so natural as what he does. he's all in committed. all in committed to the cause. all in committed to what he's doing. he believes, we believe. and he's going to follow through. >> okay. and janet let me ask you. you're the oldest. they told me that, i don't know. i didn't guess that. i'm just saying. janet, tell me was paul ryan always this way as a youngster? was he just as incorrigible as he is now? >> he was. but he's always done what he thought needed to be done. he's kind of -- he's led by his convictions. he's continued that today. ttlerother is goto be ne day my vice president of the united stat >> no, i never did. >> this is a shocker for you? >> it was a. was hegood at ordering you around the house? what signs did you see at an early age? >> he was good at negotiating. he never orderedhe simply negotiated his way to what he thought he wanted. >> a he got on the ticket. >> he did. >> not too bad of a negotiator. toben, what is it about your moment? >> you know, paul is a guy who is an eternal optimist. there is no challenge, i think, that keeps him down that he doesn't think he can overcome. and that kind of leadership, i think, is probably what mitt romney saw in paul. and together i think combined is the kind of leadership that i think that's really going to help this nation. >> okay. and mack ryan is with us. this is paul ryan's nephew. is this inspiring you perhaps one day to get into politics? is this what you want to do? >> you know, it really is. it's fantastic here. there's a lot of energy going around. it's a great place to be. you learn a lot of stuff. it's lots of fun being with my family having a great time. >> are you proud of your uncle? >> i'm very, very proud of my uncle. he's going to put america on the right track. >> all right. okay. this is a family, a ryan family here that is beaming with smiles and pride tonight. and for good reason. wolf? >> thanks very much, jim acosta on the floor. we'll be getting more reaction from various folks down on the floor. we'll get some reaction from democrats as well. but john, you know, as you and i well know, the democrats and certainly the obama campaign, they were watching this speech. they were going through it line by line and you are getting and so i am, a lot of e-mail right now pointing out to what they claim are falsehoods, misleading statements, lies, if you will, that were made by paul ryan. and i guess those fact checking is just getting ready to begin. >> the fact checking is beginning. our cnn team is at it already. other news organizations will do it as well. that's how it goes in campaigns. some of it will be clear, you will say that was a stretch. other things will be debatable. one thing he talked about was the plant shut down in janesville. that was shut down under the bush administration. he spoke of president obama saying it may be reopened. but it was cloedsed under the bush administration. ere was one about obama care. it does get savings from medicare and use them for their health care plan. there's a big debate about whether those savings come from the program, the administration says no they come from payments that would go to democracy and other things. so you're taking money, but that would be debated in the campaign. let's continue the conversation here. >> can i say to your medicare point, the ryan budget also assumed the same $716 billion in medicare savings not for, of course, the president's health care reform plan but assume those savings for something else. another thing with paul ryan and he talked about the bipartisan debt commission. he was a member of the bipartisan debt commission. he voted against the product there, yet tonight he chided the president for doing nothing about it saying they came back with an urgent report. he thanked them. well the they, part of the they was paul ryan who didn't sign on to it. >> wouldn't sign on because they would require higher taxes. if you're watching at home and remember that debate. it's a fascinating moment. he is the vice presidential candidate. erin, you wanted to mak a point? >> i had a chance to talk to paul ryan the day his budget came out and asked him why did you vote against simpson bowles on that and his reason at the time was i didn't like how it was dealing with health care and health entitlement. it highlights the irony that gloria pointed out. that same $716 billion that the president would cut, so would paul ryan. their plans more similar in that sense than they are different. >> it highlights the choice of the next president. whether president obama is re-elected or mitt romney wins the election, you will have this debt and deficit crisis to deal with. and will we have what we've had the past four years. saying you must get some increased taxes from the wealthy and a republican party that says absolutely not. >> i think these factual checks are important. they should be held accountable and i think there were some misstatements in the facts. but let's not forget. this was a speech about big ideas. we haven't had that very much in this campaign. that's what i thought was helpful about it. throwing down the gauntlet, he's inviting major conversation in the debates ahead about confl t conflicticonflic conflicting views. >> i want to bring ari and james in. this is the 2008 map for president right here. i want to let the camera come around. this is the 2008 map for president. look at this part of the section here. paul ryan is from wisconsin. mitt romney was the governor of massachusetts. this is 2008. this is. 2010. these are the senate races. these are the governorships. illinois has held on. what they are counting on in this pick is that this part of the country is listening to take the big issues on. about the size of government, the role of government, whether these decisions should be made in washington or by your governor. 