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monday. what are both campaigns saying about it? what do you expect to see? >> well, obviously this debate focuses on foreign policy. that's notable because mitt romney doesn't really have a long record or close to a non-existent record in foreign policy at all. he was governor for four years, didn't really deal with the issue a lot then. then obviously his trip to london didn't go so well this summer. so the question is, does that mean going into monday that in the expectations game or expectations low enough that he can just do already and receive a passing grade. that's what i'm going to be watching for monday night. >> so gauging that. susan, mitt romney did have some missteps in the last go around in relates to the libya situation. how do you think he's going to handle libya on monday? can he make up for the trouble he had with it in the last debate? is it one of the things just leave it be. >> i think he will handle and make up the ground. i think more importantly is the body language we're going to see when it comes to libya as well as a lot of other things. your previous guest was talking about civility. i think the last debate turned off a lot of people, especially
a question that jon stewart said the response was not optimal, but those words are clearly not optimal. >> greta: i've not that much. it says every piece of information wetting, as we got it, we laid out to the american people. that's president obama. the picture gets fully filled in. here's what i say, when four americans get killed, it's not optimal. >> right. jon stewart's question, he was playing off the optimal word. not an optimal response clearly from the president. this whole libya situation is a big target, generated and grown over time for the president over the last month. romney had opportunities at the debate to hit it. we're republicans are jumping into the fray and heading it more firmly. it is because of the response, because of the different explanations, regardless of what happened in the debate, it is a big target for republicans to exploit and make a question of leadership. >> well, what the president said, before the optimal part, is a bigger problem, suggesting
a question that jon stewart said the response was not optimal, but those words are clearly not optimal. >> greta: i've not that much. it says every piece of information wetting, as we got it, we laid out to the american people. that's president obama. the picture gets fully filled in. here's what i say, when four americans get killed, it's not optimal. >> right. jon stewart's question, he was playing off the optimal word. not an optimal response clearly from the president. this whole libya situation is a big target, generated and grown over time for the president over the last month. romney had opportunities at the debate to hit it. we're republicans are jumping into the fray and heading it more firmly. it is because of the response, because of the different explanations, regardless of what happened in the debate, it is a big target for republicans to exploit and make a question of leadership. >> well, what the president said, before the optimal part, is a bigger problem, suggesting
embassy. >> no doubt the kind of weapons that were use ongoing assault that it was not just a mob action. >> gretchen: all of those days later still did not call it a day of terror. romney folks will be camping out making sure they perfect his performance for next monday night on how to handle the entire libya situation. i agree with you. that was a lay up with that question. even though it was a 48 hour old question. it was a lay up what bret o'donald will tell us. is that a cand date on a debate stage should never ask a question. it is like being in a courtroom. you never bring up something unless you know for sure what the question will be. >> steve: but the courtroom is the judge: s. candy crowley who was supposed to be the moderator.
they probably thought about it. what did you think about the debate. the big thing that you are talking about this morning is the libya situation. we waited sometime for the question to come about foreign policy and the only question about 48. it was a 48 hour oil question. that answered -- question was answered by hillary clinton about the security of benghazi. >> brian: why oust all of the questions . that was the best one to go in i am shot sure. i loved the fact that they interacted. i thought president obama did better . mitt romney did the best. it is a matter of timing. he wanted to answer the question about chinese. and mr. romney. he's out of time . different ways in which he wanted to counter act the president he couldn't do that. and i thought the president
as you know, this administration has been hammered over its handling of the libya situation. mitt romney preparing in boston. those who know mitt romney well say he is very comfortable in a town hall format. he practiced dozens of them. president obama, by contrast, has not really held a town hall in about nine months. a lot riding on this debate coming up on tuesday. >> nbc's kristen welker in virginia. let's bring in shawn spicer. communications's director for the republican national committee. thanks for being with us. >> you bet. >> governor romney has been in ohio 34 times since securing the gop nomination, 11 times since winning the first presidential debate. paul ryan will be campaigning there in the next hour. we'll be watching that. the governor trailing the president. mitt romney is leading in ten of the battleground states in politico's poll. trailing in the washington post political poll. what's your thought? does the governor think he can become the first republican to
question, was surprised it was the first question. i was surprised a little bit by martha's style. it struck me as more of an interview than a debate. it was a reaction what happened to jim lehrer last night because i think he or she was trying to assert herself more. >> jon: we're going to talk more a little later about the libya situation. let's focus bigger picture on the debate also. it was pretty clear that president obama lost the first debate to mitt romney. how did vice president biden do? >> frankly, i thought if he had handled sarah palin four years ago he would have been called a stalker and all kinds of other things. he was rude, as my mother used to say. he interrupted over and over again by one count, over 80 times. he even martha interrupted paul ryan on several occasions. i just thought it was the worst
for the middle class. those who have been affected most horribly by the last four years of the bad economy. they will get a tax cut. >> bret: 30 second left. you heard robert gibbs about the libya situation. your take on the administration, and how that is going and will you jump on that? >> well, with all due respect to robert i don't think he was being honest with you. i think what we're seeing is the unraveling of the obama foreign policy. overseas we have people attac attacking our embassy. the muslim brotherhood has come power in egypt. our friends in israel have been set adrift. we have serious problems. the obama response to these events raised more questions. governor romney believes in a strong foreign policy and why you fight so hard to reverse cut to defense budget which
then in the street begging for his life. >> bloody saying don't shoot me or his sons. and whether the second son is safe, or not, his whereabouts are unknown. reaction around the world. the uk tabloid, "the sun," headline showed the still of gadhafi, bloody near death. and said that was for lockerbie. that was the headline in the paper this morning. that kind of says it all as people feeling a sense of justice now with this, this guy is finally gone. >> still a lot of questions for libya now. nato officials are meeting today to decide how to wind down the international bombing campaign over libya now that it appears that it is no longer necessary. the u.n. secretary-general says the decision will be made in cooperation with the leaders of libya's interim government. throughout the war, nato kept an average of 200 aircraft engaged in the operation led mostly by britain and france. president obama is getting high marks even from critics over his handling of the libya situation. gop front-runner mitt romney was asked in iowa if mr. obama
you're not allowed to deviate at all or you get burned at the stake. >> doesn't have a good choice of welcoming matches either. but let me ask you this, air rip, when you look at the fact that we're in the middle of some serious foreign affairs with this country, the war in iraq winding down now, the president announcing today withdrawal of the troops, the libya situation, how do you think american voters including republicans in the primaries are going to look when you have a man like mr. mccain that takes lightly whether or not he would even know the president of a foreign country's maim? i mean, let me show what you he says. i don't know if this is cute given the climate that's gone on all over the world. >> i'm ready for the gotcha questions and they're already starting to come. when they ask me who is the president of ubecki-stand o-sta