2010 was the midterm election, not a presidential election. they are apples and oranges, if you will. is that a safe bet or the only you can make? >> you nailed it. who's turn out to vote. a 2008 model, 2010 model or 2012 mod model. a lot of sampled on a 2008 model which boggles my mind. still a 50/50 race. if this race is between the 2004 and 2008 presidential races, which probably will be. bush won in '04 big turnout. obama wins in '08. chances are mitt romney wins and that's the big issue area. michigan is in play and wisconsin was a battle ground before paul ryan. real battle ground now. >> one thing he did make a big point. it's an accurate statement. under the obama administration, the national debt did increase by $5 trillion over these past nearly four years. what he didn't say is the national debt doubled during the eight years of the bush administration from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. and he didn't point out he as a member of congress voted for some of the biggest expenditures, biggest expansions of the federal government over those years including a prescription drug benefit for seniors including all the trillions of dollars spent in the wars in iraq and afghanistan, all those defense department spending as well. so this debate is only just beginning right now. on all of these issues. and there's no doubt that next week at the democratic convention in charlotte, we're going to hear a fierce response going after these republicans. >> but, you know, it's interesting. one thing i didn't hear from paul ryan was a huge call for tax cuts. paul ryan is really a fiscal conservative who likes to cut taxes. but we didn't hear that a lot to the audience tonight, wolf, because he was talking much more about his differences with president obama. but i think that's going to become a big issue. when you have somebody who says we've got to get control of that debt. you have the debt clock up there. what do you do about repealing the tax cuts for the wealthy? >> the big speech comes tomorrow night. that will be when mitt romney accepted the nomination. paul ryan setting the stage tonight. when we come back, more from those voters. you see florida, that's where we are for this convention. it's a tossup state. more on this when our coverage continues. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] at&t. the nation's largest 4g network. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. at&t. rethink possible. covering 2,000 more 4g cities and towns than verizon. you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways. on once empty fields. everyday you see all the ways all of us at us bank are helping grow our economy. lending more so companies and 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care, medicare. he didn't skirt those issues. yes, there would be a serious debate. but at least the focus was on the number one issues facing the american voter right now. and we asked these groups ahead of time with these dial tone. they told us the economy is the big issue here. and watch how the men and women reacted to another one of the big moments in the speech tonight. >> i was on my own path, my own journey, an american journey where i could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. that's what we do in this country. that's the american dream. that's freedom and i'll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. >> alex, one of the things that excited you about this tonight was the reaction of this crowd to the idea that was also in the speech of will you be better off in four years or is it going to be the same. why? >> it's funny. this crowd seemed to react the same way when ronald reagan did. i'm wondering what do they think when they heard paul ryan say why are the next four years going to be better than the last. >> when paul ryan asked that question why will the next four years be any better, why would you believe that, what do you think? was that a fair question to ask? >> it was a good question to ask. i believed him. i don't think they're going to be better without a change. >> what about you? >> i have the same feelings. i think that he thought the question that he's asking us is what have we heard that will make us believe that it will be any different. so far we haven't heard anything different. >> i move to you with the last one. president obama did very well with young people. question is, you're a young person right now looking at this. do you when you hear that question from paul ryan, will you be better off in four years what would make you believe any better. is that a good question, a fair question, and how do you feel about it? >> i think it's a fair question. i didn't vote for obama last election, i don't think i'm going to vote for obama this election. >> are you ready to vote for mitt romney at this point? >> i think a lot of things i did hear tonight are swaying me that way. i like a lot of things that getting the country back on track, shouldn't be punished for being successful. that was appealing to me. i feel like got to have jobs and can't punish those people that make jobs. especially the small business owners. >> alex, one last quick thought here. you watch this group, you saw their reaction. you're in the business of deciding speeches like this had worked. do you think it worked with these undecided voters? >> ihink b it began to plant a seed. one thing i'd love to ask these guys and we will maybe later is is he too young or did he speak about the future? did he say anything about the republican party moving forward? but i think was there optimism here? maybe in the beginning. >> i'm going to have you step this way. before we get back to you, wolf, let me ask you all. you came here undecided. how many of you feel that you're closer to a decision after hearing this speech tonight? well, a pretty good number there. some still holding out. and we'll see how it plays out, wolf. fascinating group here from southern methodist university they put them together. but voters from here around tampa undecided voters. this is the gold in this election, wolf. whoever can win these voters can win in november. >> over at the cnn grill, thanks very much. we're going to do that next week in charlotte at the democratic national convention. we're going to do exactly the same thing. listen to the speeches. we'll hear when mitt romney speaks we'll have the focus group of undecided voters. see how they go forward as well. interesting stuff that was going on. and at least he didn't get into all the junk out there, all the stupid issues that politicians like to raise about the opposition. at least paul ryan focused in on the real meat, the real importance of this election. >> it was a substantive speech. >> jobs, jobs, jobs. has different views of course than the democrats but at least he focused on issue number one. >> you talk about him as a person of substance and he is. and he does love policy. a lot of people may look at paul ryan and say especially with all the talk out there about his views on medicare, is he far to the right? one thing that may surprise people about his record in his willingness to go to the other side. he voted for the auto bailout. he voted for t.a.r.p. the bank bailout, everybody. and at the time he said i'm doing it to prevent a depression. so he cast both of those votes in that way. when i spoke to him this spring when he came out with his budget, he made it clear to me on repeated questions that he would allow taxes on the wealthy to go up. and their effective tax rates are going to be higher because i'm not going to allow them to shelter their income anymore. if you take those points you think is this the vice presidential nominee? but he is. this is the person who has shown the ability to compromise. >> and whether or not, john king, the critics out there will dispute his facts in the speech, there's no doubt he delivered for the republicans. it does set a high bar for mitt romney tomorrow night. can mitt romney deliver an even more powerful speech as he accepts the republican presidential nomination? >> and that is the defining question of this nvention. governor romney comes in to win this race. it is a dead heat race. paul ryan still introducing himself to the country in many ways. he is the star attraction tonight. americans vote for presidents, not vice presidents. governor romney has the bigger challenge tomorrow night. james carville, when you worked for bill clinton and he picked al gore. that was sending a statement. that the democrats were going to be different, that they were a new generation, that this was not dukakis' party. to what degree was paul ryan -- does he help mitt romney send this signal it's a new or different republican party? >> yeah, i think he does. and i think that what you've seen in the campaign is that the campaign is basically about activating the base. that they believe that they're sufficient as 50 plus one if they had the turnout they had in 2010. clearly that was what was at work here. different generation. he looks different. if you watch him tonight, he's very different looking than anyone we've seen run for national office before. and whether that works or not, we'll see in november. but it is a very close race. people say are you nervous? of course i'm nervous. who wouldn't be in a race where you were two points up. anybody would. >> and incredibly likable guy. it's not an endorsement. the policies will be debated. romney has embraced much of that and as the romney budget of course that matters more than the ryan budget. but your thoughts on just what was he trying to do tonight and did he get there? >> i think he tried to set out a bolder more energetic and ari says a more optimistic vision of what the country could be. their theme as been we can do better than what we've been doing the last four years. i think he set up an indictment of president obama that is a spring board if you like for mitt romney tomorrow night. but mitt romney has got to take it. >> i also think what he did was he made this is generational argument, this issue of medicare. and he as somebody who's 42 years old said you know, i want this to be there. and i'm going to guarantee you if we win it's going to be there for my grandchildren. and i think what he did is say okay, i'm a young person and i want this to be there for my generation. and that's something we haven't heard. because it's risky. very risky. >> and wolf, we also learned tonight he listens to ac/dc to zeppelin. and romney listens to elevator music. >> i like elevator music. sometimes that elevator music is pretty good. i will say this about the republican convention, they have a great band here that's going. the band here has been fabulous as someone who loves music and you know i do. i think this band has been terrific. >> we need music. it's very important. >> even elevator music from time to time. all right, guys. thanks to social media, we're giving you our viewers a chance to be part of cnn's convention coverage. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer. this question. does representative paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we're going to give your results, that's coming up. stand by. but first, this convention flashback. >> first and foremost -- >> what was notable about reagan's speech in 1980 was it was filled with optimism. >> an american president told the generation of the depression it had a rendezvous with destiny. i believe this generation of americans today also has a rendezvous with destiny. >> he came across, i think in a way so much less scary than he'd been projected to seeing and full of sun, humor, and strength. rick! 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! perform, compete and grow. and people are driving this change. that's the power of human resources. the society... for human resource management and its members know... how to harness that power, because we help develop it. from the next economy, to the next generation, we help get... the most out of business, by getting the best out of people. shrm. leading people, leading organizations. but that doesn't mean we should be penalized for it. that's why liberty mutual insurance policies come standard with accident forgiveness, if you qualify. learn more at libertymutual.com. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. obama care comes to more than 2,000 pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees, and fines that have no place in a free country. >> e rin, i want to get quick reactions from our reporters and analyst. let's go to candy crowley. >> well, you know, you can watch this convention as most conventions do build to the finale and that is tomorrow night and mitt romney. i mean, we really have seen two successive days of ratcheting up the excitement level on this floor. paul ryan, i mean, just talking to folks as they're going out they are ecstatic. we saw several top level romney advise advisers. i said what did you think? they said awesome, great. they are very happy. it may -- obviously if you're not inclined to like paul ryan and mitt romney, you won't find a lot to like. in fact it had a bit of everything, but i can tell you in this hall and on this day, he really did set the table for mitt romney. and that's what all this has been building for, after all, is to get their nominee out of here and on the road to what they hope are improved chances of beating president obama. >> yeah. there's no doubt about that. i think there's also -- for those who weren't familiar with paul ryan, didn't know who this congressman is and all of us news junkies know him. now millions of people will appreciate why mitt romney selected him to be his running mate. >> that's right. i think people who are familiar with him, i've been following him for years, people are getting a sense of the other side of him. people who knew him as a wonk, seeing his family and children gives a new picture. >> he likes music though. and he likes exercise. and has a beautiful family as you can see right there. >> i have to say i love how his daughter had that sparkly head band on. she gave a wave of her own which i thought was precious. >> i thought it was adorable, i don't know if that's the right word, how his mother was brought into this. she's on medicare herself. she's got quite a compelling story and he told it. he lost his dad when he was 16 years old. >> and he used the personal stories not only to introduce himself to the american people but to make key points for the republican argument and to rebut, if you wl, or provide some insulation against the democratic criticism. this is a guy after all, paul ryan, who is the new karl rove. when it rained in the bush administration, they blamed karl rove. if the bus was late in the bush administration, they blamed karl rove. i'm being a little bit jokey. but paul ryan has been the synonym for scary. they say what he wants to do is scary. the challenge is we had that big debate about the ideas. wall ryan tonight as a person ari i think it's safe to say was not scary. >> that's right. that's one of his greatest strengths. that's what i love about him. they talk too often like accountants, the republicans. they need to speak like ronald reagan with a jolt of adrenaline and confidence in what they do. paul ryan exudes that. which i want to fact check the fact checkers who began this segment. this is from the milwaukee journal sentinel, the hometown paper, september 2011 for politics and paul ryan entered the national seen. the janesville plant stopped production of suvs in 2008 and was idled in 2009 after it completed production of duty trucks. paul ryan was right. the fact checkers are wrong. >> all right. >> we'll have to get on -- yeah. check it out. >> i'll just quote the milwaukee paper. what do i know? >> it's a legitimate point. hold your breath. we'll be back with tonight's takeaways. we'll give you a chance to be part of the conversation. go to facebook.com/cnn. answer this question. does paul ryan make you enthusiastic about the gop ticket? we'll give you results coming up. one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. how did the nba become the hottest league on the planet? by building on the cisco intelligent network they're able to serve up live video, and instant replays, creating fans from berlin to beijing. what can we help you build? nice shot kid. the nba around the world built by the only company that could. cisco. exclusive to the military, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. erin, you remember just a little while ago we asked our viewers to go to sour facebook page and tell us whether representative paul ryan makes
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[ announcer ] it's amazing what one can do. this is fox 5 news at 6:00. bundled up against the cold and clearing away the snow. >> the snow is over but the icy temperatures are a whole different story. kids are sledding but will then sliding to school tomorrow? good to have you with us. i'm will thomas. >> i'm maureen umeh. already there is a school closing to tell you about. manassas city schools will be closed torrow. it may seem like the snow isn't that bad but the temperature is cold and the issue is all that ice out there. let's check in with gary mcgrady with the latest. >> reporter: you have to wonder how many two-hour delays we're going to have early tomorrow morning. it's cold overnight tonight. a couple of things going on tonight. the sunshine has been nice and winds have not been too bad. generally about 5 to 10 miles per hour. a couple hours earlier they were a little bit gusty but it's been sunny and cold but hasn't been very windy. here's temperatures, already down to 32 degrees in the city. notice in the suburbs we are really dropping. gaithersburg is 25 degrees. dulles down to 27. frederick, 21. so here's the setup. overnight tonight we've got clear skies, the winds are really lightning up. i think for a time overnight, the winds will actually go nearly calm. 18 degrees. you know, we're going to have frozen spots out there tonight, we're going to have black ice out there tonight. even during parts of the commute tomorrow morning we'll still have black ice because we've had that -- t hawing and wetness. keep it slow and you should be in good shape. it's 18 in the city. as the winds die down overnight tonight, easily in the teens in the suburbs we could have single digits before it's all said and done. you have the clear skies, light wind and snow pack on the ground. everything points tonight to a very, very bitterly cold overnight tonight. we'll talk more about the full forecast all coming up. thank you with the sun shining it is a good day to get out and dig out. especially since you're not going to want to do it in the morning with all that ice. tisha thompson spent the day in vienna, virginia. >> thanks to a light and fluffy snow combined with a bright sunshine, sunday became clean up day. libby tried to help her friend stan unearth his lincoln town car. >> they were predicting 1 to 2 inches and we got a lot more. >> reporter: compared to the big snowstorm in december, stan says this is a snap. >> it's really light. easy to get off. the sun is shining on it. not a problem. >> reporter: the sun did seem to make a big difference as vienna spent most of the day either shoveling or blowing the snow off sidewalks and driveways. on air hill avenue we found jim warts finishing up his driveway. >> i started yesterday around 4:00 and did the first layer. then it snowed more and i came out to get the rest, get the benefit of the sun, which is very helpful. >> i'm going to try to stay ahead of it. >> reporter: earl ross is clearing out the sidewalk for his neighbors. >> just so you can be a good neighbor. people have been walking through but earlier i seen people slipping so i thought i would get it up so it would be easier for them to walk. >> reporter: ross says even though it's not a major road, trucks cleared his street fairly quickly. virginia's department of transportation says it hopes to have most subdivision streets plowed by monday but warns you shouldn't necessarily expect to see bare pavement. hills, curves and other trouble spots will be treated with sand. >> everyone we talked to said they really wanted to get out here because they're worried this slush is going to turn into ice overnight and cause them even bigger problems. >> reporter: in vienna, tisha thompson, fox 5 news. v-d.o.t. is warning drivers to be extra careful in the morning because the melting snow will probably turn to ice as gary warned us. v-d.o.t. says they're ready and have all their hov lanes and park and ride lots ready to go. if you're wondering whether metro is going to have any problems for your trip to worktomorrow, they're telling us that the buses are running on snow emergency routes but that could change tomorrow. metro rail is running fine. even though the snow is a hassle it was pretty saw r awesome when it was all coming down. this is uploaded on myfoxdc.com from the blue ridge mountains in virginia. thanks to ron hill for sending this one in. this came to us from dallas phan in prince georges county. a pretty scene on the water out there. you of coue cup load your weather photos any time on our website and get the latest closings and delays throughout evening and tomorrow morning as ll as most updated forecasts on myfoxdc.com. some other stories making headlines tonight. a local college student has died in a house fire in colorado. 21-year-old adam lockhart of bethesda was a student at western state college. he and another student were killed when their house caught fire. four others escaped. investigators believe the fire started outside, spread to the inside. no word yet on a cause. new information tonight on a deadly fire in akakeek. several pets were found dead also inside the house. five dogs and a cat. a wom's body was found when firefighters arrived on the scene. two other people lived in the home but they're okay. investigators haven't released the victim's name or cause of the fire. a group of american christians arrested in haiti. police say they were trying to take a bus of haitian children to the dominican republic without the proper documents. fox's laura evans has the story. >> reporter: the senior pastor of the central valley baptist church saves the ten-member church team was trying to rescue abandoned and traumatized children but have found themselves thrust into a serious predig amount. the -- predicament. they are being accused of taking part in an illegal adoption scheme after they tried to cross into the dominican republic with 33 kids to get them to a new orphanage that was being built. when pastor clint henry talked to the team friday night the group was at the border about to crossover when they were told they were lacking an important piece of paperwork. that was the last time he heard from them. several of those arrested got out last minute text messages alerting their families what was happening before their phones were taken away. >> so we are currently trying to talk with the state department to find out just exactly what has happened to our team members, and see what we can do to get them home as soon as possible. we had thought today would be the day when we would get to celebrate that the children had reached their safe haven. apparently that has not happened. >> reporter: the plan was to get the first group over and come back for more children to get them medical aid, food and clothes. one little girl reportedly thought she was going to some summer camp in the dr. after the adults were arrested the children were taken to the sos children's village in port-au-prince where organizers are trying to find relatives who can care for them. the haitian government imposed new rules on adoption preventing any orphan's from leaving the country to stop child trafficking. no child would be allowed to leave the country without the prime minister's okay. the church group said they were unaware of that mandate. in new york, laura evans, fox news. meanwhile some doctors are using private jets to transport victims from the earthquake to the u.s. for treatment. the military has suspended evacuation flights over an issue for payment of care. some states are reportedly refusing to take patients because hospitals don't know who will pay them. at least one state that is florida says no one has been turned away though the governor did ask for federal aid. since the suspension florida has received some patients but has not received any in critical need of care. doctors in haiti said hundreds will die if they don't get flights out. it was a bold declaration, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks will be tried in new york city. now it looks like the attorney general's plan will not happen. scott brown got all the votes he needed to fill senator ted kennedy's senate seat. his daughter is a different story. you'll hear from brown wants his singing daughter to have a second shot on "american idol". cold feet? no problemo. a winter wedding on ice. i hope she has thermals on. we'll be back in 90 seshgdz. -- seconds. seconds. khalid sheikh mohammed has yet to face trial for the 2001 terrorist attacks in new york city. the hold up is determining a location. as the white house's decision to try the self described 9/11 mastermind on american soil receives criticism. julie banderas has the latest. >> reporter: speculation continues but top white house officials say no decision has been made yet on where to try the self proclaimed 9/11 mastermind and four others. the administration has faced strong political opposition since deciding it would hold khalid sheikh mohammed's trial in new york city. some reports indicate that the administration will make an announcement on the location on monday but white house senior advisor david axle rod says moving the trial location is still under consideration. >> the snoshgs state of new york was originally reception -- city of new york was originally receptive. they now have concerns about logistics and costs. i think the reports you have read are wildly premature. no decisions have been made. >> reporter: new york city mayor might be might be michael bloomberg is asking president obamato rethink it. axe are. >> the president thinks we need to take into consideration what the local authorities are saying but also believes that we ought to bring khalid sheikh mohammed and all others who are involved in terrorist acts to justice swift and sure in the american justice system. >> reporter: sources tell fox news that president obama plans to include 200 million dollars fo the 9/11 trials in the budget plan due out monday. in washington, julie kurtz, fox news. some republicans plan to try to block financing for civilian trials of alleged terrorists. 192 detainees remain at guantanamo bay. a just released political poll shows d.c.'s mayor isn't as popular as he used to be. a new washington post survey says 42% approve of the job adrian fenty is doing. the biggest drop is among african-americans of in his first year in office, most approved but now 65% disapprove. massachusetts voters approved a republican to take the place of liberal lion senator ted kennedy. americans are getting to know senator elect scott brown. "american idol" fans already know his daughter.♪ ella brown had hopes of being an idol in 2006. simon cowell called her last performance robotic. the senator elect says he thinks it would be fun for ella to have a second chance. >> put her on the show again because she's grown as well. she was 17 and she had never even put on make up until she walked in the "american idol" studios. i'd love for them to get together and have her get on idol again. i think it would be great for her, great for the show and let people know there is life after idol. ala respects simon greatly. if you list to what he says, he was right. >> reporter: she has released eight album and is 21 years old. >> when i went online i think theoryndie albums like the shot on a shoestring budget videos. >> dad is recently elected senator. should he be using his new found power position to promote his daughter? >> he was asked. he answer aed and if i was a daddy probably would be pushing my daughter too. >> but i think you're treading that line. >> there is a line. you could say it was a second chance for a mom. >> her 2-year-old saved her life. he didn't call 911 but what he did got the job done just as well. it's an amazing story you're not going to want to miss. gary is coming back to take an in depth look at the forecast and tell us if we're going to warm up any time soon. we're really hoping. we'll be right back. they've been discovered to be life enhancing. proven to have nourishing powers. and now you can get important nutrients found in these special fruits in your water. fruit2o essentials water. with nutrients equal to two svings of fruit. vitamins, minerals... and even a gram of fiber in crystal clear water. six delicious flavors, each enriched with nutrients like its fruits. fruit2o essentials water. the people who walk these streets before us were just like you and me. with hopes. dreams. challenges. today, we do more than just walk the same streets. for a moment, we get to walk in their shoes. preparing us for what lies ahead. down our next road. be part of the story. colonial williamsburg. a 2-year-old oregon bill is being hailed a hero. kenyatta moses was vacuuming when she hit a large mirror which sliced into her leg. a 2-year-old grabbed a chair to get outside and ask for help. >> he picked it up and then he pushed it to the door and climbed up on the door and unlocked the door. jumped down from the chair, goes outside and starts screaming, mom my, mommy, mommy. >> she's expected to make a full recovery. now you have four chances to become a millionaire no matter if you live in d.c., maryland or virginia. the d.c. lottery started selling mega-millions tickets today. they launched the game at the washington auto show with give aways including a brand new prius. drawings are tuesday and friday nights each week. >> the virginia and maryland lotteries started selling power ball tickets as well. drawings for the jackpot are wednesday and saturday night. it stands at $107 million right now. wow. >> wow. where have i been? not hearing these jackpot amounts. >> maybe we should go in on it. >> if we hit, what happens? >> we take a vacation. >> anywhere where it's warm. the snow did start melting so it made it a little better. >> where would you like to go? >> so many places. let me keep that to myself. anywhere above 65 degrees. >> i love putting her on the spot. i love it. anyway, list, it is cold and going to be cold. we're going to get a refreeze. be real careful out there tonight. use your common sense. give yourself a little bit of extra room. give yourself a little bit of extra time. same thing for tomorrow morning for the commute as well. i have to believe there is probably going to be several of the school districts that give a two-hour delay so that everybody gets a little bit of extra time tomorrow morning. most of the streets are clear but again, with the melting going on today we have the quick refreeze. check on the numbers. 32 already in the city so things are getting frozen out there. 25 degrees for gaithersburg. already 21 degrees for frederick. now over the next couple of hours, keep an eye on the temperatures because i think with the wind dying down and the clear skies, some of these suburbs out here overnight tonight and early, early tomorrow morning should easily be able to get down into the single digit early tomorrow morning. with the clear skies and light winds that should happen. especially with the snow pack on the ground. that helps to get it cold. windchill values not too terribly bad. we have a little bit of one in the city. 26 degrees. feels like 20 in dulles and manassas feels like 14 degrees there. you can imagine, 11, cold, 23 in the city, out in the suburbs, we'll already be down into the teens for just about everybody. 21 tomorrow morning, sunny skies, 21 in the city. some lower teens out there in the suburbs. by noontime we're back above freezing again and that sunshine tomorrow again will help to melt a lot of the snow. so tomorrow night we'll have the same problem with a little bit of a refreeze going on. high pressure is in control now. the storm stem from yesterday is out of here. as we pull back, there is nothing going on across the nation now. there is a little bit of snow coming in to the northern rockies there and there is a little bit of rainfall that may affect the -- pro bowl tonight and down into miami. toll possibly bring us snow tuesday night. there is another storm system late in the week and again for next weekend. clear and cold overnight tonight. as you can imagine there will be slippery spots as we get down to about 18 in the city and single digits possible out in the suburbs. we start off with plenty of sunshine tomorrow. i think as we progress through the day a few clouds but still we're going to have predominantly sunny skies out there for tomorrow. high temperatures making it up into the mid- to upper 30s. it wl be a couple days before we can warm-up with all the snow on the ground. in terms of future cast this is tomorrow at 5:00. it's just a few clouds out there. but we should stay pretty good. tuesday morning, more clouds and we'll be mostly cloudy through the day tuesday and we'll be watching this moisture coming up from the south. right now it's rain for the afternoon east of us. but i'm thinking by late tuesday night and into early wednesday morning we're probably going to be cold enough so that some of this could be very, very light snow. we're not expecting anything in the way of accumulation, though. so we don't have to worry about that at all. at least not for that little brief system. here's your next five days. 38 tomorrow. 38 on tuesday. late snow tuesday. it will be very, very brief and very, very light the way it's looking right now. through the day we're good. on friday, some clouds in advance of the next storm system. saturday we could have more snow. >> ice is really the story overnight. >> just be careful the next couple nights. >> thank you, gary. a little cold feet didn't stop a minnesota couple from having their dream wedding on ice. they could come to our area and do a night wedding tonight. they were married on lake minnetonka. they initially considered a warm weather destination wedding but why do that when a frozen lake was available at the end of january? >> when we came here we saw the tents on the ice. >> we wanted to embrace winter. >> 100 people packed into a semi heated tent on ice, the ice is a foot and a half thick. dave feldman is live at the verizon center. hey dave. >> the team was going for a record thieng tenth straight win against the tampa bay lightning, the last team to beat them. we'll tell you if the winning streak is still alive from a live report from the investigator center. stay with us. -- verizon center. stay with us. well, then how do you explain all this? chevy malibu, cobalt, silverado, and the all-new equinox. compare them to anyone. may the best car win. verizon center. stay with us. i'm dave feldman live from verizon center where caps season ticket holders are skating on the ice. the caps took on the light nining. the last team -- lightning. the last team to beat them. the caps would have won ten straight and tied the franchise record, something they haven't done in 35 years. let's show you what happened. this was a good game. second period we're scoreless. caps on a power play. tomas fleischmann to alex ovechkin. niklas backstrom pokes in the rebound. caps led 1-0. fleischmann to alexander sem in. the shot is stopped by brooks laich was on it. 2-0, caps. stanko's 29ingth of the year tied it at 2-2. alex ovechkin rips it past mike smith for the game winning goal. caps defeat the ligh 3-2, for their 10th straight win. something they haven't done since 1984. >> i don't think it will cinch in during the regular season how good that is. they may go their whole pro lifetime without winning ten in a row. i wanted them to understand that and enjoy that. it's a big deal. >> tuesday at boston is not just another game? >> right now it is. it might ramp up a little bit by tuesday. so for now, ten games is pretty good. >> ovy hits the game winner, his fifth game winner, 35th of his career and probably not surprising that he did it. >> you know what? he had an average game for 40 minutes and all of a sudden, he sees that we need it and turns it on a bit and they were checking him very closely. and he had three or four chances on that shift and he had been shooting everything at knee high and above. this one he went right along the ice almost. he purposely changed it up. he's just that smart he can do that. >> much more on the caps' big win on geico sports xtra. maryland and clemson, terps are trailing 29-22. virginia tech coming off an emotional win thursday over uva. tried to complete the season's sweep of miami today. let's show you the highlights of that one. hokies coach seth greenberg not having a real good time. then virginia tech rallied. jt thompson on the steal to hudson for the acrobatic lay in. hudson had a game high 22. hokies slice the deficit to 5 points. 1:30 left. duran scott has the pass stolen by j t thompson. they lay it in and virginia tech alls to miami 82-75. hokies 3 and 3 in the acc. the australian open mens final andy murray looking for britain's first grand slam final since 1936 facing roger federer. federer entered today's match 4 and 6 against murray but federer was in complete control. won the first two sets 6-3 and 6-4. the third set goes to a tie breaker. federer returning in the far court leading 12-11. murray nets the back hand giving federer his fourth australian open victory. he extends his record to 16 grand slam career titles. we'll have more tonight. thatwill do us at 6:00. we hope you can join us at 10:00 and the news edge at 11:00. >> my fox is always on, on myfoxdc.com. dreams are amazing things. and in hard times, sometimes, a belief in a dream, a belief in what is possible - can transform everything. at at&t, we've never forgotten that our company began in a small laboratory, with a dream and a belief, in the future. today, our wired and wireless high speed internet networks are connecting small businesses across america - in cities and small towns - to markets around the world. we know that investment in broadband high eed internet can create hundreds of thousands of new american jobs. small businesses are being formed - dreams are being launched - and real jobs are being created. at at&t, we're investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. now is not the time to stall momentum or to stifle innovation or investment. dreams, and jobs, and the future are at stake. at at&t, the future, are at stake. at at&t, the future, has always been our business. at&t... your world... delivered.